Beer-taste beverage

Abstract

To provide a new beer-taste beverage that possesses a throat sensation and drinking fullness desirable for beer-taste beverages, with decreased undesirable astringent aftertaste and reduced heaviness upon drinking.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of at least 1.0 (v / v)%, a total polyphenol content of 20 to 140 mass ppm, and a real extract value of 3.20 to 6.80 mass%.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beer-taste beverage, a method for producing the beer-taste beverage, and a method for improving the flavor of the beer-taste beverage.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various beer-taste beverages have been studied and provided in response to the diversified preferences of recent consumers. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of less than 1 v / v%, a pH of less than 4.0, and a ratio of the total polyphenol content (mg / L) to the total nitrogen content (mg / 100 g) of 3.3 or more.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Under such circumstances, there is a demand for a new beer-taste beverage that has a suitable throat feel and palatability for a beer-taste beverage and reduces the astringency of an unpleasant aftertaste and the heaviness of the taste.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present invention provides the following aspects [1] to

[25] . [1] A beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of 1.0 (v / v)% or more, a total polyphenol amount of 20 to 140 mass ppm, and a real extract value of 3.20 to 6.80 mass%. [2] The beer-taste beverage according to [1], wherein the malt ratio is less than 50% by mass. [3] The beer-taste beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein the malt ratio is less than 25% by mass. [4] Satisfying the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y > 4.5 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the total polyphenol amount (unit: mass ppm), and Y represents the real extract value (unit: mass %).] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [3]. [5] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the total content (A) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol is 50.0 mg / L or more. [6] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the total content (B) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate is 100.0 μg / L or more. [7] Satisfying the following formula (2): Formula (2): A / X1 > 0.2 [In the above formula (2), A represents the total content (unit: mg / L) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol, and X1 represents the total polyphenol amount (unit: mass ppm).] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [6]. [8] Satisfying the following formula (3): Formula (3): B / X1 > 1.0 [In the above formula (3), B represents the total content (unit: μg / L) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate, and X1 represents the total polyphenol amount (unit: mass ppm).] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [7]. [9] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the total amount of polyphenols is 65 to 90 ppm by mass.

[10] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [9], wherein the acetaldehyde content is 0.2 to 5.0 mg / L.

[11] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[10] , wherein the ethyl acetate content is 5.0 to 50.0 mg / L.

[12] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[11] , wherein the content of isoamyl acetate is 0.2 to 5.0 mg / L.

[13] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[12] , which has a color of less than 7.0 EBC.

[14] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[13] , which has a bitterness value of less than 30.0 BUs.

[15] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[14] , wherein the content of free amino nitrogen is less than 20.0 mg / 100 mL.

[16] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[15] , wherein the total nitrogen content is less than 60.0 mg / 100 mL.

[17] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[16] , wherein the pyroglutamic acid content is less than 150 mg / L.

[18] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[17] , wherein the raw material is one or more selected from the group consisting of sugars, yeast extract, and corn protein hydrolysates.

[19] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[18] , wherein the beer-taste beverage is a fermented beer-taste beverage.

[20] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[19] , wherein the beer-taste beverage is a filtered beer-taste beverage. [twenty one] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[20] , which has a turbidity of less than 22 Helm. [twenty two] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to

[21] , which has invertase activity. [twenty three] A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the following step (1) and steps (a) to (c): Step (1): A step of obtaining a pre-beverage solution by using various raw materials and performing at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solid content removal. Step (a): adjusting the alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage to 1.0 (v / v)% or more. Step (b): adjusting the total polyphenol content of the beer-taste beverage to 20 to 140 ppm by mass. Step (c): adjusting the real extract value of the beer-taste beverage to 3.20 to 6.80% by mass. [twenty four] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to

[23] , further comprising the following step (2): Step (2): A step of adding yeast to the pre-beverage liquid obtained in step (1) to carry out alcoholic fermentation. [twenty five] of the final product Alcohol content of 1.0 (v / v)% or more, Total polyphenol content is 20 to 140 ppm by mass, Real extract value is 3.20 to 6.80 mass%. The method for improving the flavor of a beer-flavored beverage includes adjusting the flavor of the beer-flavored beverage so that the flavor of the beer-flavored beverage becomes as follows: Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a beer-taste beverage is provided that has a smooth texture suitable for beer-taste beverages. According to one aspect of the present invention, a beer-taste beverage is provided that has a satisfying taste suitable for beer-taste beverages. According to one aspect of the present invention, a beer-taste beverage is provided that has a reduced astringent aftertaste that is unsuitable for beer-taste beverages. According to one aspect of the present invention, a beer-taste beverage is provided that has a reduced heavy mouthfeel that is unsuitable for beer-taste beverages. Another aspect of the present invention provides a beer-taste beverage having a lingering aftertaste suitable for beer-taste beverages, and a beer-taste beverage having a fruity aroma suitable for beer-taste beverages. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Regarding the numerical ranges described herein, the upper and lower limits can be combined in any combination. For example, when a numerical range is described as "preferably 30 to 100, more preferably 40 to 80," the ranges "30 to 80" and "40 to 100" are also included in the numerical ranges described herein. Furthermore, when a numerical range is described as "preferably 30 or more, more preferably 40 or more, and preferably 100 or less, more preferably 80 or less," the ranges "30 to 80" and "40 to 100" are also included in the numerical ranges described herein. In addition, as a numerical range described in this specification, for example, "60 to 100" means a range of "60 or more (60 or more) to 100 or less (100 or less)."

[0008] 1. Beer-taste beverage As used herein, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to an alcoholic or non-alcoholic carbonated beverage that has a beer-like flavor. In other words, unless otherwise specified, the term "beer-taste beverage" as used herein encompasses any carbonated beverage that has a beer flavor. Therefore, the "beer-flavored beverage" includes, for example, not only beer, which is a malt-fermented beverage obtained by fermenting malt, hops, and water as raw materials using yeast, and fermented beer-flavored beverages, but also carbonated beverages (non-fermented beer-flavored beverages) to which a beer flavoring containing aroma components such as esters, higher alcohols, and lactones is added.

[0009] Examples of aroma components contained in beer flavorings include isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propanol, isobutanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, isoamyl propionate, linalool, geraniol, citral, 4-vinylguaiacol (4-VG), 4-methyl-3-pentenoic acid, 2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid, 1,4-cineole, 1,8-cineole, 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine, γ-decanolactone, γ-undecalactone, and ethyl hexanoate. ethanol, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl n-butyrate, myrcene, citral, limonene, maltol, ethyl maltol, phenylacetic acid, furaneol, furfural, methional, 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-2-butanethiol, diacetyl, ferulic acid, geranic acid, geranyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, octanoic acid, decanoic acid, 9-decenoic acid, nonanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, propanoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, γ-butyrolactone, 2-aminoacetophenone, 3-phenylpropanoic acid Ethyl pionate, 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, dimethyl sulfone, 3-methylcyclopentane-1,2-dione, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, 2-acetylfuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, hexanal, hexanol, cis-3-hexenal, 1-octen-3-ol, β-eudesmol, 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one, β-caryophyllene, β-myl Examples of such compounds include acene, furfuryl alcohol, 2-ethylpyrazine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2-methylbutyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, phenylacetaldehyde, 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one, trans-2-hexenal, nonanal, phenethyl alcohol, β-damascenone, menthone, menthyl acetate dimethyl trisulfide, 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine, cis-3-hexenol, γ-terpinene, and cis-linalool oxide.

[0010] In addition, the beer - flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may be a fermented beer - flavored beverage that has undergone a fermentation process using yeast, or may be a non - fermented beer - flavored beverage that has not undergone a fermentation process. As the fermented beer - flavored beverage, it may be an ale - flavored beverage brewed through a fermentation process using top - fermenting yeast (such as Saccharomyces), or a lager - flavored beverage (lager - beer - flavored beverage, pilsner - beer - flavored beverage) brewed through a fermentation process using bottom - fermenting yeast (such as Saccharomyces), or a blend of these beer - flavored beverages. Furthermore, it may be a fermented beer - flavored beverage obtained by using top - fermenting yeast and bottom - fermenting yeast in the same fermentation process or in separate fermentation processes. Also, "fermentation" as used herein may be alcoholic fermentation that produces alcohol or non - alcoholic fermentation that does not produce alcohol.

[0011] In addition, the beer - flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may be a malt - used beer - flavored beverage that uses malt as a raw material, or may be a malt - non - used beer - flavored beverage that does not use malt. Examples of the malt - used beer - flavored beverage include a beer - flavored beverage that uses barley malt.

[0012] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a beverage in which the total polyphenol content and the real extract value are adjusted from the viewpoint of achieving both a good throat feel and a good drinking feeling. In the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, the total polyphenol content is preferably 10 ppm by mass or more, 15 ppm by mass or more, 20 ppm by mass or more, 25 ppm by mass or more, 30 ppm by mass or more, 35 ppm by mass or more, 40 ppm by mass or more, 45 ppm by mass or more, 50 ppm by mass or more, 52 ppm by mass or more, 54 ppm by mass or more, 56 ppm by mass or more, 58 ppm by mass or more, 60 ppm by mass or more, 62 ppm by mass or more, 64 ppm by mass or more, 65 ppm by mass or more, 66 ppm by mass or more, 68 ppm by mass or more, 70 ppm by mass or more, 72 ppm by mass or more, 74 ppm by mass or more, 76 ppm by mass or more, 78 ppm by mass or more, 80 ppm by mass or more, 82 ppm by mass or more, 84 ppm by mass or more, 86 ppm by mass or more, 88 ppm by mass or more, or 90 ppm by mass or more from the viewpoint of obtaining a beer-taste beverage with a good throat feel, and may also be 92 ppm by mass or more, 94 ppm by mass or more, 96 ppm by mass or more, 98 ppm by mass or more, 100 ppm by mass or more, 105 ppm by mass or more, 110 ppm by mass or more, 115 ppm by mass or more, 120 ppm by mass or more, 125 ppm by mass or more, 130 ppm by mass or more, 135 ppm by mass or more, 140 ppm by mass or more, 145 ppm by mass or more, or 150 ppm by mass or more. Furthermore, from the perspective of reducing the astringent aftertaste that is unsuitable for beer-flavored beverages, the total polyphenol content is set to 500 ppm by mass or less, 450 ppm by mass or less, 400 ppm by mass or less, 350 ppm by mass or less, 300 ppm by mass or less, 250 ppm by mass or less, 200 ppm by mass or less, 190 ppm by mass or less, 180 ppm by mass or less, 170 ppm by mass or less, 160 ppm by mass or less, 150 ppm by mass or less, 140 ppm by mass or less, 135 ppm by mass or less, 130 ppm by mass or less, 125 ppm by mass or less, 120 ppm by mass or less, 110 ppm by mass or less, 100 ppm by mass or less, 98 ppm by mass or less, 90 ... 6 mass ppm or less, 94 mass ppm or less, 92 mass ppm or less, 90 mass ppm or less, 88 mass ppm or less, 86 mass ppm or less, 84 mass ppm or less, 82 mass ppm or less, 80 mass ppm or less, 78 mass ppm or less, 76 mass ppm or less, 74 mass ppm or less, 72 mass ppm or less, 70 It is preferably less than or equal to mass ppm, 68 mass ppm or less, or 66 mass ppm or less, and may also be 65 mass ppm or less, 60 mass ppm or less, 55 mass ppm or less, 50 mass ppm or less, 45 mass ppm or less, 40 mass ppm or less, 35 mass ppm or less, or 30 mass ppm or less.

[0013] In this specification, the term "total polyphenol content" refers to the total amount of polyphenols contained in the entire beer-taste beverage. Polyphenols refer to compounds in which two or more hydrogen atoms of an aromatic hydrocarbon have been substituted with hydroxyl groups, and specific examples include flavonols, isoflavones, tannins, catechins, quercetin, anthocyanins, and the like. In this specification, the amount of total polyphenols can be measured by the method described in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Brewery Association of Japan, a public interest incorporated foundation, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee), revised and expanded in 2013).

[0014] The total amount of polyphenols can be controlled by adjusting the amount of raw materials with a high polyphenol content, such as barley malt and malt husks (grain husks). Generally, malt with husk has a high polyphenol content, while soybeans, yeast extract, wheat, wheat malt, etc. have a low polyphenol content. By appropriately selecting such raw materials and adjusting the usage amounts, it is possible to adjust the polyphenol content to a desired range.

