Spirit

Abstract

To provide a spirit that has a comfortable woody aroma, along with refreshing notes of citrus, mint and the like.SOLUTION: A spirit is made from Palo Santo as a raw material.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to spirits and to a method for producing spirits. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, various spirits have been developed in response to the diversifying tastes of recent consumers. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention relating to a method for producing craft gin with the aroma of grape flowers, which is produced by botanically soaking grape flowers in raw alcohol and then undergoing a distillation and extraction process to obtain a first extract, and blending this with a second extract obtained by soaking the flowers in water and then undergoing a distillation and extraction process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7007535 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Under these circumstances, there is a demand for spirits that meet the diverse tastes of consumers. For example, there is a demand for spirits that have a pleasant woody aroma, but also have a refreshing aroma such as citrus or mint. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention provides spirits using Parosite and a method for producing the spirits. As specific embodiments, the following embodiments [1] to

[13] are provided. [1] A spirit made using Palo Santo as an ingredient. [2] The spirits described in [1] above, wherein the spirits are gin, vodka, rum, or tequila. [3] The spirits described in [1] above, further comprising botanicals including juniper berries as an ingredient. [4] The spirits described in [3] above, wherein the botanicals further include one or more selected from ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, clove, and cardamom. [5] The spirits described in [3] above, wherein the botanicals further include cloves. [6] The spirits described in any one of [1] to [5] above, having an alcohol content of 20 to 99 (v / v)%. [7] A method for producing spirits, comprising the steps of: distilling a raw material liquid containing base spirits; and contacting the raw material liquid with palo santo (a). [8] The method for producing spirits described in [7] above, wherein step (a) is a step of contacting the vapor of the raw material liquid with palo santo. [9] A method for producing spirits as described in [7] or [8] above, wherein the spirits is gin, vodka, rum, or tequila.

[10] A method for producing spirits described in [7] or [8] above, wherein the raw material liquid contains botanicals including at least juniper berries.

[11] The method for producing spirits described in

[10] above, wherein the botanicals further include one or more selected from ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, cloves, and cardamom.

[12] The method for producing spirits described in

[10] above, wherein the botanicals further include cloves.

[13] A method for producing spirits according to any one of [7] to

[12] above, wherein the alcohol content of the spirits is 20 to 99 (v / v)%. Effect of the Invention

[0006] A preferred embodiment of the spirits of the present invention can be a beverage that has, for example, a pleasant woody aroma, while also giving off a refreshing aroma such as citrus or mint. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] 1. About Spirits In this specification, "spirits" refers to alcoholic beverages defined as "spirits" in Article 3, Paragraph 20 of the Liquor Tax Act, which came into effect on June 17, 2022, and specifically means alcoholic beverages other than those listed in Paragraphs 7 to 19 of the same article, with an extract content of less than 2%. Spirits in one embodiment of the present invention include, for example, gin, vodka, rum, tequila, etc., but exclude common whiskey and brandy.

[0008] One embodiment of the spirits of the present invention includes distilled liquor obtained by distilling a fermented liquid obtained by using grains such as rice, barley, wheat, rye, buckwheat, corn, and sugar cane, tubers such as potatoes, and plants such as blue agave as the main raw material, optionally carrying out a saccharification treatment, and then fermenting the fermented liquid. For example, when sugarcane is used, saccharification is not necessary because sugarcane already contains sugar. When saccharification is performed, a maltose enzyme agent may be used as necessary. Furthermore, the spirits of one embodiment of the present invention may contain aromatic herbs such as herbs and spices (hereinafter also referred to as "botanicals") in addition to the above main ingredients.

[0009] When the spirit of one embodiment of the present invention is gin, the distilled liquor obtained as described above can be distilled again using botanicals including juniper berries to produce gin.

[0010] When the spirit of one embodiment of the present invention is vodka, the distilled liquor obtained as described above can be filtered through birch charcoal or the like to produce vodka.

[0011] In the case where the spirit of one embodiment of the present invention is rum, sugar cane is used as the raw material, and the squeezed juice of the sugar cane is boiled down, and the sugar is crystallized. The resulting molasses is then fermented and distilled to produce rum.

[0012] In the case where the spirit of one embodiment of the present invention is tequila, a raw material containing blue agave as a main raw material is steamed and saccharified, and then pressed to obtain a sugar liquid, which is then fermented and distilled to produce tequila.

[0013] The spirits of one embodiment of the present invention are beverages that use palo santo as an ingredient. Palo santo used in one embodiment of the present invention is also called green dan or guaiacan, and is a sweet-smelling fragrant wood that grows in Paraguay and Argentina. Examples of such wood include palo santo (Gonopterodendron sarmientoi) of the Tribulariaceae family and palo santo (Bursera graveolens) of the Burseraceae family.

[0014] By using palo santo as a raw material, the spirits of one embodiment of the present invention becomes a beverage imparted with the flavor of palo santo, and can be a beverage that has, for example, a pleasant woody aroma while also having a refreshing citrus or mint aroma. From the above viewpoint, the spirits of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably a beverage that uses palo santo during distillation, and more preferably a beverage obtained by contacting steam from the raw material liquid with palo santo during distillation.

