Beer-taste beverage and method for producing the same, and method for giving beer-taste beverage malt flavor

Abstract

To provide a beer-taste beverage that gives a malt flavor with a malt ratio and a carbohydrate content being reduced.SOLUTION: A beer-taste beverage has a malt ratio of less than 50 mass%, a carbohydrate content of 2.0 g / 100 mL or less, and a purine body content of 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beer-taste beverage, a method for producing the same, and a method for imparting a malt aroma to a beer-taste beverage.

Background Art

[0002] Due to the increasing health consciousness in recent years, the demand for beer-taste beverages with a low carbohydrate content (for example, carbohydrate-free beer-taste beverages) has been increasing. Therefore, methods for improving the flavor of beer-taste beverages with a low carbohydrate content have been studied. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a beer-taste beverage having a good flavor without impairing the refreshing aftertaste while suppressing carbohydrates and imparting taste, characterized in that the purine content is 0.5 to 5 mg / 100 mL, the carbohydrate content is 0.5 g / 100 mL or less, and the pH is 3.0 to 4.0.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Beer-taste beverages with a low carbohydrate content and a low malt usage ratio (malt ratio) have a weak flavor and room for improvement in flavor. The present inventors have found that, in a beer-taste beverage in which both the malt ratio and the carbohydrate content are reduced, by adjusting the purine content within a specific range, a beer-taste beverage with a good flavor in which a malt aroma can be felt can be obtained. The present invention is based on this finding, and an object thereof is to provide a beer-taste beverage that can feel a malt aroma while having a low malt ratio and a low carbohydrate content.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present invention relates to a beer - flavored beverage having a malt ratio of less than 50% by mass, a saccharide content of 2.0 g / 100 mL or less, and a purine content of 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less.

[0006] In the beer - flavored beverage according to the present invention, since the purine content is within a specific range, it is possible to feel a malt aroma while the malt ratio and the saccharide content are low. Further, the beer - flavored beverage according to the present invention, by adopting the above - described configuration, in addition to this flavor characteristic, also has an advantageous effect that a more pleasant mouthfeel can be felt.

[0007] The above - mentioned beer - flavored beverage may have a saccharide content of 0.3 g / 100 mL or more and 1.0 g / 100 mL or less. Even when the saccharide content of the beer - flavored beverage according to the present invention is reduced to within the above - mentioned range, the above - described effects are exhibited.

[0008] The present invention also relates to a method for producing a beer - flavored beverage, which includes adjusting the malt ratio to less than 50% by mass, adjusting the saccharide content to 2.0 g / 100 mL or less, and adjusting the purine content to 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less.

[0009] The production method according to the present invention includes adjusting the malt ratio, the saccharide content, and the purine content within specific ranges respectively. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a beer - flavored beverage with a good flavor that can feel a malt aroma while the malt ratio and the saccharide content are low. Further, the production method according to the present invention, by adopting the above - described configuration, can obtain a beer - flavored beverage that also has an advantageous effect that a more pleasant mouthfeel can be felt in addition to this flavor characteristic.

[0010] The present invention can also be regarded as a method for imparting a malt aroma to a beer - flavored beverage, which includes adjusting the malt ratio to less than 50% by mass, adjusting the carbohydrate content to 2.0 g / 100 mL or less, and adjusting the purine content to 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beer - flavored beverage in which a malt aroma can be felt while the malt ratio and the carbohydrate content are low.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0013] 〔Beer - flavored Beverage〕 The beer - flavored beverage according to the present embodiment has a malt ratio of less than 50% by mass, a carbohydrate content of 2.0 g / 100 mL or less, and a purine content of 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less. The beer - flavored beverage according to the present embodiment can feel a malt aroma while the malt ratio and the carbohydrate content are low because the purine content is within a specific range. In addition, the beer - flavored beverage according to the present invention has an advantageous effect that, in addition to this flavor characteristic, a more pleasant mouthfeel can be felt by adopting the above - described configuration.