[0015] In the beer - flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of making a beer - flavored beverage with a good drinking feeling, the real extract value is 3.00% by mass or more, 3.10% by mass or more, 3.20% by mass or more, 3.30% by mass or more, 3.40% by mass or more, 3.50% by mass or more, 3.60% by mass or more, 3.70% by mass or more, 3.80% by mass or more, 3.90% by mass or more, 4.00% by mass or more, 4.05% by mass or more, 4.10% by mass or more, 4.15% by mass or more, 4.20% by mass or more, 4.25% by mass or more, 4.30% by mass or more, 4.35% by mass or more, 4.40% by mass or more, 4.45% by mass or more, 4.50% by mass or more, 4.55% by mass or more, 4.60% by mass or more, 4.65% by mass or more, 4.70% by mass or more, 4.75% by mass or more, 4.80% by mass or more, 4.85% by mass or more, 4.90% by mass or more, 4.95% by mass or more, 5.00% by mass or more, 5.05% by mass or more, 5.10% by mass or more, 5.15% by mass or more, 5.20% by mass or more, 5.25% by mass or more, 5.30% by mass or more, 5.35% by mass or more, 5.40% by mass or more, 5.45% by mass or more, 5.50% by mass or more, 5.55% by mass or more, 5.60% by mass or more, 5.65% by mass or more, 5.70% by mass or more, 5.75% by mass or more, 5.80% by mass or more, 5.85% by mass or more, 5.90% by mass or more, 5.95% by mass or more, or 6.00% by mass or more, and preferably 6.10% by mass or more, 6.20% by mass or more, 6.30% by mass or more, 6.40% by mass or more, 6.50% by mass or more, 6.60% by mass or more, 6.70% by mass or more, 6.80% by mass or more, 6.90% by mass or more, or 7.00% by mass or more. Also, from the perspective of reducing the heaviness of the drinking mouth, which is unsuitable for beer-taste beverages, the real extract value is preferably 10.0% by mass or less, 9.90% by mass or less, 9.80% by mass or less, 9.70% by mass or less, 9.60% by mass or less, 9.50% by mass or less, 9.40% by mass or less, 9.30% by mass or less, 9.20% by mass or less, 9.10% by mass or less, 9.00% by mass or less, 8.90% by mass or less, 8.80% by mass or less, 8.70% by mass or less, 8.60% by mass or less, 8.50% by mass or less, 8.40% by mass or less, 8.30% by mass or less, 8.20% by mass or less, 8.10% by mass or less, 8.00% by mass or less, 7.90% by mass or less, 7.80% by mass or less, 7.70% by mass or less, 7.60% by mass or less, 7.50% by mass or less, 7.40% by mass or less, 7.30% by mass or less, 7.20% by mass or less, 7.10% by mass or less, or 7.00% by mass or less. Further, it may be 6.90% by mass or less, 6.80% by mass or less, 6.75% by mass or less, 6.70% by mass or less, 6.65% by mass or less, 6.60% by mass or less, 6.55% by mass or less, 6.50% by mass or less, 6.45% by mass or less, 6.40% by mass or less, 6.35% by mass or less, 6.30% by mass or less, 6.25% by mass or less, 6.20% by mass or less, 6.15% by mass or less, 6.10% by mass or less, 6.05% by mass or less, 6.00% by mass or less, 5.95% by mass or less, 5.90% by mass or less, 5.85% by mass or less, 5.80% by mass or less, 5.75% by mass or less, 5.70% by mass or less, 5.65% by mass or less, 5.60% by mass or less, 5.55% by mass or less, 5.50% by mass or less, 5.45% by mass or less, 5.40% by mass or less, 5.35% by mass or less, 5.30% by mass or less, 5.25% by mass or less, 5.20% by mass or less, 5.15% by mass or less, 5.10% by mass or less, 5.05% by mass or less, 5.00% by mass or less, 4.50% by mass or less, or 4.00% by mass or less.

[0016] The real extract refers to the solid matter itself (soluble evaporation residue) that remains as a dry residue without evaporation when the beverage (after filtering out insolubles such as yeast and protein coagulants if any) is gently heated to evaporate all water, alcohol, carbon dioxide, and other volatile components, particularly in fermented beverages, or the content thereof (mass %). The real extract value of the beer - flavored beverage of the present invention can be measured, for example, by the method described in 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).

[0017] Also, the real extract value of the beer - flavored beverage of one aspect of the present invention can be adjusted to a desired range by appropriately setting the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the addition amount thereof, the type of raw materials (such as wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the type of enzyme, the addition amount of enzyme, the timing of enzyme addition, the saccharification time in the charging tank, the protein decomposition time in the charging tank, the pH in the charging tank, the pH in the charging process (wort production process from malt input to before yeast addition), the addition amount of acid used for pH adjustment, the timing of pH adjustment (such as at the time of charging, during fermentation, at the end of fermentation, before beer filtration, after beer filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time of each temperature region when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre - beverage (pre - fermentation liquid), the original extract concentration during the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, yeast addition amount, yeast growth number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), and the presence or absence of addition of spirits, brewing alcohol, etc. and the addition amount when adding.

[0018] The beer - flavored beverage of one aspect of the present invention may be a beer - flavored beverage that satisfies the following formula (1). Formula (1): X1 / Y>4.5 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the total polyphenol amount (unit: mass ppm), and Y represents the real extract value (unit: mass %).] In the above formula (1), the ratio (X1 / Y) of the total polyphenol content to the real extract value is 4.6 or more, 4.7 or more, 4.8 or more, 4.9 or more, 5.0 or more, 5.2 or more, 5.4 or more, 5.6 or more, 5.8 or more, 6.0 or more, 6.2 or more, 6.4 or more, 6.6 or more, 6.8 or more, 7.0 or more, 7.5 or more, 8.0 or more, 8.5 or more, 9.0 or more, 9.5 or more, 10.0 or more, 10.5 or more, 11.0 or more, 11.5 or more, 12.0 or more, 12.5 or more, 13.0 or more, 13.5 or more, 14.0 or more, 14.5 or more, 15.0 or more, 15.5 or more, 16.0 or more, 16.5 or more, 17.0 or more, 17.5 or more, 18.0 or more, 18.5 or more, 19.0 or more, 19.5 or more, 20.0 or more, 21.0 or more, 22.0 or more, 23.0 or more, 24.0 or more, 25.0 or more, 26.0 or more, 27.0 or more, 28.0 or more, 29.0 or more, 30.0 or more, 35.0 or more, 40.0 or more, 45.0 or more, or 50.0 or more, from the viewpoint of improving the throat feel suitable for beer-taste beverages. Also, in the above formula (1), the ratio (X1 / Y) of the total polyphenol content to the real extract value may be 100.0 or less, 90.0 or less, 80.0 or less, 70.0 or less, 60.0 or less, 55.0 or less, 50.0 or less, 45.0 or less, 40.0 or less, 38.0 or less, 36.0 or less, 34.0 or less, 32.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 29.0 or less, 28.0 or less, 27.0 or less, 26.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 24.0 or less, 23.0 or less, 22.0 or less, 21.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 19.0 or less, 18.0 or less, 17.0 or less, 16.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 14.0 or less, 13.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 11.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.0 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.0 or less, or 5.0 or less, from the viewpoint of making a beverage with a well-balanced throat feel and drinking satisfaction.

[0019] The beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may be an alcoholic beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of 1 (v / v)% or more, or may be a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of less than 1 (v / v)%. The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage may be a non-alcoholic fermented beer-taste beverage produced by removing the alcohol generated in the fermentation process after passing through the fermentation process, or may be a non-alcoholic non-fermented beer-taste beverage prepared to have a beer-like flavor without passing through the fermentation process. Further, it may include those that undergo a non-alcoholic fermentation process that does not produce alcohol.

[0020] When the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is an alcoholic beer-taste beverage, the alcohol content (ethanol content) is preferably 1.0 (v / v)% or more, 1.2 (v / v)% or more, 1.5 (v / v)% or more, 1.7 (v / v)% or more, 2.0 (v / v)% or more, 2.2 (v / v)% or more, 2.5 (v / v)% or more, 2.7 (v / v)% or more, 3.0 (v / v)% or more, 3.2 (v / v)% or more, 3.5 (v / v)% or more, 3.7 (v / v)% or more, 4.0 (v / v)% or more, 4.2 (v / v)% or more, 4.5 (v / v)% or more, 4.7 (v / v)% or more, or 5.0 (v / v)% or more, and may also be 5.2 (v / v)% or more, 5.5 (v / v)% or more, 5.7 (v / v)% or more, 6.0 (v / v)% or more, 6.2 (v / v)% or more, 6.5 (v / v)% or more, 6.7 (v / v)% or more, 7.0 (v / v)% or more, 7.2 (v / v)% or more, 7.5 (v / v)% or more, 7.7 (v / v)% or more, 8.0 (v / v)% or more, 8.2 (v / v)% or more, 8.5 (v / v)% or more, 8.7 (v / v)% or more, or 9.0 (v / v)% or more. Also, the alcohol content is preferably 20.0 (v / v)% or less, 19.0 (v / v)% or less, 18.0 (v / v)% or less, 17.0 (v / v)% or less, 16.0 (v / v)% or less, 15.0 (v / v)% or less, 14.0 (v / v)% or less, 13.0 (v / v)% or less, 12.0 (v / v)% or less, 11.0 (v / v)% or less, 10.0 (v / v)% or less, or 9.5 (v / v)% or less, and may also be 9.0 (v / v)% or less, 8.7 (v / v)% or less, 8.5 (v / v)% or less, 8.2 (v / v)% or less, 8.0 (v / v)% or less, 7.7 (v / v)% or less, 7.5 (v / v)% or less, 7.2 (v / v)% or less, 7.0 (v / v)% or less, 6.7 (v / v)% or less, 6.5 (v / v)% or less, 6.2 (v / v)% or less, 6.0 (v / v)% or less, 5.7 (v / v)% or less, 5.5 (v / v)% or less, 5.3 (v / v)% or less, 5.0 (v / v)% or less, 4.5 (v / v)% or less, or 4.0 (v / v)% or less.

[0021] When the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, the alcohol content (ethanol content) may be less than 1.0 (v / v)%, 0.9 (v / v)% or less, 0.8 (v / v)% or less, 0.7 (v / v)% or less, 0.6 (v / v)% or less, 0.5 (v / v)% or less, less than 0.5 (v / v)%, 0.4 (v / v)% or less, 0.3 (v / v)% or less, 0.2 (v / v)% or less, 0.1 (v / v)% or less, 0.05 (v / v)% or less, 0.01 (v / v)% or less, 0.005 (v / v)% or less, or 0.0025 (v / v)% or less, and may also be 0.0000 (v / v)% or more, 0.00 (v / v)% or more, 0.0 (v / v)% or more, 0.1 (v / v)% or more, 0.2 (v / v)% or more, 0.3 (v / v)% or more, 0.4 (v / v)% or more, 0.5 (v / v)% or more, 0.6 (v / v)% or more, 0.7 (v / v)% or more, 0.8 (v / v)% or more, or 0.9 (v / v)% or more.

[0022] In this specification, the alcohol content is expressed as a percentage on a volume / volume basis ((v / v)%). Also, the alcohol content of the beverage can be measured by any known method, for example, it can be measured by a vibrating densitometer.

[0023] Moreover, the alcohol content of the beer - flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention can be adjusted to a desired range by appropriately setting the addition and the addition amount of dilution water or carbonated water, the types of raw materials (such as wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the types of enzymes, the addition amount of enzymes, the timing of enzyme addition, the saccharification time in the charging tank, the protein decomposition time in the charging tank, the pH in the charging tank, the pH in the charging process (wort production process from wheat input to before yeast addition), the addition amount of acid used for pH adjustment, the timing of pH adjustment (such as at the time of charging, during fermentation, at the end of fermentation, before beer filtration, after beer filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time of each temperature region when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre - beverage (pre - fermentation liquid), the original extract concentration during the fermentation process, the fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, yeast addition amount, yeast growth number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), and the presence or absence of addition of spirits, brewing alcohol, etc. and the addition amount when adding.

[0024] The beer - flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may contain spirits (distilled liquor) derived from grains as an alcohol component in order to adjust the alcohol content to be within the above - mentioned range. In this specification, spirits means liquors obtained by using grains such as wheat, rice, buckwheat, corn, taro, sugarcane, etc. as raw materials, saccharifying with malt or, if necessary, an enzyme agent, fermenting with yeast, and then further distilling. As the grains that are raw materials for spirits, plants belonging to the Gramineae family are preferred, and wheat is more preferred. In addition, the beer - flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may be a beverage that does not contain spirits from the viewpoint of having a good taste and being a low - alcohol beer - flavored beverage with a beer - like taste.

[0025] The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beer-taste beverage in which the malt ratio (the ratio of all malts used) is limited. Specifically, the malt ratio of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be 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, 69% by mass or less, 68% by mass or less, 67% by mass or less, less than 67% by mass, 66.6% by mass or less, 66% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, 64% by mass or less, 63% by mass or less, 62% by mass or less, 61% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, less than 60% by mass, 59% by mass or less, 58% by mass or less ... 7% by mass or less, 56% by mass or less, 55% by mass or less, 54% by mass or less, 53% by mass or less, 52% by mass or less, 51% by mass or less, 50% by mass or less, less than 50% by mass, 45% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 35% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 25 It may be % by mass or less, less than 25% by mass, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 5% by mass or less, 1% by mass or less, 0.5% by mass or less, 0.1% by mass or less, 0.01% by mass or less, 0.001% by mass or less, or 0% by mass. Even if the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention has a restricted malt content, it is possible to improve the smoothness and / or drinking experience characteristic of a beer-taste beverage by adjusting the total polyphenol content and / or real extract value. The malt ratio of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a certain value or more within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention, and may be, for example, 1% by mass or more, 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, 45% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 51% by mass or more, 52% by mass or more, 53% by mass or more, 54% by mass or more, 55% by mass or more, 56% by mass or more, 57% by mass or more, 58% by mass or more, 59% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 65% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, or 75% by mass or more.