[0015] The spirits of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably a beverage in which palo santo is used to impart the flavor of palo santo to a base spirits obtained by distilling a fermented liquid obtained by subjecting grains as a raw material to a saccharification treatment and fermentation process. By using such base spirits, the flavor of palo santo is added to the beverage, making it easier to produce a beverage that has a more pleasant woody aroma while also having a more refreshing citrus or mint aroma. From the above viewpoint, the grain used as the raw material for the base spirit is preferably one or more selected from rice, barley, wheat, rye, and corn, and more preferably rice.

[0016] In addition, the spirits of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably a beverage that uses botanicals including juniper berries in addition to palo santo as raw materials. The flavor of Palo Santo goes well with spirits obtained using botanicals including juniper berries, and the resulting beverage has a pleasant woody aroma and a refreshing citrus or mint aroma. From the above viewpoint, the botanicals preferably contain at least juniper berries, more preferably contain, together with juniper berries, one or more selected from ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, cloves, and cardamom, even more preferably contain juniper berries and at least cloves, even more preferably contain juniper berries, cloves, and one or more selected from ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, and cardamom, and particularly preferably contain all of juniper berries, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, and cardamom.

[0017] The alcohol content of the spirits in one embodiment of the present invention is 20(v / v)% or more, 25(v / v)% or more, 30(v / v)% or more, 35(v / v)% or more, 40(v / v)% or more, 45(v / v)% or more, 50(v / v)% or more, 55(v / v)% or more, 60(v / v)% or more, 65(v / v)% or more, 70(v / v)% or more, 75(v / v)% or more, 80(v / v)% or more, 85(v / v)% or more, 90(v / v)% or more, or 95(v / v) % or more, or may be 99(v / v)% or less, 95(v / v)% or less, 90(v / v)% or less, 85(v / v)% or less, 80(v / v)% or less, 75(v / v)% or less, 70(v / v)% or less, 65(v / v)% or less, 60(v / v)% or less, 55(v / v)% or less, 50(v / v)% or less, 45(v / v)% or less, 40(v / v)% or less, 35(v / v)% or less, 30(v / v)% or less, or 25(v / v)% or less.

[0018] In this specification, the alcohol content is expressed as a percentage based on volume / volume ((v / v)%). The alcohol content of spirits can be measured using a vibration density meter. The alcohol content of the spirits according to one embodiment of the present invention can be adjusted by appropriately setting the distillation temperature, distillation time, distillation pressure, etc. in the distillation process.

[0019] The spirits according to one embodiment of the present invention may be in the form of a bottled beverage, which is bottled in a container. Examples of the container include bottles, plastic bottles, cans, bottle cans, and barrels.

[0020] 2. How spirits are produced The method for producing spirits according to one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably a production method having the following step (a): Step (a): A step of distilling a raw liquid containing a base spirit, the raw liquid being brought into contact with Palo Santo. The spirits produced by the production method of one embodiment of the present invention are as described above, but are preferably gin, vodka, rum, or tequila, and more preferably gin.

[0021] The base spirit in step (a) may be a distilled liquor obtained by using raw materials such as the above-mentioned grains, potatoes, plants, etc., optionally subjecting them to saccharification treatment, and then going through at least a fermentation treatment and distillation, or it may be a fermentation liquid after the fermentation treatment. In addition, water may be added to the distilled liquor and the fermented liquid to adjust the alcohol content.

[0022] For example, when producing gin, the base spirit can be a distilled spirit (neutral spirit) before using botanicals including juniper berries. The step of imparting botanical flavor using botanicals including juniper berries may be carried out simultaneously with the distillation step of step (a), or may be carried out by separate distillation after step (a).

[0023] When producing vodka, the distilled liquor before filtering through birch charcoal or the like can be used as the base spirit. Then, after redistillation in step (a), a step of filtering through birch charcoal or the like can be carried out to produce vodka flavored with palo santo.

[0024] In the case of producing rum, the fermented liquid obtained by fermenting molasses using sugar cane can be used as the base spirit. Then, through the distillation in step (a), rum flavored with Palo Santo can be produced.

[0025] When producing tequila, the fermented liquid obtained by fermenting the sugar solution obtained from the raw material containing blue agave can be used as the base spirit, and then, through the distillation in step (a), tequila flavored with Palo Santo can be produced.

[0026] Alternatively, gin, vodka, rum, or tequila may be used as the base spirit to carry out the distillation in step (a) to produce a beverage flavored with palo santo.

[0027] The raw material liquid in step (a) may contain components other than the base spirit, for example, it may contain botanicals. The botanicals preferably include at least juniper berries, more preferably include juniper berries and one or more selected from ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, cloves, and cardamom, even more preferably include juniper berries and at least cloves, even more preferably include juniper berries, cloves, and one or more selected from ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, and cardamom, and particularly preferably include all of juniper berries, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, and cardamom.