[0014] In this specification, the "beer - flavored beverage" means a beverage having a beer - like flavor. The beer - flavored beverage according to the present embodiment may be a beer - flavored alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of 1 v / v% or more, or a non - alcoholic beer - flavored beverage having an alcohol content of less than 1 v / v%. In this specification, alcohol means ethanol unless otherwise specified.

[0015] Examples of beer-taste alcoholic beverages include, but are not limited to, fermented liquors, other brewed liquors, and liqueurs as defined by the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 8 of 2020). The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment is not limited to those exemplified above.

[0016] The alcohol content of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 1 v / v% or more, 2 v / v% or more, 3 v / v% or more, 4 v / v% or more, or 5 v / v% or more. Also, the alcohol content of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage may be, for example, 20 v / v% or less, 15 v / v% or less, 10 v / v% or less, 9 v / v% or less, 8 v / v% or less, 7 v / v% or less, 6 v / v% or less, 5 v / v% or less, 4 v / v% or less, or 3 v / v% or less.

[0017] The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is a beer-taste beverage that substantially does not contain alcohol. The alcohol content of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage may be less than 1 v / v%, may be 0.5 v / v% or less, may be 0.1 v / v% or less, or may be less than 0.005 v / v% (0.00 v / v%).

[0018] The alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage can be measured, for example, based on the vibrating densitometer method described in the "3 Sake 3-4 Alcohol Content" of the Prescribed Analytical Methods by the National Tax Agency (Ordinance).

[0019] The purine content in the beer-taste beverage according to the present embodiment may be 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less. Since the effects of the present invention become more prominent, the purine content in the beer-taste beverage according to the present embodiment may be, for example, 5.5 mg / 100 mL or more and 9.5 mg / 100 mL or less, may be 6.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 9.0 mg / 100 mL or less, may be 6.5 mg / 100 mL or more and 8.5 mg / 100 mL or less, or may be 7.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 8.0 mg / 100 mL or less.

[0020] In this specification, the purine content of the beer - flavored beverage means the total content of four purine bases, namely adenine, xanthine, guanine, and hypoxanthine. The purine content in the beer - flavored beverage can be measured, for example, by high - performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0021] The purine content in the beer - flavored beverage can be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the types and amounts of raw materials used. Specifically, for example, raw materials derived from microorganisms (such as yeast extract), raw materials derived from plants (such as soy peptides, pea proteins, etc.) or those obtained by subjecting these to treatments such as hydrolysis are blended, and by adjusting the blending amounts, the purine content can be adjusted. The pea protein used in the present invention is a vegetable protein extracted from peas, purified, and separated, and is commercially available.

[0022] The beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain wheat raw materials as raw materials. In this specification, wheat raw materials refer to wheat or wheat processed products. Examples of wheat include barley, wheat, rye, crow wheat, oats, pearl barley, and fonio. Examples of wheat processed products include wheat extract, malt, and malt extract. Wheat extract is obtained by extracting the wheat extract containing sugars and nitrogen components from wheat. Malt is obtained by germinating wheat. As malt, colored malt (such as caramel malt, crystal malt, black malt, chocolate malt, coffee malt, etc.) produced by performing drying or roasting during the production of malt at a relatively high temperature (for example, about 120°C) and charring may be used. Malt extract is obtained by extracting the extract containing sugars and nitrogen components from malt.

[0023] The beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain hops as raw materials. Hops include, for example, dried hops, hop pellets, hop extracts, and also include hop processed products such as low - alpha hops, hexahops, tetra - hops, isomerized hop extracts, etc.

[0024] The beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment has a malt ratio (the ratio of malt in raw materials other than water and hops) of less than 50% by mass. The malt ratio may be 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 35% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more. Also, the malt ratio may be 45% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 35% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, less than 25% by mass, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less.

[0025] The beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may contain saccharides as raw materials. Examples of saccharides include liquid sugar and powdered sugar such as granulated sugar. When using saccharides, the usage ratio of saccharides (the ratio in raw materials other than water and hops) may be, for example, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more. Also, the usage ratio of saccharides (the ratio in raw materials other than water and hops) may be, for example, less than 100% by mass, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 85% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, or 60% by mass or less.