[0026] In this specification, "malt ratio" means a value calculated in accordance with the Liquor Tax Act and the Interpretation Notice of Liquor Administration-related Laws and Regulations, etc., which came into effect on April 1, 2018. In addition, when suppressing the malt ratio, it is preferable to increase the amount of raw materials (carbon source, nitrogen source) other than malt that can be assimilated by yeast. Examples of the carbon source of raw materials that can be assimilated by yeast include monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, and their syrups (including saccharides), and examples of the nitrogen source include yeast extract, corn protein, soy protein, malt, soybeans, yeast extract, peas, wheat malt, ungerminated grains, and their decompositions. Here, the beer-like beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention may use wheat malt as a raw material, but from the viewpoint of allergens, it is preferable not to use wheat malt. Examples of the ungerminated grains include ungerminated barley, wheat, rye, spelt, oats, adzuki beans, rice (white rice, brown rice, etc.), corn, cowpeas, potatoes, beans (soybeans, peas, etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, and foxtail millet. Further, starch obtained from these grains and their extracts (extracts) may be used.

[0027] In addition, in the beer-like beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention, by setting the total content (A) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol to 50.0 mg / L or more, while making the beer-like beverage have a good throat feel and drinkability, it is possible to further improve the aftertaste and lingering flavor suitable for the beer-like beverage.

[0028] From the above viewpoints, in the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, the total content (A) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol may be 55.0 mg / L or more, 60.0 mg / L or more, 65.0 mg / L or more, 70.0 mg / L or more, 75.0 mg / L or more, 80.0 mg / L or more, 85.0 mg / L or more, 90.0 mg / L or more, 95.0 mg / L or more, 100.0 mg / L or more, 105.0 mg / L or more, 110.0 mg / L or more, 115.0 mg / L or more, 120.0 mg / L or more, 125.0 mg / L or more, 130.0 mg / L or more, 135.0 mg / L or more, 140.0 mg / L or more, 145.0 mg / L or more, 150.0 mg / L or more, 155.0 mg / L or more, 160.0 mg / L or more, 165.0 mg / L or more, 170.0 mg / L or more, 175.0 mg / L or more, 180.0 mg / L or more, 185.0 mg / L or more, 190.0 mg / L or more, 195.0 mg / L or more, 200.0 mg / L or more, 210.0 mg / L or more, 220.0 mg / L or more, 230.0 mg / L or more, 240.0 mg / L or more, 250.0 mg / L or more, 275.0 mg / L or more, or may be 300 mg / L or more. Also, from the viewpoint of making the beverage feel good throat-clearing and / or easy to drink, it may be 500.0 mg / L or less, 400.0 mg / L or less, 300.0 mg / L or less, 250.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 190.0 mg / L or less, 180.0 mg / L or less, 170.0 mg / L or less, 160.0 mg / L or less, 150.0 mg / L or less, 140.0 mg / L or less, 130.0 mg / L or less, 120.0 mg / L or less, 110.0 mg / L or less, 100.0 mg / L or less, 95.0 mg / L or less, 90.0 mg / L or less, 85. O mg / L or less, or may be 80.0 mg / L or less.

[0029] In the present specification, the contents of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol can be measured by a known method using an apparatus such as GC-MS. Also, isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol may be included in the raw materials of the beer-taste beverage, or may be separately added in the manufacturing process (for example, isoamyl alcohol purified product, n-propanol purified product, isobutanol purified product). In the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, the adjustment of the total content (A) of the above components can be achieved by adding dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added when adding, adding various purified products, the types of isoamyl alcohol-containing raw materials, n-propanol-containing raw materials, and isobutanol-containing raw materials (such as wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the types of origin raw materials of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol (such as wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the enzyme reaction time in the charging process (wort production process from input of raw materials such as malt to before yeast addition), the pH in the charging process, the addition amount of acid used for pH adjustment, the timing of pH adjustment (at the time of charging, during fermentation, after fermentation completion, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time of each temperature region when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre-beverage (pre-fermentation liquid), the original extract concentration in the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, yeast addition amount, yeast growth number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), addition of spirits or brewing alcohol, etc., which can be appropriately set.

[0030] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the isoamyl alcohol content is, from the perspective of improving the lingering aftertaste suitable for beer-taste beverages, 10.0 mg / L or more, 15.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 25.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 35.0 mg / L or more, 40.0 mg / L or more, 45.0 mg / L or more, 50.0 mg / L or more, 52.0 mg / L or more, 54.0 mg / L or more, 56.0 mg / L or more, 58.0mg / L or more, 60.0mg / L or more, 62.0mg / L or more, 64.0mg / L or more, 66.0mg / L or more, 68.0mg / L or more, 70.0mg / L or more, 72.0mg / L or more, 74.0mg / L or more, 76.0mg / L or more, 78.0mg / L or more, 80.0mg / L or more, 82.0mg / L or more, 84.0mg / L or more, 86.0mg / L or more, 88.0mg / L or more, 90.0mg / L or more, 92.0mg / L or more, 9 The saturation concentration may be 4.0 mg / L or more, 96.0 mg / L or more, 98.0 mg / L or more, 100.0 mg / L or more, 110.0 mg / L or more, 120.0 mg / L or more, 130.0 mg / L or more, 140.0 mg / L or more, or 150.0 mg / L or more. From the viewpoint of providing a beverage that is easy to swallow and / or satisfying to drink, the saturation concentration may be 200.0 mg / L or less, 190.0 mg / L or less, 180.0 mg / L or less, 170.0 mg / L or less, 160.0 mg / L or less, 180.0 mg / L or less, 190.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 210.0 mg / L or less, 220.0 mg / L or less, 230.0 mg / L or less, 240.0 mg / L or less, 250.0 mg / L or less, 260.0 mg / L or less, 270.0 mg / L or less, 280.0 mg / L or less, 290.0 mg / L or less, 300.0 mg / L or less, 310.0 mg / L or less, 320.0 mg / L or less, 330.0 mg / L or less, 340.0 mg / L or less, 350.0 mg / L or less, 360.0 mg / L or less, 370.0 mg / L or less, 380.0 mg / L or less, 390.0 mg / L or less, 400.0 mg / L or less, 410.0 mg / L or less, 420.0 mg / L or The concentration may be 0.0 mg / L or less, 150.0 mg / L or less, 140.0 mg / L or less, 130.0 mg / L or less, 120.0 mg / L or less, 110.0 mg / L or less, 100.0 mg / L or less, 95.0 mg / L or less, 90.0 mg / L or less, 85.0 mg / L or less, 80.0 mg / L or less, 75.0 mg / L or less, 70.0 mg / L or less, 65.0 mg / L or less, 60.0 mg / L or less, 55.0 mg / L or less, or 50.0 mg / L or less. The method for measuring the content of isoamyl alcohol and the method for adjusting the content of isoamyl alcohol are as described above.

[0031] In the beer - flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving the aftertaste and lingering flavor suitable for the beer - flavored beverage, the content of n - propanol may be 1.0 mg / L or more, 3.0 mg / L or more, 5.0 mg / L or more, 7.0 mg / L or more, 10.0 mg / L or more, 12.0 mg / L or more, 14.0 mg / L or more, 16.0 mg / L or more, 18.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 21.0 mg / L or more, 22.0 mg / L or more, 23.0 mg / L or more, 24.0 mg / L or more, 25.0 mg / L or more, 26.0 mg / L or more, 27.0 mg / L or more, 28.0 mg / L or more, 29.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 31.0 mg / L or more, 32.0 mg / L or more, 33.0 mg / L or more, 34.0 mg / L or more, 35.0 mg / L or more, 36.0 mg / L or more, 37.0 mg / L or more, 38.0 mg / L or more, 39.0 mg / L or more, 40.0 mg / L or more, 45.0 mg / L or more, or 50.0 mg / L or more. Also, from the viewpoint of making the beverage have a good throat - feeling and / or easy - to - feel drinking satisfaction, it may be 100.0 mg / L or less, 90.0 mg / L or less, 80.0 mg / L or less, 70.0 mg / L or less, 60.0 mg / L or less, 50.0 mg / L or less, 48.0 mg / L or less, 46.0 mg / L or less, 44.0 mg / L or less, 42.0 mg / L or less, 40.0 mg / L or less, 38.0 mg / L or less, 36.0 mg / L or less, 34.0 mg / L or less, 32.0 mg / L or less, 30.0 mg / L or less, 28.0 mg / L or less, 26.0 mg / L or less, 24.0 mg / L or less, 22.0 mg / L or less, or 20.0 mg / L or less. Note that the method for measuring the content of n - propanol and the method for adjusting the content of n - propanol are as described above.

[0032] In the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, the content of isobutanol is 1.0 mg / L or more, 3.0 mg / L or more, 5.0 mg / L or more, 7.0 mg / L or more, 10.0 mg / L or more, 12.0 mg / L or more, 14.0 mg / L or more, 16.0 mg / L or more, 18.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 21.0 mg / L or more, 22.0 mg / L or more, 23.0 mg / L or more, 24.0 mg / L or more, 25.0 mg / L or more, 26.0 mg / L or more, 27.0 mg / L or more, 28.0 mg / L or more, 29.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 31.0 mg / L or more, 32.0 mg / L or more, 33.0 mg / L or more, 34.0 mg / L or more, 35.0 mg / L or more, 36.0 mg / L or more, 37.0 mg / L or more, 38.0 mg / L or more, 39.0 mg / L or more, 40.0 mg / L or more, 45.0 mg / L or more, or 50.0 mg / L or more, from the viewpoint of improving the aftertaste suitable for the beer-taste beverage. Also, from the viewpoint of making the beverage feel good throat-feel and / or easy to drink, it may be 100.0 mg / L or less, 90. mg / L or less, 80.0 mg / L or less, 70.0 mg / L or less, 60.0 mg / L or less, 50.0 mg / L or less, 48.0 mg / L or less, 46.0 mg / L or less, 44.0 mg / L or less, 42.0 mg / L or less, 40.0 mg / L or less, 38.0 mg / L or less, 36.0 mg / L or less, 34.0 mg / L or less, 32.0 mg / L or less, 30.0 mg / L or less, 28.0 mg / L or less, 26.0 mg / L or less, 24.0 mg / L or less, 22.0 mg / L or less, or 20.0 mg / L or less. The method for measuring the content of isobutanol and the method for adjusting the content of isobutanol are as described above.

[0033] Further, in the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, by setting the total content (B) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate to 100.0 μg / L or more, it is possible to obtain a beer-taste beverage having a good throat-feel and drinkability, and further to obtain a beverage with an improved fruity aroma suitable for the beer-taste beverage.

[0034] From the above viewpoints, in the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the total content (B) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate is 150.0 μg / L or more, 200.0 μg / L or more, 250.0 μg / L or more, 300.0 μg / L or more, 325.0 μg / L or more, 350.0 μg / L or more, 375.0 μg / L or more, 400.0 μg / L or more, 420.0 μg / L or more, 440.0 μg / L or more, 460.0 μg / L or more, 480.0 μg / L or more, 500.0 μg / L or more, 520.0 μg / L or more, 540.0 μg / L or more, 560.0 μg / L or more, 580.0 μg / L or more, 600.0 μg / L or more, 620.0 μg / L or more, 640.0 μg / L or more, 660.0 μg / L or more, 680.0 μg / L or more, 700.0 μg / L or more, 720.0 μg / L or more, 740.0 μg / L or more, 760.0 μg / L or more, 780.0 μg / L or more, 800.0 μg / L or more, 820.0 μg / L or more, 840.0 μg / L or more, 860.0 μg / L or more, 880.0 μg / L or more, 900.0 μg / L or more, 920.0 μg / L or more, 940.0 μg / L or more, 960.0 μg / L or more, 980.0 μg / L or more, or 1000.0 μg / L or more, and from the viewpoint of making a beverage that is easy to feel good throat-feel and / or palatability, it may be 2000.0 μg / L or less, 1900.0 μg / L or less, 1800.0 μg / L or less, 1700.0 μg / L or less, 1600.0 μg / L or less, 1500.0 μg / L or less, 1400.0 μg / L or less, 1300.0 μg / L or less, 1200.0 μg / L or less, 1100.0 μg / L or less, 1000.0 μg / L or less, 950.0 μg / L or less, 900.0 μg / L or less, 850.0 μg / L or less, 800.0 μg / L or less, 750.0 μg / L or less, 700.0 μg / L or less, 650.0 μg / L or less, 600.0 μg / L or less, 550.0 μg / L or less, or 500.0 μg / L or less.