[0028] When the raw material liquid contains botanicals, it is preferable to thoroughly soak it in the base spirits. The immersion time may be 1 hour or more, 3 hours or more, 6 hours or more, 12 hours or more, 18 hours or more, 24 hours or more, 30 hours or more, 36 hours or more, 42 hours or more, or 48 hours or more, and may be 100 hours or less, 90 hours or less, 80 hours or less, 70 hours or less, or 60 hours or less.

[0029] In addition, when the raw material liquid contains juniper berries and botanicals other than juniper berries, the juniper berries may be first added to the base spirit and allowed to soak, and then the botanicals other than juniper berries may be added and allowed to soak. The juniper berries may be soaked for 1 hour or more, 3 hours or more, 6 hours or more, 12 hours or more, 18 hours or more, 24 hours or more, 30 hours or more, 36 hours or more, 42 hours or more, or 48 hours or more, and may be soaked for 100 hours or less, 90 hours or less, 80 hours or less, 70 hours or less, or 60 hours or less. The soaking time for botanicals other than juniper berries may be 1 hour or more, 3 hours or more, 6 hours or more, 12 hours or more, 18 hours or more, or 24 hours or more, and may be 100 hours or less, 90 hours or less, 80 hours or less, 70 hours or less, 60 hours or less, 50 hours or less, 40 hours or less, or 30 hours or less.

[0030] In step (a), the method for contacting the raw material liquid with Palo Santo may be to add Palo Santo to the raw material liquid and allow it to soak, or to contact the vapor of the raw material liquid generated by distillation with Palo Santo. From the viewpoint of producing a beverage that further enhances the pleasant woody aroma and refreshing aroma such as citrus or mint, the method of contacting the vapor of the raw material liquid generated by distillation with Palo Santo is preferred.

[0031] The distillation time in step (a) may be 0.5 hours or more, 1 hour or more, 1.5 hours or more, 2 hours or more, 2.5 hours or more, 3 hours or more, or 3.5 hours or more, and may be 24 hours or less, 12 hours or less, 6 hours or less, 5 hours or less, or 4 hours or less.

[0032] The spirits obtained through the distillation in step (a) may have an alcohol content adjusted to the above-mentioned range by adding water.

[0033] The spirits thus obtained can be filled into a predetermined container and distributed in the market as a bottled beverage. The method for packaging the spirits is not particularly limited, and any method known to those skilled in the art can be used. EXAMPLES

[0034] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0035] Example 1 A base spirit with an alcohol content of 50 (v / v)% was prepared by adding water to neutral spirit with an alcohol content of 95 (v / v)% obtained through alcoholic fermentation using rice. Next, juniper berries were added to this base spirit as botanicals and left to steep for 24 hours, and then ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, cloves, and cardamom were added and left to steep for 24 hours, after which water was added to prepare a raw material liquid with an alcohol content of 33 (v / v)%. The prepared raw liquid was placed in the still of a pot still, Palo Santo was placed in the cylinder (gin head) at the top of the pot still, and the raw liquid was distilled so that the steam from the raw liquid would come into contact with the Palo Santo. The raw liquid was distilled for 4 hours, and water was added to the distilled extract to produce a gin with an alcohol content of 40 (v / v)%.

[0036] Comparative Example 1 A gin with an alcohol content of 40 (v / v)% was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that no palo santo was placed in the gin head.

[0037] [Sensory evaluation] Five trained panelists tasted and compared the gins produced in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, which were adjusted to 4°C and 25°C, respectively. All five panelists judged that the gin of Example 1 was a beverage that had a pleasant woody aroma, as well as refreshing citrus and mint aromas, compared to the gin of Comparative Example 1, at both 4°C and 25°C.

Claims

1. A spirit made using Palo Santo as an ingredient.

2. The spirit of claim 1, wherein the spirit is gin, vodka, rum, or tequila.

3. The spirit according to claim 1, further comprising botanicals including juniper berries as an ingredient.

4. 4. The spirit of claim 3, wherein the botanicals further comprise one or more selected from ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, clove, and cardamom.

5. 4. The spirit of claim 3, wherein the botanicals further comprise clove.

6. The spirit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having an alcohol content of 20 to 99 (v / v)%.

7. 1. A method for producing spirits, comprising: (a) a step of distilling a raw material liquid containing a base spirit, the step comprising contacting the raw material liquid with Palo Santo.

8. The method for producing spirits according to claim 7, wherein step (a) is a step of contacting the vapor of the raw material liquid with palo santo.

9. 9. The method for producing spirits according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the spirits is gin, vodka, rum, or tequila.

10. The method for producing spirits according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the raw material liquid contains botanicals including at least juniper berries.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the botanicals further include one or more selected from ginger, cinnamon, Earl Grey, clove, and cardamom.

12. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the botanicals further include clove.

13. The method for producing spirits according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the alcohol content of the spirits is 20 to 99 (v / v)%.