[0026] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may contain water-soluble dietary fiber as a raw material. Water-soluble dietary fiber is dietary fiber that is soluble in water. Dietary fiber is an indigestible component in food that is not digested by human digestive enzymes. Examples of water-soluble dietary fiber may include indigestible dextrin, indigestible glucan, and other indigestible polysaccharides. The water-soluble dietary fiber may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When using water-soluble dietary fiber, the usage ratio of water-soluble dietary fiber (the ratio in the raw materials other than water and hops) may be, for example, 1% by mass or more, 2% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 4% by mass or more, or 5% by mass or more. Also, the usage ratio of water-soluble dietary fiber (the ratio in the raw materials other than water and hops) may be, for example, 10% by mass or less, 9% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, 7% by mass or less, or 6% by mass or less.

[0027] The beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may contain bitter agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high - intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavors, salts, etc. that are usually blended in beverages, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of bitter agents include, in addition to the above - mentioned hops, isohumulone, caffeine, gentiana extract, peptides, theobromine, naringin, nigaaki extract, houttuynia extract, cinchona extract, etc. Examples of coloring agents include caramel pigment, gardenia pigment, fruit juice pigment, vegetable pigment, and synthetic pigment. Examples of sweeteners include fructose - glucose syrup, glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glycogen, and starch. Examples of high - intensity sweeteners include neotame, acesulfame K, sucralose, saccharin, sodium saccharin, disodium glycyrrhizinate, thaumatin, brazzein, stevia, glycyrrhizin, somatine, monellin, aspartame, and alitame. Examples of antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenol. Examples of acidulants include phosphoric acid, lactic acid, DL - malic acid, citric acid, adipic acid, trisodium citrate, glucono - delta - lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, sodium acetate, DL - tartaric acid, L - tartaric acid, sodium DL - tartrate, sodium L - tartrate, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, sodium DL - malate. Examples of salts include sodium chloride, potassium acid phosphate, calcium acid phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate.

[0028] The carbohydrate content of the beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be 2.0 g / 100 mL or less. The carbohydrate content of the beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 1.8 g / 100 mL or less, 1.6 g / 100 mL or less, 1.4 g / 100 mL or less, 1.2 g / 100 mL or less, 1.0 g / 100 mL or less, 0.9 g / 100 mL or less, 0.8 g / 100 mL or less, 0.7 g / 100 mL or less, 0.6 g / 100 mL or less, or even "zero carbohydrate" according to the nutrition labeling standard, that is, 0.5 g / 100 mL or less. The carbohydrate content of the beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, more than 0 g / 100 mL, 0.1 g / 100 mL or more, 0.2 g / 100 mL or more, 0.3 g / 100 mL or more, 0.4 g / 100 mL or more. The carbohydrate content can be adjusted according to the types and amounts of raw materials used, etc.

[0029] In this specification, "carbohydrates" refer to carbohydrates based on the Food Nutrition Labeling Standard (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 176 of 2003). Specifically, carbohydrates refer to the substances obtained by removing proteins, lipids, dietary fiber, ash, moisture, and alcohol from food. The carbohydrate content in the beer - flavored beverage is calculated by subtracting the amounts of proteins, lipids, dietary fiber, ash, moisture, and alcohol from the weight of the beer - flavored beverage. The amounts of proteins, lipids, ash, and moisture are measured by the methods listed in the nutrition labeling standard. The amount of alcohol can be measured together with the amount of moisture. Specifically, the amount of protein is measured by the method for quantifying total nitrogen (protein) by the modified Dumas method, the amount of lipid is measured by the ether extraction method, chloroform - methanol mixed solution extraction method, Gerber method, acid decomposition method, or Rose - Gottlieb method, the amount of dietary fiber is measured by the high - performance liquid chromatography method or the Prosky method, the amount of ash is measured by the magnesium acetate - added ashing method, direct ashing method, or sulfuric acid - added ashing method, and the amounts of moisture and alcohol can be measured by the Karl Fischer method, drying aid method, vacuum heating drying method, normal - pressure heating drying method, or plastic film method.