[0035] In this specification, the contents of ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate can be measured by a known method using an apparatus such as GC-MS. Furthermore, ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate may be contained in the ingredients of the beer-taste beverage, or may be added separately during the production process (e.g., purified ethyl butyrate, purified ethyl caproate, purified ethyl octanoate, purified ethyl decanoate). In the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, the total content (B) of each of the above components can be adjusted by adjusting the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount of addition if added, the addition of various refined products, the types of ethyl butyrate-containing raw materials, ethyl caproate-containing raw materials, ethyl octanoate-containing raw materials, and ethyl decanoate-containing raw materials (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the types of raw materials from which ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate are derived (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amounts of raw materials, the brewing process (the addition of raw materials such as malt), the amount of raw materials added, ... The enzyme reaction time during the wort production process (from mashing to before yeast addition), the pH during the mashing process, the amount of acid added when adjusting the pH, the timing of pH adjustment (during mashing, during fermentation, at the end of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing the wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre-beverage liquid (pre-fermentation liquid), the original extract concentration during the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast growth rate, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), and the addition of spirits, brewer's alcohol, etc. can be set as appropriate.

[0036] In the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving the fruity aroma suitable for the beer-taste beverage, the content of ethyl butyrate is 10.0 μg / L or more, 50.0 μg / L or more, 75.0 μg / L or more, 100.0 μg / L or more, 110.0 μg / L or more, 120.0 μg / L or more, 130.0 μg / L or more, 140.0 μg / L or more, 150.0 μg / L or more, 155.0 μg / L or more, 160.0 μg / L or more, 165.0 μg / L or more, 170.0 μg / L or more, 175.0 μg / L or more, 180.0 μg / L or more, 185.0 μg / L or more, 190.0 μg / L or more, 195.0 μg / L or more, 200.0 μg / L or more, 210.0 μg / L or more, 220.0 μg / L or more, 230.0 μg / L or more, 240.0 μg / L or more, 250.0 μg / L or more, 260.0 μg / L or more, 270.0 μg / L or more, 280.0 μg / L or more, 290.0 μg / L or more, 300.0 μg / L or more, 310.0 μg / L or more, 320.0 μg / L or more, 330.0 μg / L or more, 340.0 μg / L or more, 350.0 μg / L or more, 375.0 μg / L or more, 400.0 μg / L or more, 450.0 μg / L or more, or 500.0 μg / L or more. Also, from the viewpoint of making the beverage feel good throat-clearing and / or easy to drink, it may be 1000.0 μg / L or less, 900.0 μg / L or less, 800.0 μg / L or less, 700.0 μg / L or less, 600.0 μg / L or less, 500.0 μg / L or less, 450.0 μg / L or less, 400.0 μg / L or less, 350.0 μg / L or less, 300.0 μg / L or less, 250.0 μg / L or less, 200.0 μg / L or less, 190.0 μg / L or less, 180.0 μg / L or less, 170.0 μg / L or less, 160.0 μg / L or less, or 150.0 μg / L or less. The method for measuring the content of ethyl butyrate and the method for adjusting the content of ethyl butyrate are as described above.

[0037] In the beer - flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving the fruity aroma suitable for the beer - flavored beverage, the content of ethyl caproate is 10.0 μg / L or more, 30.0 μg / L or more, 50.0 μg / L or more, 70.0 μg / L or more, 80.0 μg / L or more, 90.0 μg / L or more, 100.0 μg / L or more, 105.0 μg / L or more, 110.0 μg / L or more, 115.0 μg / L or more, 120.0 μg / L or more, 125.0 μg / L or more, 130.0 μg / L or more, 135.0 μg / L or more, 140.0 μg / L or more, 145.0 μg / L or more, 150.0 μg / L or more, 155.0 μg / L or more, 160.0 μg / L or more, 165.0 μg / L or more, 170.0 μg / L or more, 175.0 μg / L or more, 180.0 μg / L or more, 185.0 μg / L or more, 190.0 μg / L or more, 195.0 μg / L or more, 200.0 μg / L or more, 220.0 μg / L or more, 240.0 μg / L or more, 260.0 μg / L or more, 280.0 μg / L or more, 300.0 μg / L or more, 350.0 μg / L or more, 400.0 μg / L or more, 450.0 μg / L or more, or 500.0 μg / L or more. Also, from the viewpoint of making the beverage have a good throat - clearing effect and / or an easy - to - drink feeling, it may be 1000.0 μg / L or less, 900.0 μg / L or less, 800.0 μg / L or less, 700.0 μg / L or less, 600.0 μg / L or less, 500.0 μg / L or less, 400.0 μg / L or less, 300.0 μg / L or less, 250.0 μg / L or less, 200.0 μg / L or less, 190.0 μg / L or less, 180.0 μg / L or less, 170.0 μg / L or less, 160.0 μg / L or less, 150.0 μg / L or less, 140.0 μg / L or less, 130.0 μg / L or less, 120.0 μg / L or less, 110.0 μg / L or less, or 100.0 μg / L or less. The method for measuring the content of ethyl caproate and the method for adjusting the content of ethyl caproate are as described above.

[0038] In the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving the fruity aroma suitable for the beer-taste beverage, the content of ethyl octanoate is 10.0 μg / L or more, 50.0 μg / L or more, 75.0 μg / L or more, 100.0 μg / L or more, 110.0 μg / L or more, 120.0 μg / L or more, 130.0 μg / L or more, 140.0 μg / L or more, 150.0 μg / L or more, 155.0 μg / L or more, 160.0 μg / L or more, 165.0 μg / L or more, 170.0 μg / L or more, 175.0 μg / L or more, 180.0 μg / L or more, 185.0 μg / L or more, 190.0 μg / L or more, 195.0 μg / L or more, 200.0 μg / L or more, 210.0 μg / L or more, 220.0 μg / L or more, 230.0 μg / L or more, 240.0 μg / L or more, 250.0 μg / L or more, 260.0 μg / L or more, 270.0 μg / L or more, 280.0 μg / L or more, 290.0 μg / L or more, 300.0 μg / L or more, 310.0 μg / L or more, 320.0 μg / L or more, 330.0 μg / L or more, 340.0 μg / L or more, 350.0 μg / L or more, 375.0 μg / L or more, 400.0 μg / L or more, 450.0 μg / L or more, or 500.0 μg / L or more, and from the viewpoint of making the beverage feel good throat-clearing and / or good drinkability, it may be 1000.0 μg / L or less, 900.0 μg / L or less, 800.0 μg / L or less, 700.0 μg / L or less, 600.0 μg / L or less, 500.0 μg / L or less, 450.0 μg / L or less, 400.0 μg / L or less, 350.0 μg / L or less, 300.0 μg / L or less, 250.0 μg / L or less, 200.0 μg / L or less, 190.0 μg / L or less, 180.0 μg / L or less, 170.0 μg / L or less, 160.0 μg / L or less, or 150.0 μg / L or less. Note that the method for measuring the content of ethyl octanoate and the method for adjusting the content of ethyl octanoate are as described above.

[0039] In the beer - flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving the fruity aroma suitable for the beer - flavored beverage, the content of ethyl decanoate is 1.0 μg / L or more, 5.0 μg / L or more, 10.0 μg / L or more, 25.0 μg / L or more, 50.0 μg / L or more, 55.0 μg / L or more, 60.0 μg / L or more, 62.0 μg / L or more, 64.0 μg / L or more, 66.0 μg / L or more, 68.0 μg / L or more, 70.0 μg / L or more, 72.0 μg / L or more, 74.0 μg / L or more, 76.0 μg / L or more, 78.0 μg / L or more, 80.0 μg / L or more, 82.0 μg / L or more, 84.0 μg / L or more, 86.0 μg / L or more, 88.0 μg / L or more, 90.0 μg / L or more, 92.0 μg / L or more, 94.0 μg / L or more, 96.0 μg / L or more, 98.0 μg / L or more, 100.0 μg / L or more, 105.0 μg / L or more, 110.0 μg / L or more, 115.0 μg / L or more, 120.0 μg / L or more, 130.0 μg / L or more, 140.0 μg / L or more, 150.0 μg / L or more, 175.0 μg / L or more, 200.0 μg / L or more, 250.0 μg / L or more, or 300.0 μg / L or more. Also, from the viewpoint of making the beverage feel good in the throat and / or have a good drinking feeling, it may be 500.0 μg / L or less, 400.0 μg / L or less, 300.0 μg / L or less, 250.0 μg / L or less, 200.0 μg / L or less, 190.0 μg / L or less, 180.0 μg / L or less, 170.0 μg / L or less, 160.0 μg / L or less, 150.0 μg / L or less, 140.0 μg / L or less, 130.0 μg / L or less, 120.0 μg / L or less, 110.0 μg / L or less, or 100.0 μg / L or less. Note that the method for measuring the content of ethyl decanoate and the method for adjusting the content of ethyl decanoate are as described above.

[0040] The beer - flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may be a beer - flavored beverage that satisfies the following formula (2). Formula (2): A / X1>0.2 [In the above formula (2), A represents the total content (unit: mg / L) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol, and X1 represents the total polyphenol content (unit: mass ppm).] In the above formula (2), from the perspective of obtaining a beverage with good throat feel and an improved aftertaste, the ratio (A / X1) of the total content (A) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol to the total polyphenol content may be 0.3 or more, 0.4 or more, 0.5 or more, 0.6 or more, 0.7 or more, 0.8 or more, 0.9 or more, 1.0 or more, 1.2 or more, 1.4 or more, 1.6 or more, 1.8 or more, 2.0 or more, 2.2 or more, 2.4 or more, 2.6 or more, 2.8 or more, 3.0 or more, 3.2 or more, 3.4 or more, 3.6 or more, 3.8 or more, 4.0 or more, 4.2 or more, 4.4 or more, 4.6 or more, 4.8 or more, 5.0 or more, 5.5 or more, 6.0 or more, 6.5 or more, 7.0 or more, 7.5 or more, 8.0 or more, 8.5 or more, 9.0 or more, 9.5 or more, 10.0 or more, 15.0 or more, or 20.0 or more. Also, in the above formula (2), from the perspective of obtaining a beverage with an easily perceivable good throat feel, the ratio (A / X1) of the total content (A) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol to the total polyphenol content may be 50.0 or less, 40.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.5 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.5 or less, 8.0 or less, 7.5 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.5 or less, 6.0 or less, 5.5 or less, 5.0 or less, 4.5 or less, 4.0 or less, 3.5 or less, 3.0 or less, 2.5 or less, or 2.0 or less.

[0041] The beer-like taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may be a beer-like taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (3). Formula (3): B / X1 > 1.0 [In the above formula (3), B represents the total content (unit: μg / L) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate, and X1 represents the total polyphenol content (unit: mass ppm).] In the above formula (3), from the perspective of obtaining a beverage with a good throat feel and an improved fruity aroma, the ratio (B / X1) of the total content (B) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate to the total polyphenol content may be 1.5 or more, 2.0 or more, 2.5 or more, 3.0 or more, 3.5 or more, 4.0 or more, 4.5 or more, 5.0 or more, 5.5 or more, 6.0 or more, 6.5 or more, 7.0 or more, 7.5 or more, 8.0 or more, 8.5 or more, 9.0 or more, 9.5 or more, 10.0 or more, 10.5 or more, 11.0 or more, 11.5 or more, 12.0 or more, 12.5 or more, 13.0 or more, 13.5 or more, 14.0 or more, 14.5 or more, 15.0 or more, 15.5 or more, 16.0 or more, 16.5 or more, 17.0 or more, 17.5 or more, 18.0 or more, 18.5 or more, 19.0 or more, 19.5 or more, 20.0 or more, 21.0 or more, 22.0 or more, 23.0 or more, 24.0 or more, 25.0 or more, 26.0 or more, 27.0 or more, 28.0 or more, 29.0 or more, 30.0 or more, 35.0 or more, 40.0 or more, 45.0 or more, or 50.0 or more. Also, in the above formula (3), from the perspective of obtaining a beverage with an easily felt good throat feel, the ratio (B / X1) of the total content (B) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate to the total polyphenol content may be 100.0 or less, 75.0 or less, 50.0 or less, 45.0 or less, 40.0 or less, 35.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 28.0 or less, 26.0 or less, 24.0 or less, 22.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 18.0 or less, 16.0 or less, 14.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.0 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.0 or less, or 5.0 or less.