[0030] The bitterness value (BU) of the beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.0 or more and 50.0 or less. The BU of the beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 40.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, or 15.0 or less, and may be 1.0 or more, 2.0 or more, 3.0 or more, 4.0 or more, 5.0 or more, or 10.0 or more. The bitterness value of the beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be measured by the method described in "8.15 Bitterness value" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Japan Brewing Association, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Beer Brewing Association [Analysis Committee], 2013 Supplement and Revision). The bitterness value can be appropriately set within the above range, for example, by adjusting the type and amount of raw materials used.

[0031] The beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be non - fizzy or fizzy. Here, non - fizzy means that the gas pressure at 20°C is less than 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm 2 ), and fizzy means that the gas pressure at 20°C is 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm 2 ) or more. When it is fizzy, the upper limit of the gas pressure may be about 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg / cm 2 ).

[0032] The beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be provided in a container. The container may be any that can be sealed, and so - called can containers or barrel containers made of metal (such as aluminum or steel) can be applied. Also, glass containers, PET bottle containers, paper containers, pouch containers, etc. can be applied as the container. The capacity of the container is not particularly limited, and any currently in circulation can be applied. In view of completely blocking gas, moisture, and light rays and being able to maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long time, it is preferable to apply a metal container.

[0033] 〔Manufacturing method of beer - flavored beverage〕 The beer - flavored beverage according to the present embodiment can be produced by a production method including, for example, adjusting the malt ratio of the beer - flavored beverage to less than 50% by mass, adjusting the carbohydrate content in the beer - flavored beverage to 2.0 g / 100 mL or less, and adjusting the purine content in the beer - flavored beverage to 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less. The production method may, for example, mix raw materials to produce a beer - flavored beverage (method by blending), or may produce a beer - flavored beverage through fermentation by yeast or the like (fermentation method).

[0034] A production method (method by blending) according to an embodiment includes, for example, a blending step of blending water, a purine source, and, if necessary, alcohol (for example, raw material alcohol, distilled alcohol such as spirits and vodka, fermentation broth obtained by brewing) and / or various additives (for example, bitter agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high - intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, water - soluble dietary fiber, etc.) and other raw materials such as wort into a raw material tank. The blending step can be carried out according to a conventional method, except for adjusting the malt ratio, carbohydrate content, and purine content within the above ranges. As the purine source, for example, the purine itself (at least one purine base selected from the group consisting of adenine, xanthine, guanine, and hypoxanthine) may be used, or a raw material derived from microorganisms (such as yeast extract), a raw material derived from plants (such as soy peptide, pea protein), or those obtained by subjecting these to treatments such as hydrolysis may be used.

[0035] The production method according to the present embodiment may further include a filtration step of filtering the mixed solution obtained by mixing each component in the blending step, a first sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filtered in the filtration step, a filling step of filling the sterilized filtrate sterilized in the first sterilization step into containers such as bottles, cans, and PET bottles, and a second sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filled into the containers together with the containers.

[0036] For the mixing process, while stirring with a stirrer or the like, the components may be mixed so that they are well blended. Also, the filtration process can be carried out, for example, by a general filter or strainer. From the viewpoint of processing speed and the like, the first sterilization process may be carried out by plate sterilization, and if the same processing can be carried out, it is applicable without being limited to this. The filling process may be carried out in a clean room maintained at a cleanliness level usually carried out in the production of beverages. The second sterilization process can be carried out by heating the filtered liquid together with the container at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time. The first or second sterilization process may be a non-heat sterilization process. Examples of the non-heat sterilization process include ultraviolet (UV) sterilization. It is also possible to carry out aseptic filling without performing a sterilization process.

[0037] The manufacturing method (fermentation method) in other embodiments includes, for example, a charging process and a fermentation process.

[0038] The charging process is a process of preparing a pre-fermentation liquid used for fermentation. The charging process may be, for example, a process of obtaining a pre-fermentation liquid using raw materials and charging water (water used in the charging process). The charging process may also include, for example, a boiling process of boiling a sugar-containing liquid, a removing process of removing solids in the raw material liquid, and a cooling process of cooling the raw material liquid in this order.