[0042] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, from the perspective of improving a suitable, soft aroma (lingering aroma and fullness), the acetaldehyde content is preferably 0.2 mg / L or more, 0.4 mg / L or more, 0.6 mg / L or more, 0.8 mg / L or more, 1.0 mg / L or more, 1.2 mg / L or more, 1.4 mg / L or more, 1.6 mg / L or more, 1.8 mg / L or more, 2.0 mg / L or more, 2.2 mg / L or more, 2.4 mg / L or more, 2.6 mg / L or more, 2.8 mg / L or more, 3.0 mg / L or more, 3.5 mg / L or more, 4.0 mg / L or more, 4.5 mg / L or more, 5. Alternatively, from the viewpoint of providing a beverage that is easy to swallow and / or satisfying to drink, the concentration may be 10.0 mg / L or less, 9.0 mg / L or less, 8.0 mg / L or less, 7.0 mg / L or less, 6.0 mg / L or less, 5.5 mg / L or less, 5.0 mg / L or less, 4.5 mg / L or less, 4.0 mg / L or less, 3.5 mg / L or less, 3.0 mg / L or less, 2.8 mg / L or less, 2.6 mg / L or less, 2.4 mg / L or less, 2.2 mg / L or less, 2.0 mg / L or less, or 1.5 mg / L or less.

[0043] In this specification, the content of acetaldehyde can be measured by a known method using an apparatus such as GC-MS. Furthermore, acetaldehyde may be contained in the ingredients of the beer-taste beverage, or may be added separately during the production process (for example, purified acetaldehyde). In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the adjustment of the acetaldehyde content can be appropriately set by adding dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added when adding, adding an acetaldehyde purified product, the types of acetaldehyde-containing raw materials (such as wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the types of origin raw materials of acetaldehyde (such as wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the enzyme reaction time in the charging process (wort production process from the input of raw materials such as malt until before yeast addition), the pH in the charging process, the amount of acid added when adjusting the pH, the timing of pH adjustment (such as at the time of charging, during fermentation, at the end of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time of each temperature region when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre-beverage (pre-fermentation liquid), the original extract concentration in the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (such as oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, yeast addition amount, yeast growth number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), addition of spirits or brewing alcohol, etc.

[0044] In the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving a suitable refreshing aroma, the content of ethyl acetate may be 1.0 mg / L or more, 3.0 mg / L or more, 5.0 mg / L or more, 7.0 mg / L or more, 10.0 mg / L or more, 12.0 mg / L or more, 14.0 mg / L or more, 16.0 mg / L or more, 18.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 21.0 mg / L or more, 22.0 mg / L or more, 23.0 mg / L or more, 24.0 mg / L or more, 25.0 mg / L or more, 26.0 mg / L or more, 27.0 mg / L or more, 28.0 mg / L or more, 29.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 31.0 mg / L or more, 32.0 mg / L or more, 33.0 mg / L or more, 34.0 mg / L or more, 35.0 mg / L or more, 36.0 mg / L or more, 37.0 mg / L or more, 38.0 mg / L or more, 39.0 mg / L or more, or 40.0 mg / L or more. Also, from the viewpoint of making the beverage feel good throat-clearing and / or good drinking feeling, it may be 50.0 mg / L or less, 45.0 mg / L or less, 40.0 mg / L or less, 35.0 mg / L or less, 30.0 mg / L or less, 29.0 mg / L or less, 28.0 mg / L or less, 27.0 mg / L or less, 26.0 mg / L or less, 25.0 mg / L or less, 24.0 mg / L or less, 23.0 mg / L or less, 22.0 mg / L or less, 21.0 mg / L or less, or 20.0 mg / L or less.

[0045] In the present specification, the content of ethyl acetate can be measured by a known method using an apparatus such as GC-MS. Also, ethyl acetate may be contained in the raw materials of the beer-taste beverage, or may be separately added in the manufacturing process (for example, ethyl acetate purified product). In the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, the adjustment of the ethyl acetate content can be appropriately set by adding dilution water or carbonated water and the addition amount when adding, adding an ethyl acetate purified product, the type of ethyl acetate-containing raw materials (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of origin raw materials of ethyl acetate (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the enzyme reaction time in the charging process (wort production process from charging raw materials such as malt to before adding yeast), the pH in the charging process, the addition amount of the acid used for pH adjustment, the timing of pH adjustment (at the time of charging, during fermentation, at the end of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time of each temperature region when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre-beverage (pre-fermentation liquid), the original extract concentration in the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, yeast addition amount, yeast growth number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), addition of spirits, brewing alcohol, etc.

[0046] In the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving a suitable gorgeous aroma, the content of isoamyl acetate may be 0.2 mg / L or more, 0.4 mg / L or more, 0.6 mg / L or more, 0.8 mg / L or more, 1.0 mg / L or more, 1.1 mg / L or more, 1.2 mg / L or more, 1.3 mg / L or more, 1.4 mg / L or more, 1.5 mg / L or more, 1.6 mg / L or more, 1.7 mg / L or more, 1.8 mg / L or more, 1.9 mg / L or more, 2.0 mg / L or more, 2.1 mg / L or more, 2.2 mg / L or more, 2.3 mg / L or more, 2.4 mg / L or more, 2.5 mg / L or more, 2.6 mg / L or more, 2.7 mg / L or more, 2.8 mg / L or more, 2.9 mg / L or more, 3.0 mg / L or more, 3.5 mg / L or more, or 4.0 mg / L or more. Also, from the viewpoint of making a beverage that is easy to feel good throat-clearing and / or palatability, it may be 10.0 mg / L or less, 9.0 mg / L or less, 8.0 mg / L or less, 7.0 mg / L or less, 6.0 mg / L or less, 5.5 mg / L or less, 5.0 mg / L or less, 4.5 mg / L or less, 4.0 mg / L or less, 3.5 mg / L or less, 3.0 mg / L or less, 2.5 mg / L or less, 2.0 mg / L or less, 1.5 mg / L or less, or 1.0 mg / L or less.

[0047] In the present specification, the content of isoamyl acetate can be measured by a known method using an apparatus such as GC-MS. Also, isoamyl acetate may be contained in the raw materials of the beer-taste beverage, or may be separately added in the manufacturing process (for example, an isoamyl acetate purified product). In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the isoamyl acetate content can be adjusted by adjusting the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount of addition if added, the addition of purified isoamyl acetate, the type of isoamyl acetate-containing raw material (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of raw material from which isoamyl acetate is derived (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw material, the enzyme reaction time in the mashing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt until the addition of yeast), and the pH in the mashing process. The amount of acid added when adjusting the pH, the timing of pH adjustment (during brewing, during fermentation, when fermentation is complete, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre-beverage liquid (pre-fermentation liquid), the original extract concentration during the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast growth rate, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), addition of spirits, brewer's alcohol, etc. can be set as appropriate.

[0048] From the perspective of making a beer - flavored beverage of one embodiment of the present invention into a beverage with a more suitable taste thickness, the total nitrogen content may be 10.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 15.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 18.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 20.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 22.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 24.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 26.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 28.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 30.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 32.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 34.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 36.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 38.0 mg / 100 mL or more, or 40.0 mg / 100 mL or more. Also, from the perspective of making a beverage that is easy to feel a good throat - passing feeling, it may be 100.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 90.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 80.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 70.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 60.0 mg / 100 mL or less, less than 60.0 mg / 100 mL, 55.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 50.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 48.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 46.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 44.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 42.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 40.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 35.0 mg / 100 mL or less, or 30.0 mg / 100 mL or less.

[0049] In this specification, the "total nitrogen content" is the total amount of all nitrogen compounds such as proteins and amino acids. Also, in this specification, the total nitrogen content can be measured, for example, by the method described in 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).

[0050] The total nitrogen content of a beer - flavored beverage of one embodiment of the present invention can be controlled by adjusting the usage amount of raw materials that can be assimilated by yeast. Specifically, by adjusting the usage amount of malt and the like with a high nitrogen content, the total nitrogen content can be easily adjusted. Examples of raw materials with a high nitrogen content include malt, soybeans, yeast extract, corn, peas, and ungerminated grains. In addition to matters related to raw materials, the total nitrogen content can also be adjusted by appropriately setting the type of enzyme, the addition amount of the enzyme (including proteolytic enzymes), the timing of enzyme addition, the protein decomposition time in the charging tank, the pH in the charging tank, the set temperature and holding time in each temperature region when preparing wort, the boiling time and pH in the boiling process, the original extract concentration of the pre-beverage (pre-fermentation liquid), the original extract concentration in the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (yeast strain, yeast addition amount, yeast growth number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.).

[0051] From the perspective of making the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention a beverage with a more suitable taste thickness, the content of free amino nitrogen may be 1.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 1.5 mg / 100 mL or more, 2.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 2.5 mg / 100 mL or more, 3.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 3.5 mg / 100 mL or more, 4.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 4.5 mg / 100 mL or more, 5.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 5.5 mg / 100 mL or more, 6.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 6.5 mg / 100 mL or more, 7.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 7.5 mg / 100 mL or more, 8.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 8.5 mg / 100 mL or more, 9.0 mg / 100 mL or more, 9.5 mg / 100 mL or more, or 10.0 mg / 100 mL or more. Also, from the perspective of making the beverage easy to feel a good throat-clearing effect, it may be 50.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 40.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 30.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 25.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 20.0 mg / 100 mL or less, less than 20.0 mg / 100 mL, 15.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 14.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 13.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 12.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 11.0 mg / 100 mL or less, or 10.0 mg / 100 mL or less.

[0052] Free amino nitrogen (FAN) is the total amount of free α-amino nitrogen and is used as a numerical indicator of the amino acids contained in raw materials. The content of free amino nitrogen can be measured, for example, by the method described in 8.18 Free Amino Nitrogen in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Association of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee), revised and expanded in 2013).

[0053] The free amino nitrogen content of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention can be controlled by adjusting the amount of raw materials used that can be assimilated by yeast. Specifically, the free amino nitrogen content can be easily adjusted by adjusting the amount of malt or other raw materials with a high nitrogen content. Examples of raw materials with a high nitrogen content include malt, soybeans, yeast extract, corn, peas, and ungerminated grains. In addition to factors related to the raw materials, the free amino nitrogen content can also be adjusted by appropriately setting the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme (including proteolytic enzyme) added, the timing of enzyme addition, the proteolysis time in the brewing tank, the pH in the brewing tank, the set temperatures and holding times for each temperature range when preparing the wort, the boiling time and pH in the boiling process, the original extract concentration in the pre-beverage liquid (pre-fermentation liquid), the original extract concentration in the fermentation process, and the fermentation conditions (yeast variety, amount of yeast added, number of yeast growths, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.).

[0054] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the original extract concentration (original wort extract concentration) of the final beer-taste beverage is, from the perspective of enhancing the desired depth of flavor, 5.0% by mass or more, 5.2% by mass or more, 5.5% by mass or more, 5.7% by mass or more, 6.0% by mass or more, 6.2% by mass or more, 6.5% by mass or more, 6.7% by mass or more, 7.0% by mass or more, 7.2% by mass or more, 7.5% by mass or more, 7.7% by mass or more, 8.0% by mass or more, 8.2% by mass or more, 8.5% by mass or more, 8.7% by mass or more It is preferable to set the content to 9.0% by mass or more, and from the viewpoint of providing a beverage with drinkability suitable for a beer-flavored beverage, it may be set to 20.0% by mass or less, 19.0% by mass or less, 18.0% by mass or less, 17.0% by mass or less, 16.0% by mass or less, 15.5% by mass or less, 15.0% by mass or less, 14.5% by mass or less, 14.0% by mass or less, 13.5% by mass or less, 13.0% by mass or less, 12.5% by mass or less, 12.0% by mass or less, 11.5% by mass or less, or 11.0% by mass or less. The "original extract concentration" in this specification can be measured by the method described in "BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the Brewers Association of Japan, revised edition November 1, 2004)."

[0055] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with an appropriate firmness, the bitterness value is preferably 1.0 BUs or more, 2.0 BUs or more, 3.0 BUs or more, 4.0 BUs or more, 5.0 BUs or more, 6.0 BUs or more, 7.0 BUs or more, 8.0 BUs or more, 9.0 BUs or more, 10.0 BUs or more, 11.0 BUs or more, 12.0 BUs or more, 13.0 BUs or more, 14.0 BUs or more, 15.0 BUs or more, 16.0 BUs or more, 17.0 BUs or more, 18.0 BUs or more, 19.0 BUs or more, 20.0 BUs or more, 21.0 BUs or more, 22.0 BUs or more, 23.0 BUs or more, 24.0 BUs or more, The amount may be 25.0 BUs or more, 26.0 BUs or more, 27.0 BUs or more, 28.0 BUs or more, 29.0 BUs or more, 30.0 BUs or more, 40.0 BUs or more, or 50.0 BUs or more; and from the standpoint of providing a beverage that is not too bitter, the amount may be 100 BUs or less, 90.0 BUs or less, 80.0 BUs or less, 70.0 BUs or less, 60.0 BUs or less, 50.0 BUs or less, 40.0 BUs or less, 30.0 BUs or less, less than 30.0 BUs, 29.0 BUs or less, 28.0 BUs or less, 27.0 BUs or less, 26.0 BUs or less, 25.0 BUs or less, 20.0 BUs or less, 15.0 BUs or less, or 10.0 BUs or less.

[0056] Furthermore, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage that does not substantially contain hops. In this embodiment, the bitterness value may be less than 1.0 BUs, less than 0.5 BUs, less than 0.1 BUs, or less than 0.01 BUs.

[0057] In this specification, the "bitterness value" of a beer-taste beverage can be measured by the measurement method described in "8.15 Bitterness Value" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, a public interest incorporated foundation, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee) and expanded and revised in 2013). Furthermore, the bitterness value of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is an indicator of the bitterness imparted by hop-derived components, the main component of which isohumulone, and can be controlled, for example, by appropriately adjusting the type of hop, the amount added, and the timing of addition.

[0058] The color of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be amber or golden like regular beer, black like dark beer, or colorless and transparent, or may be imparted with a desired color by adding a coloring agent, etc. The color of the beer-taste beverage can be distinguished with the naked eye, but may also be specified by total light transmittance, chromaticity, etc.

[0059] From the perspective of providing a beverage that is easily perceived as having a good drinking sensation, the color of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be 0.1 EBC or more, more than 1.0 EBC, 1.5 EBC or more, 2.0 EBC or more, 2.5 EBC or more, 3.0 EBC or more, 3.2 EBC or more, 3.4 EBC or more, 3.6 EBC or more, 3.8 EBC or more, 4.0 EBC or more, 4.2 EBC or more, 4.4 EBC or more, 4.6 EBC or more, 4.8 EBC or more, 5.0 EBC or more, 5.5 EBC or more, 6.0 EBC or more, 6.5 EBC or more, 7.0 EBC or more, 7.5 EBC or more, 8.0 EBC or more, The viscosity may be 8.5 EBC or more, 9.0 EBC or more, 9.5 EBC or more, or 10.0 EBC or more. From the viewpoint of making the beverage visually easier to drink, the viscosity may be 50 EBC or less, 40 EBC or less, 30 EBC or less, 25 EBC or less, 20 EBC or less, 15 EBC or less, 14 EBC or less, 13 EBC or less, 12 EBC or less, 11 EBC or less, 10 EBC or less, 9.0 EBC or less, 8.0 EBC or less, 7.0 EBC or less, less than 7.0 EBC, 6.0 EBC or less, 5.0 EBC or less, 4.0 EBC or less, 3.0 EBC or less, or 2.0 EBC or less. In this specification, the "color" of a beer-taste beverage can be measured by the measurement method described in "8.8 Color" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Association of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of Brewers Association (Analysis Committee), 2013, expanded and revised). The "color" is specified in the color unit (EBC unit) established by the European Brewery Convention. The smaller the value, the lighter the beverage, and conversely, the larger the value, the darker the beverage. Also, the color intensity of the beer-taste beverage can be controlled by appropriately adjusting, for example, the type of malt used, the blending ratio when using two or more types of malt in combination, the boiling conditions when preparing the beverage pre-liquid (pre-fermentation liquid), and the like. More specifically, for example, to increase the color intensity, it is possible to adjust by increasing the blending ratio of dark malt as the malt, increasing the temperature during the boiling treatment, increasing the boiling time, and performing decoction during the preparation of the mash liquid. Also, the color intensity can be adjusted higher by increasing the original extract concentration or increasing the malt ratio.

[0060] The pH of the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is preferably 2.0 or more, 2.2 or more, 2.4 or more, 2.6 or more, 2.8 or more, 3.0 or more, 3.1 or more, 3.2 or more, 3.3 or more, 3.4 or more, 3.5 or more, 3.6 or more, 3.7 or more, 3.8 or more, 3.9 or more, or 4.0 or more, and preferably 5.4 or less, 5.2 or less, 5.0 or less, 4.9 or less, 4.8 or less, 4.7 or less, 4.6 or less, 4.55 or less, 4.5 or less, 4.4 or less, 4.3 or less, 4.2 or less, or 4.1 or less.

[0061] The beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may be a filtered beer-taste beverage obtained by filtering microorganisms such as yeast. Specifically, it may be a filtered beer-taste beverage that has been filtered through a filter with a pore size of less than 30 μm in any step after the fermentation step using yeast. Moreover, the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention may have a turbidity of less than 22 Helm, less than 20 Helm, less than 18 Helm, less than 16 Helm, less than 14 Helm, less than 12 Helm, less than 10 Helm, less than 8 Helm, less than 6 Helm, less than 4 Helm, or less than 2 Helm. In the present specification, the "turbidity" can be measured by the method described in Analytica EBC, Method 9.29, Haze in beer. Specifically, the sample to be measured is placed in a constant temperature water bath at 0°C and held for 48 hours, gently stirred to make the sample uniform, placed in a constant temperature water bath at 0°C again until the bubbles disappear and held for several minutes, and then the value of the 90° scattered light of the total turbidity can be measured by reading it as the "turbidity". The turbidity of the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention can be adjusted, for example, by performing the above-described filtration.

[0062] Furthermore, the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention may be a beer-taste beverage that has not been heat-treated. Such a beer-taste beverage has invertase activity. The above "invertase activity" is an index indicating the degree of heat load on the beer-taste beverage. Invertase is an enzyme derived from yeast, and when no heat treatment is performed in the process after adding yeast, invertase is not inactivated. When heat treatment is performed, depending on the various conditions of the heat treatment, invertase is inactivated and the invertase activity value decreases. The presence or absence of invertase activity can be measured by known methods.

[0063] 1.1 Raw materials The main raw materials of the beer - flavored beverage of the present invention can be those generally used in various beer - flavored beverages. When the beer - flavored beverage of one aspect of the present invention is a beer - flavored beverage using malt, as the main raw materials, malt, water, and, if necessary, other auxiliary raw materials (carbohydrate raw materials) are used. When the beer - flavored beverage of one aspect of the present invention is a beer - flavored beverage that substantially does not use malt, as the main raw materials, carbohydrate raw materials such as sugar solution and water are used. Furthermore, these beer - flavored beverages may be beverages using hops or beverages not using hops. In addition, preservatives, sweeteners, water - soluble dietary fibers, bitter agents or bitterness - imparting agents, antioxidants, flavors, acidulants, salts, etc. may also be used.

[0064] 1.1.1 Malt, grains other than malt When using malt as a raw material, the malt refers to the seeds of cereals such as barley, wheat, rye, oats, spelt, and millet that have been germinated, dried, and root - removed, and the place of origin and variety can be any of them. As the malt used in one aspect of the present invention, barley malt is preferred. Barley malt is one of the most commonly used malts as a raw material for Japanese beer - flavored beverages. Barley has varieties such as two - row barley and six - row barley, and any of them can be used. Furthermore, in addition to normal malt, colored malt, etc. can also be used. When using colored malt, different types of colored malt can be used in appropriate combination, or one type of colored malt can be used.

[0065] In the beer - flavored beverage of one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the malt used is appropriately selected according to the desired color degree of the beer - flavored beverage, and the selected malt may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0066] Also, grains other than malt may be used together with malt or instead of malt. Examples of such grains include barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl millet, oats, etc. that do not fall under the category of malt, rice (white rice, brown rice, etc.), corn, koryan, potatoes, beans (soybeans, peas, etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, barnyard millet, and starches obtained from these, as well as extracts of these.

[0067] Furthermore, when the malt ratio is reduced or malt is not used, it is preferable to increase the amount of ingredients other than malt that can be assimilated by yeast (carbon source, nitrogen source). The ingredients that can be assimilated by yeast are as described above. The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may use one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of sugars, yeast extract, and corn protein hydrolysates as ingredients.

[0068] Fruits, fruit skins, bark, leaves, flowers, stems, roots and seeds of plants other than grasses such as wheat that can be used as raw materials can be appropriately selected. Specific examples of plants other than grasses include citrus fruits, soft fruits, herbs, spices, etc. Citrus fruits include oranges, yuzu, lemons, limes, mandarins, grapefruits, iyokan, kumquats, kabosu, bitter oranges, shikuwasa, and sudachi. Soft fruits include peaches, grapes, bananas, apples, grapes, pineapples, strawberries, pears, muscat grapes, blackcurrants, etc. Herbs and spices include coriander, pepper, fennel, Sichuan pepper, Japanese pepper, cardamom, caraway, nutmeg, mace, juniper berries, allspice, vanilla, elderberries, grains of paradise, anise, star anise, etc. These may be used as they are, or may be crushed before use, or may be used in the form of an extract extracted with an extraction solvent such as water or ethanol, or may be used in the form of squeezed juice (such as fruit juice).These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. While the above can be used as appropriate according to consumer preferences, to enjoy a clean, refreshing taste, it is preferable to avoid using any of the above citrus fruits, soft fruits, herbs, and spices as ingredients, or to use only the minimum amount of them. In particular, because black currant imparts an undesirable milky aroma to beer, it is preferable to avoid using any black currant or black currant juice as ingredients, or to use only the minimum amount.

[0069] 1.1.2 Hops When hops are used in one embodiment of the present invention, the hops may be in the form of, for example, pelleted hops, powdered hops, hop extract, etc. Furthermore, the hops used may be processed hop products such as isomerized hops and reduced hops. When hops are used in one embodiment of the present invention, the amount of hops added is adjusted appropriately, but is preferably 0.0001 to 1% by mass based on the total amount (100% by mass) of the raw materials for the beverage.

[0070] Furthermore, beer-flavored beverages that use hops as an ingredient are beverages that contain iso-α acids, which are components derived from hops. The iso-α acid content of beverages that use hops is more than 0.1 mg / L, more than 1.0 mg / L, 1.0 mg / L or more, 2.0 mg / L or more, 3.0 mg / L or more, 4.0 mg / L or more, 5.0 mg / L or more, 5.5 mg / L or more, 6.0 mg / L or more, 6.5 mg / L or more, 7.0 mg / L or more, 7.5 mg / L or more, 8.0 mg / L or more, 8.5 mg / L or more, 9.0 mg / L or more, 9.5 mg / L or more, 10.0 mg / L or more, 10.5 mg / L or more, 11.0 mg / L or more, 12.0 mg / L or more, 13.0 mg / L or more, and the like. L or more, 14.0 mg / L or more, 15.0 mg / L or more, 16.0 mg / L or more, 17.0 mg / L or more, 18.0 mg / L or more, 19.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 25.0 mg / L or more, or 30.0 mg / L or more, and may be 50.0 mg / L or less, 45.0 mg / L or less, 40.0 mg / L or less, 35.0 mg / L or less, 30.0 mg / L or less, 25.0 mg / L or less, 20.0 mg / L or less, 15.0 mg / L or less, 10.0 mg / L or less, or 5.0 mg / L or less. On the other hand, the content of iso-α acids in beverages that do not use hops may be 0.1 mg / L or less.

[0071] Furthermore, beer-taste beverages using hops as an ingredient may contain residual α acids. α acids are components that are isosiated by heating and converted to iso-α acids. In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the α acid content is 0.01 mg / L or more, 0.05 mg / L or more, 0.1 mg / L or more, 0.3 mg / L or more, 0.5 mg / L or more, 0.7 mg / L or more, 1.0 mg / L or more, 1.2 mg / L or more, 1.4 mg / L or more, 1.6 mg / L or more, 1.8 mg / L or more, 2.0 mg / L or more, 2.5 mg / L or more, 3.0 mg / L or more, or / L or more, 3.5 mg / L or more, 4.0 mg / L or more, 4.5 mg / L or more, or 5.0 mg / L or more, or may be 10.0 mg / L or less, 9.0 mg / L or less, 8.0 mg / L or less, 7.0 mg / L or less, 6.0 mg / L or less, 5.0 mg / L or less, 4.0 mg / L or less, 3.0 mg / L or less, 2.0 mg / L or less, or 1.0 mg / L or less. In this specification, the content of iso-α acids and α acids can be measured using the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis method described in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Brewery Association of Japan, a public interest incorporated foundation, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee), revised and expanded in 2013).

[0072] 1.1.3 Preservatives The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage containing a preservative. Preservatives used in one embodiment of the present invention include, for example, benzoic acid, benzoates such as sodium benzoate, benzoic acid esters such as propyl parahydroxybenzoate and butyl parahydroxybenzoate, dimethyl dicarbonate, etc. Commercially available preservatives such as Strong Sunplazer (manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc., a mixture of sodium benzoate and butyl benzoate) may also be used. These preservatives may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0073] In one embodiment of the present invention, when a preservative is blended, the blending amount of the preservative is preferably 5 to 1200 mass ppm, more preferably 10 to 1100 mass ppm, still more preferably 15 to 1000 mass ppm, and even more preferably 20 to 900 mass ppm.