[0039] In the boiling process, the sugar-containing liquid is boiled to obtain a post-boiling liquid (the sugar-containing liquid after boiling). The sugar-containing liquid contains components capable of alcoholic fermentation by yeast. Examples of the sugar-containing liquid include wort and syrup. Wort is a liquid obtained through saccharification of the above-mentioned wheat raw materials and the like and is unfermented. Wort can be obtained, for example, through a process of mixing the above-mentioned raw materials such as wheat raw materials and water, a process of saccharifying the liquid containing the raw materials and water by a conventional method to obtain a saccharified liquid, and a process of filtering the saccharified liquid.

[0040] In the boiling step, hops may be added to the raw material liquid. As the hops to be added, for example, dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extracts can be used. The hops may be hop processed products such as whole hops, hexahops, tetra hops, and isomerized hop extracts.

[0041] In the removal step, the solid content in the post-boiling liquid is removed to obtain a purified liquid. The removal step can be carried out, for example, by precipitating the insoluble solid content contained in the post-boiling liquid. Examples of the solid content include heat coagulants generated by the boiling step and hop dregs when hops are added in the boiling step. The removal step may be carried out in the whirlpool. In the cooling step, the purified liquid is cooled to a temperature at which fermentation by yeast is possible to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.

[0042] The fermentation step is a step of fermenting the pre-fermentation liquid with yeast. By the fermentation step, a post-fermentation liquid obtained by fermenting the pre-fermentation liquid with yeast is obtained. In the fermentation step, alcoholic fermentation is carried out by yeast. More specifically, yeast is inoculated into the pre-fermentation liquid and fermented to obtain a post-fermentation liquid containing alcohol produced by the yeast.

[0043] In the production method according to this embodiment, as a post-fermentation step after the fermentation step, a step of aging and cooling the post-fermentation liquid and a step of filtering the post-fermentation liquid may be provided. By carrying out the filtration step, insoluble solid content, yeast, etc. can be removed from the post-fermentation liquid.

[0044] In the production method according to this embodiment, as other post-fermentation steps, heating (sterilization), addition of various additives (for example, bittering agents, coloring agents, sweetening agents, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, water-soluble dietary fibers), etc. may be carried out on the post-fermentation liquid (or the post-fermentation liquid after the filtration step).

[0045] The manufacturing method (fermentation method) according to this embodiment can be carried out according to a conventional method, except that the malt ratio, carbohydrate content, and purine content are adjusted within the above ranges. The malt ratio can be adjusted by adjusting the ratio of malt in the raw materials other than water and hops. The carbohydrate content can be adjusted, for example, by the type and amount of raw materials used. The purine content can be adjusted, for example, by the type and amount of raw materials used.

[0046] 〔Method for imparting malt aroma to beer - flavored beverage〕 The present invention described above can also be regarded as a method for imparting malt aroma to a beer - flavored beverage, which includes adjusting the malt ratio to less than 50% by mass, adjusting the carbohydrate content to 2.0 g / 100 mL or less, and adjusting the purine content to 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less. As specific aspects and the like in this method, the above - described aspects can be applied without limitation.

Examples

[0047] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically based on examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0048] 〔Test Example 1: Manufacture and evaluation of beer - flavored beverage〕 (Manufacture of beer - flavored beverage) Using malt (malt ratio less than 50% by mass), saccharides (ratio in raw materials other than water and hops 40% by mass or more), hops, and water - soluble dietary fiber, a pre - fermentation liquid was obtained by a conventional method. Beer yeast was added to the pre - fermentation liquid and fermented to obtain a post - fermentation liquid. After adding alcohol to the post - fermentation liquid, it was filtered to obtain the beer - flavored beverage of Test Example 1 - 1 (alcohol content 4.34 v / v%, purine content 3.4 mg / 100 mL, carbohydrate content 0.39 g / 100 mL). Next, yeast extract (GISTEX (registered trademark), manufactured by DSM Co., Ltd.) was added to the beer - flavored beverage of Test Example 1 - 1 so as to have the purine content shown in Table 1, and the beer - flavored beverages of Test Examples 1 - 2 to 1 - 9 were obtained.