[0074] 1.1.4 Sweeteners The beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage blended with a sweetener. Examples of the sweetener used in one embodiment of the present invention include commercially available saccharified liquids obtained by decomposing starch derived from grains with an acid or an enzyme, etc., saccharides such as commercially available maltose syrup, sucrose, sugars having three or more saccharides, isomerized sugars, sugar alcohols, natural sweeteners such as stevia, and artificial sweeteners. These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The form of these saccharides may be a liquid such as a solution or a solid such as a powder. In addition, there are no particular restrictions on the type of raw material grain of starch, the starch purification method, and the treatment conditions such as hydrolysis with an enzyme or an acid. For example, by appropriately setting the conditions for hydrolysis with an enzyme or an acid, saccharides with a high ratio of maltose may be used. In addition, sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, trehalose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, isomaltose, isomaltotriose, isomaltotetraose, panose, and solutions (syrups) thereof, etc. can also be used. Examples of artificial sweeteners include, for example, aspartame, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K), sucralose, neotame, etc.

[0075] 1.1.5 Water-soluble dietary fiber The beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage blended with a water-soluble dietary fiber, or may be a beverage without blending (adding) a water-soluble dietary fiber. Examples of the water-soluble dietary fiber include, for example, β-glucan, indigestible dextrin, polydextrose, guargum degradation product, pectin, glucomannan, alginic acid, laminarin, fucoidin, carrageenan, etc. From the viewpoint of versatility such as stability and safety, β-glucan, indigestible dextrin or polydextrose is preferable. In addition, the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage that does not contain (add) indigestible dextrin as a raw material. The beverage of this embodiment contains water-soluble dietary fiber (for example, β-glucan) derived from raw materials (for example, malt, etc.) even if indigestible dextrin is not contained (added).

[0076] The beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a β-glucan content of 1.0 mg / L or more, 5.0 mg / L or more, 10.0 mg / L or more, 15.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 25.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 35.0 mg / L or more, 40.0 mg / L or more, 45.0 mg / L or more, 50.0 mg / L or more, 55.0 mg / L or more, 60.0 mg / L or more, 65.0 mg / L or more, 70.0 mg / L or more, 75.0 mg / L or more, or 80.0 mg / L or more, and may also have a content of 100.0 mg / L or less, 90.0 mg / L or less, 80.0 mg / L or less, 70.0 mg / L or less, 60.0 mg / L or less, 50.0 mg / L or less, 40.0 mg / L or less, 30.0 mg / L or less, 20.0 mg / L or less, or 10.0 mg / L or less. The content of β-glucan can be measured by the post-column · calcofluor · flow injection analysis method (FIA) described in 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).

[0077] The content of the water-soluble dietary fiber may be adjusted by adding a commercially available product to be within the above range, or may be adjusted in the manufacturing process so that the water-soluble dietary fiber (for example, β-glucan) derived from raw materials such as malt is within the above range. When adjusting the content of the water-soluble dietary fiber in the manufacturing process, the content of the water-soluble dietary fiber in the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water, the types of raw materials (such as wheat, malt, corn, sugar solution, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the types of enzymes, the addition amount of enzymes, and the timing of enzyme addition (during the saccharification process, before yeast addition, after yeast addition, during aging, etc.), adjusting the set temperature, pH, and holding time in each temperature region when preparing the saccharified liquid, and the like.

[0078] 1.1.6 Bittering agents, bitterness imparting agents The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may also be a beverage containing at least one selected from bittering agents and bitterness-imparting agents. In the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, the bitterness may be imparted by hops, or a bittering agent or bitterness-imparting agent shown below may be used together with hops. Further, without using hops, a bittering agent or bitterness-imparting agent shown below may be used instead of hops. The bittering agent or bitterness-imparting agent is not particularly limited, and those usually used as bitterness-imparting agents in ordinary beer and sparkling sake can be used. For example, mannelow, jujube, star anise, juniper berries, sage, mannetake, laurel, quassin, caffeine, absinthin, naringin, phellodendron, citrus extract, prickly ash extract, coffee extract, tea extract, bitter melon extract, rape embryo extract, aloe arborescens extract, mannelow extract, jujube extract, laurel extract, sage extract, caraway extract, mugwort extract, absinthin, alginic acid, etc. can be mentioned. These bittering agents and bitterness-imparting agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0079] 1.1.7 Antioxidants The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may also be a beverage containing an antioxidant. The antioxidant is not particularly limited, and those usually used as antioxidants in ordinary beer and sparkling sake can be used. For example, ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, catechin, etc. can be mentioned. These antioxidants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0080] 1.1.8 Flavors The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage further containing a flavoring agent. The flavoring agent is not particularly limited, and a general beer flavoring agent can be used. The beer flavoring agent is used to impart a beer-like flavor. Aroma components contained in beer flavorings include esters and higher alcohols, and specific examples include isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propanol, isobutanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, isoamyl propionate, linalool, geraniol, citral, 4-vinylguaiacol (4-VG), 4-methyl-3-pentenoic acid, 2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid, 1,4-cineole, 1,8-cineole, 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine, γ-decanolactone, and γ- Undecalactone, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl n-butyrate, myrcene, citral, limonene, maltol, ethyl maltol, phenylacetic acid, furaneol, furfural, methional, 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-2-butanethiol, diacetyl, ferulic acid, geranic acid, geranyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, octanoic acid, decanoic acid, 9-decenoic acid, nonanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, propanoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, γ-butyrolactone, 2-aminoacetophenone Non, Ethyl 3-phenylpropionate, 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, Dimethyl sulfone, 3-methylcyclopentane-1,2-dione, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, 2-acetylfuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, hexanal, hexanol, cis-3-hexenal, 1-octen-3-ol, β-eudesmol, 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one, β-caryophyllene , β-myrcene, furfuryl alcohol, 2-ethylpyrazine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2-methylbutyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, phenylacetaldehyde, 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one, trans-2-hexenal, nonanal, phenethyl alcohol, β-damascenone, menthone, menthyl acetate dimethyl trisulfide, 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine, cis-3-hexenol, γ-terpinene, cis-linalool oxide, and the like. These fragrances may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0081] The content of aroma components such as esters and higher alcohols can be adjusted by separately adding a fragrance containing these aroma components. However, when alcohol fermentation is involved in the manufacturing process, the fragrance may not be added, or it may be adjusted by alcohol fermentation with the addition of the fragrance. The content of aroma components such as esters and higher alcohols in the case of involving alcohol fermentation can be adjusted by appropriately setting the addition of dilution water or carbonated water, the sugar composition and amino acid composition of the pre-fermentation liquid before adding yeast, the concentration of sugar and amino acid, the original extract concentration of the beverage pre-liquid (pre-fermentation liquid), yeast species, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast species, yeast addition amount, yeast growth number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), cooling timing, etc.

[0082] 1.1.9 Acidulants The beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may be a beverage further blended with an acidulant. The acidulant is not particularly limited as long as it is a substance having acidity. Examples thereof include phosphoric acid, citric acid, pyruvic acid, malic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, or salts thereof. These acidulants may be used alone or in combination of two or more. In addition, these acidulants may be contained in the raw materials of the beer-taste beverage, may be generated during fermentation based on the substrates contained in the raw materials, or may be separately added in the manufacturing process (for example, purified products of various acidulants). The content of various acidulants can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, adding refined products of various acidulants, the type of raw materials containing the various acidulants (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of raw materials from which the various acidulants originate (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, corn, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the enzyme reaction time during the mashing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to the addition of yeast), the pH during the mashing process, and the amount of acidulants used to adjust the pH. The amount of acid to be added, the timing of pH adjustment (during mashing, during fermentation, at the end of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre-beverage liquid (pre-fermentation liquid), the original extract concentration during the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast growth rate, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), and addition of spirits, brewer's alcohol, etc. can be set as appropriate. The content of these acidulants can be measured by known methods depending on the type of acidulant, for example, by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis.

[0083] In the beer-flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, the content of phosphoric acid is 10.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 50.0 mg / L or more, 70.0 mg / L or more, 100.0 mg / L or more, 110.0 mg / L or more, 120.0 mg / L or more, 130.0 mg / L or more, 140.0 mg / L or more, 150.0 mg / L or more, 160.0 mg / L or more, 170.0 mg / L or more, 180.0 mg / L or more, 190.0 mg / L or more, 200.0 mg / L or more, 210.0 mg / L or more, 220.0 mg / L or more, 230.0 mg / L or more, 240.0 mg / L or more, 250.0 mg / L or more, or 300.0 mg / L or more from the viewpoint of imparting a moderate sour taste, a refreshing aftertaste, and sharpness. Also, from the viewpoint of making the beverage not too sour, it may be 1000.0 mg / L or less, 900.0 mg / L or less, 800.0 mg / L or less, 700.0 mg / L or less, 600.0 mg / L or less, 500.0 mg / L or less, 450.0 mg / L or less, 400.0 mg / L or less, 350.0 mg / L or less, 300.0 mg / L or less, 250.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 180.0 mg / L or less, 160.0 mg / L or less, 140.0 mg / L or less, 120.0 mg / L or less, or 100.0 mg / L or less.

[0084] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the citric acid content is, from the perspective of imparting a moderate acidity and a refreshing acidity and clean aftertaste, 10.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 40.0 mg / L or more, 50.0 mg / L or more, 55.0 mg / L or more, 60.0 mg / L or more, 65.0 mg / L or more, 70 mg / L or more, 75.0 mg / L or more, 80.0 mg / L or more, 85.0 mg / L or more, 90.0 mg / L or more, 95.0 mg / L or more, 100.0 mg / L or more, 105.0 mg / L or more, 110.0 mg / L or more, 115.0 mg / L or more, 120.0 mg / L or more, 130.0 mg / L or more, 140.0 mg / L or more, 150.0 mg / L or more, 160.0 mg / L or more, 170.0 mg / L or more, 180.0 mg / L or more, 190.0 mg / L or more, 200.0 mg / L or more, 210.0 mg / L or more, 220.0 mg / L or more, 230.0 mg / L or more, 240.0 mg / L or more, 250.0 mg / L or more, 260.0 mg / L or more, 270.0 mg / L or more, 280.0 mg / L or more, 290.0 mg / L or more, 300.0 mg / L or more, 310.0 mg / L or more, 320.0 mg / L or more, 330.0 mg / L or more, mg / L or more, or 200.0 mg / L or more, and from the viewpoint of providing a beverage that is not too sour, the acidity may be 1000.0 mg / L or less, 900.0 mg / L or less, 800.0 mg / L or less, 700.0 mg / L or less, 600.0 mg / L or less, 500.0 mg / L or less, 400.0 mg / L or less, 300.0 mg / L or less, 250.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 150.0 mg / L or less, 140.0 mg / L or less, 130.0 mg / L or less, 120.0 mg / L or less, 110.0 mg / L or less, 100.0 mg / L or less, 90.0 mg / L or less, 80.0 mg / L or less, 70.0 mg / L or less, 60.0 mg / L or less, or 50.0 mg / L or less.

[0085] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the pyruvic acid content is, from the perspective of imparting a moderate acidity, mellowness, and a lingering aftertaste, 1.0 mg / L or more, 5.0 mg / L or more, 10.0 mg / L or more, 15.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 22.0 mg / L or more, 24.0 mg / L or more, 26.0 mg / L or more, 28.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 32.0 mg / L or more, 34.0 mg / L or more, 36.0 mg / L or more, 38.0 mg / L or more, 40.0 mg / L or more, 45.0 mg / L or more, 50.0 mg / L or more , 55.0 mg / L or more, or 60.0 mg / L or more, and from the viewpoint of providing a beverage that is not too sour, the acidity may be 500.0 mg / L or less, 400.0 mg / L or less, 300.0 mg / L or less, 250.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 150.0 mg / L or less, 100.0 mg / L or less, 90.0 mg / L or less, 80.0 mg / L or less, 70.0 mg / L or less, 60.0 mg / L or less, 50.0 mg / L or less, 40.0 mg / L or less, 30.0 mg / L or less, 20.0 mg / L or less, or 10.0 mg / L or less.

[0086] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the malic acid content may be 10.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 50.0 mg / L or more, 70.0 mg / L or more, 100.0 mg / L or more, 110.0 mg / L or more, 120.0 mg / L or more, 130.0 mg / L or more, 140.0 mg / L or more, 150.0 mg / L or more, 160.0 mg / L or more, 170.0 mg / L or more, 180.0 mg / L or more, 190.0 mg / L or more, 200.0 mg / L or more, 210.0 mg / L or more, 220.0 mg / L or more, 230.0 mg / L or more, 240.0 mg / L or more, from the perspective of imparting a moderate acidity and depth of flavor. From the viewpoint of providing a beverage that is not too sour, the malic acid content may be 1000.0 mg / L or less, 900.0 mg / L or less, 800.0 mg / L or less, 700.0 mg / L or less, 600.0 mg / L or less, 500.0 mg / L or less, 450.0 mg / L or less, 400.0 mg / L or less, 350.0 mg / L or less, 300.0 mg / L or less, 250.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 180.0 mg / L or less, 160.0 mg / L or less, 140.0 mg / L or less, 120.0 mg / L or less, or 100.0 mg / L or less. Regarding malic acid, synthetic malic acid or fermented malic acid may be used, or synthetic malic acid and fermented malic acid may be used in combination.