[0049] The carbohydrate content in the beer-like beverage was measured by the following method. First, the amounts of water, alcohol, protein, and ash in the measurement sample were measured respectively. The total weight of water and alcohol was measured by the normal pressure heating and drying method. The protein amount was measured by the quantitative method of total nitrogen (protein) by the modified Dumas method. The ash amount was measured by the direct ashing method. The lipid amount in the measurement sample was regarded as 0 g / 100 mL, and the value obtained by subtracting the amounts of water, alcohol, protein, ash, and dietary fiber from the weight of the measurement sample was calculated as the carbohydrate content (g / 100 mL) of the measurement sample.

[0050] The purine content in the beer-like beverage was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by measuring the contents of each of the four purine bases of adenine, xanthine, guanine, and hypoxanthine and summing them up.

[0051] For the obtained beer-like beverage, sensory evaluations were conducted on the evaluation items of "malt aroma" and "pleasant mouthfeel". The sensory evaluations were carried out by 4 selected panelists with discriminative ability. All evaluation items were evaluated on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5, and the average value was taken as the evaluation score.

[0052] For "malt aroma", the higher the score, the stronger the malt aroma is felt. For "pleasant mouthfeel", the higher the score, the stronger the pleasant mouthfeel (not taste, but the feeling on the tongue) is felt. Note that the scores of "malt aroma" and "pleasant mouthfeel" of the beer-like beverage in Test Example 1-1 were both fixed at 1 point, and other beer-like beverages were evaluated based on this. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0053]

Table 1

[0054] As shown in Table 1, even in a beer - flavored beverage with a low malt ratio and sugar content, when the purine content is in the range of 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less, a sufficient "malt aroma" and "pleasant mouthfeel" can be felt.

[0055] [Test Example 2: Production and Evaluation of Beer - flavored Beverage] (Production of Beer - flavored Beverage) Using malt (malt ratio less than 50% by mass), saccharides (proportion in raw materials other than water and hops is 40% by mass or more), hops, and water - soluble dietary fiber, a pre - fermentation liquid was obtained by a conventional method. Beer yeast was added to the pre - fermentation liquid and fermented to obtain a post - fermentation liquid. After adding alcohol to the post - fermentation liquid, it was filtered to obtain a beer - flavored beverage of Test Example 2 - 1 (alcohol content 4.34 v / v%, purine content 3.4 mg / 100 mL, sugar content 0.39 g / 100 mL). Next, to the beer - flavored beverage of Test Example 2 - 1, a product obtained by treating pea protein (manufactured by Organo - Rodia Food Co., Ltd.) with a protein - degrading enzyme (protease) so as to have the purine content shown in Table 2 was added to obtain beer - flavored beverages of Test Examples 2 - 2 to 2 - 4.

[0056] (Sensory Evaluation) Sensory evaluation was carried out in the same procedure as in Test Example 1. Note that the scores for the "malt aroma" and "pleasant mouthfeel" of the beer - flavored beverage of Test Example 2 - 1 were both fixed at 1 point, and other beer - flavored beverages were evaluated based on this. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0057]

Table 2

[0058] As shown in Table 2, even in a beer - flavored beverage with a low malt ratio and sugar content, when the purine content is in the range of 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less, a sufficient "malt aroma" and "pleasant mouthfeel" can be felt.

[0059] Also, from the results of Test Example 1 and Test Example 2, it is understood that by adjusting the purine content in the beer-taste beverage within the range of 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less regardless of the type of purine source (yeast extract, pea protein), it is possible to sufficiently feel "malt aroma" and "pleasant mouse feel".

Claims

[Claim 1] A beer-flavored beverage having a malt ratio of less than 50% by mass, a carbohydrate content of 2.0 g / 100 mL or less, and a purine content of 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more and 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less.

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