[0087] In the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, the content of succinic acid may be 10.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 40.0 mg / L or more, 50.0 mg / L or more, 55.0 mg / L or more, 60.0 mg / L or more, 65.0 mg / L or more, 70.0 mg / L or more, 75.0 mg / L or more, 80.0 mg / L or more, 85.0 mg / L or more, 90.0 mg / L or more, 95.0 mg / L or more, 100.0 mg / L or more, 105.0 mg / L or more, 110.0 mg / L or more, 115.0 mg / L or more, 120.0 mg / L or more, 130.0 mg / L or more, 140.0 mg / L or more, 150.0 mg / L or more, or 200.0 mg / L or more from the viewpoint of imparting a moderate sour taste and a refreshing feeling. Also, from the viewpoint of making the beverage not too sour, it may be 300.0 mg / L or less, 250.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 150.0 mg / L or less, 140.0 mg / L or less, 130.0 mg / L or less, 120.0 mg / L or less, 110.0 mg / L or less, 100.0 mg / L or less, 90.0 mg / L or less, 80.0 mg / L or less, 70.0 mg / L or less, 60.0 mg / L or less, or 50.0 mg / L or less.

[0088] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the lactic acid content is, from the perspective of imparting a moderate acidity, mellowness, and a lingering aftertaste, 10.0 mg / L or more, 50.0 mg / L or more, 100.0 mg / L or more, 120.0 mg / L or more, 140.0 mg / L or more, 160.0 mg / L or more, 180.0 mg / L or more, 200.0 mg / L or more, 210 mg / L or more, 220.0 mg / L or more, 230.0 mg / L or more, 240.0 mg / L or more, 250.0 mg / L or more, 260.0 mg / L or more, 270.0 mg / L or more, 280.0 mg / L or more, 290.0 mg / L or more, 300.0 mg / L or more Alternatively, from the viewpoint of providing a beverage that is not too sour, the acidity may be 900.0 mg / L or less, 800.0 mg / L or less, 700.0 mg / L or less, 600.0 mg / L or less, 500.0 mg / L or less, 400.0 mg / L or less, 300.0 mg / L or less, 250.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 190.0 mg / L or less, 180.0 mg / L or less, 170.0 mg / L or less, 160.0 mg / L or less, 150.0 mg / L or less, or 100.0 mg / L or less.

[0089] In the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, the formic acid content may be 0.01 mg / L or more, 0.05 mg / L or more, 0.1 mg / L or more, 0.5 mg / L or more, 0.7 mg / L or more, 1.0 mg / L or more, 1.2 mg / L or more, 1.4 mg / L or more, 1.6 mg / L or more, 1.8 mg / L or more, 2.0 mg / L or more, 2.5 mg / L or more, 3.0 mg / L or more, 3.5 mg / L or more, 4.0 mg / L or more, 4.5 mg / L or more, 5.0 mg / L or more, 6.0 mg / L or more, 7.0 mg / L or more, 8.0 mg / L or more, 9.0 mg / L or more, or 10.0 mg / L or more from the viewpoint of imparting a suitable sour taste and flavor. Also, from the viewpoint of making the beverage not too sour, it may be 50.0 mg / L or less, 40.0 mg / L or less, 30.0 mg / L or less, 20.0 mg / L or less, 10.0 mg / L or less, 9.0 mg / L or less, 8.0 mg / L or less, 7.0 mg / L or less, 6.0 mg / L or less, 5.0 mg / L or less, 4.0 mg / L or less, 3.0 mg / L or less, 2.0 mg / L or less, or 1.0 mg / L or less.

[0090] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the acetic acid content, from the perspective of imparting a moderate acidity and refreshing taste, is preferably 10.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 40.0 mg / L or more, 50.0 mg / L or more, 55.0 mg / L or more, 60.0 mg / L or more, 65.0 mg / L or more, 70.0 mg / L or more, 75.0 mg / L or more, 80.0 mg / L or more, 85.0 mg / L or more, 90.0 mg / L or more, 95.0 mg / L or more, 100.0 mg / L or more, 105.0 mg / L or more, 110.0 mg / L or more, 115.0 mg / L or more, 120.0 mg / L or more, 130.0 mg / L or more, 140.0 mg / L or more, 150.0 mg / L or more, 160.0 mg / L or more, 170.0 mg / L or more, 180.0 mg / L or more, 190.0 mg / L or more, 200.0 mg / L or more, 210.0 mg / L or more, 220.0 mg / L or more, 230.0 mg / L or more, 240.0 mg / L or more, 250.0 mg / L or more, 260.0 mg / L or more, 270.0 mg / L or more, 280.0 mg / L or more, 290.0 mg / L or more, 300.0 mg / L or more, 310.0 mg / L or more, 320.0 mg / L or more, 330.0 mg / L or more, 340.0 From the viewpoint of providing a beverage that is not too sour, the acidity may be 300.0 mg / L or less, 250.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 150.0 mg / L or less, 140.0 mg / L or less, 130.0 mg / L or less, 120.0 mg / L or less, 110.0 mg / L or less, 100.0 mg / L or less, 90.0 mg / L or less, 80.0 mg / L or less, 70.0 mg / L or less, 60.0 mg / L or less, or 50.0 mg / L or less.

[0091] In addition, from the perspective of improving the richness of taste, the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may contain pyroglutamic acid as an organic acid in addition to the above-mentioned acidulant. The content of pyroglutamic acid may be 1.0 mg / L or more, 3.0 mg / L or more, 5.0 mg / L or more, 7.0 mg / L or more, 10.0 mg / L or more, 15.0 mg / L or more, 20.0 mg / L or more, 25.0 mg / L or more, 30.0 mg / L or more, 35.0 mg / L or more, 40.0 mg / L or more, 45.0 mg / L or more, 50.0 mg / L or more, 55.0 mg / L or more, 60.0 mg / L or more, 65.0 mg / L or more, 70.0 mg / L or more, 75.0 mg / L or more, 80.0 mg / L or more, 85.0 mg / L or more, 90.0 mg / L or more, 95.0 mg / L or more, 100.0 mg / L or more, 110.0 mg / L or more, 120.0 mg / L or more, 130.0 mg / L or more, 140.0 mg / L or more, or 150.0 mg / L or more. Also, from the perspective of suppressing the development of an inappropriate sour taste, it may be 500.0 mg / L or less, 400.0 mg / L or less, 300.0 mg / L or less, 200.0 mg / L or less, 190.0 mg / L or less, 180.0 mg / L or less, 170.0 mg / L or less, 160.0 mg / L or less, less than 150.0 mg / L, 150.0 mg / L or less, 140.0 mg / L or less, 130.0 mg / L or less, 120.0 mg / L or less, 110.0 mg / L or less, 100.0 mg / L or less, 90.0 mg / L or less, 80.0 mg / L or less, 70.0 mg / L or less, 60.0 mg / L or less, or 50.0 mg / L or less.

[0092] 1.1.10 Salts The beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may further be a beverage containing salts. Examples of the salts include sodium chloride, potassium acid phosphate, calcium acid phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, potassium chloride, sodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, and the like. These salts may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0093] 1.2 Carbon dioxide gas The carbon dioxide contained in the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be carbon dioxide contained in the raw materials, or may be dissolved by mixing with carbonated water or adding carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide gas produced in the fermentation process can be used as is, but the amount of carbon dioxide gas may be adjusted by adding carbonated water as needed.

[0094] The carbon dioxide concentration of the beer-taste beverage in one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 0.30 (w / w)% or more, more preferably 0.35 (w / w)% or more, more preferably 0.40 (w / w)% or more, even more preferably 0.42 (w / w)% or more, even more preferably 0.45 (w / w)% or more, still more preferably 0.47 (w / w)% or more, particularly preferably 0.50 (w / w)% or more, and is preferably 0.80 (w / w)% or less, more preferably 0.70 (w / w)% or less, even more preferably 0.60 (w / w)% or less, still more preferably 0.57 (w / w) or less, particularly preferably 0.55 (w / w)% or less. In this specification, the carbon dioxide concentration can be measured using a gas volume measuring device (e.g., GVA-500 (manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Manufacturing Co., Ltd.) after adjusting the temperature of the beverage to 20°C by immersing the container containing the beverage in question in a water bath at 20°C for 30 minutes or more while shaking it occasionally.

[0095] When the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is a bottled beverage, the carbon dioxide pressure of the bottled beverage may be adjusted appropriately within the range that results in the above-mentioned carbon dioxide concentration, but it is preferable that the carbon dioxide pressure be 5.0 kg / cm or less. 2 Below 4.5kg / cm 2 or less than 4.0 kg / cm 2 It may be less than 0.20 kg / cm 2 More than 0.50kg / cm 2 or more, or 1.0 kg / cm 2 Any of these upper and lower limits may be combined. For example, the carbon dioxide pressure of the beverage may be 0.20 kg / cm 2More than 5.0kg / cm 2 Below 0.50kg / cm 2 More than 4.5kg / cm 2 or less than 1.0 kg / cm 2 More than 4.0kg / cm 2 It may be the following: In this specification, the gas pressure refers to the gas pressure inside the container, unless otherwise specified. The pressure can be measured by a method well known to those skilled in the art, for example, by fixing a sample cooled to 20°C to a gas pressure gauge, opening the stopcock of the gas pressure gauge to release the gas, closing the stopcock again, swinging the gas pressure gauge, and reading the value when the pointer reaches a certain position, or by using a commercially available gas pressure measuring device.

[0096] 1.3 Other additives The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may contain various additives as needed, provided that the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Such additives include, for example, coloring agents, foam-forming agents, fermentation promoters, protein-based substances such as peptide-containing substances, and seasonings such as amino acids. Coloring agents are used to give beverages a beer-like color, and caramel coloring can be used. Foam-forming agents are used to form beer-like foam in beverages or to maintain foam in beverages, and include plant-extracted saponin substances such as soybean saponin and quillaja saponin, plant proteins such as corn and soybean, peptide-containing substances such as collagen peptide, yeast extract, emulsifiers (sucrose fatty acid esters, glycerin fatty acid esters, lecithin, lysolecithin), etc., which can be used as appropriate. The fermentation promoter is used to promote fermentation by yeast, and examples thereof include bran components of rice or wheat, vitamins, minerals, etc., which can be used alone or in combination.

[0097] 1.4 Bottled beverage The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a packaged beverage. Packages of any shape and material may be used for packaged beverages, and examples of such containers include bottles, cans, bottle-shaped cans, barrels, and plastic bottles. From the perspective of portability, cans, bottle-shaped cans, bottles, and plastic bottles are preferred.

[0098] 2. Manufacturing method of beer-taste beverage One embodiment of the method for producing a beer-taste beverage of the present invention includes the following step (1) and steps (a) to (c). Step (1): A step of obtaining a pre-beverage solution by using various raw materials and performing at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solid content removal. Step (a): adjusting the alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage to 1.0 (v / v)% or more. Step (b): adjusting the total polyphenol content of the beer-taste beverage to 20 to 140 ppm by mass. Step (c): adjusting the real extract value of the beer-taste beverage to 3.20 to 6.80% by mass.

[0099] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage in one embodiment of the present invention may be a method for producing a beer-taste beverage via a fermentation step or a method for producing a beer-taste beverage without a fermentation step.The method for producing a beer-taste beverage in one embodiment of the present invention may be a method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage via a fermentation step.

[0100] Examples of methods for producing fermented beer-taste beverages via a fermentation process include methods that further include the following step (2) in addition to the steps described above. Step (2): A step of adding yeast to the pre-beverage liquid obtained in step (1) to carry out alcoholic fermentation.

[0101] Furthermore, examples of methods for producing non-fermented beer-taste beverages without going through a fermentation step include methods that further include the following step (3) in addition to the steps described above. · Step (3): A step of cooling the pre-beverage liquid obtained in Step (1) and adding carbon dioxide gas.

[0102] In the production method of one embodiment of the present invention, steps (a) to (c) may be carried out together with Step (1), or may be carried out after Step (1). Further, it may be carried out after Step (1) and before Step (2) or (3), may be carried out together with Step (2) or (3), or may be carried out after Step (2) or (3). In addition, the adjustment of steps (a) to (c) includes the selection of raw materials before Step (1). In steps (a) to (c), it may include checking whether each physical property value belongs to a desired range.

[0103] <Step (a)> Step (a) is a step of adjusting the alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage to 1.0 (v / v)% or more. Examples of the method for adjusting the alcohol content include the above-described methods. In the production method of one embodiment of the present invention, Step (a) can be carried out together with Step (1) or both Step (1) and (2). Further, after Step (1), (2) or (3), the alcohol content is checked, and if necessary, a diluent selected from dilution water, carbonated water, spirits (distilled liquor), etc. is added and adjusted.

[0104] <Step (b)> Step (b) is a step of adjusting the total polyphenol amount of the beer-taste beverage to 20 to 140 mass ppm. Examples of the method for adjusting the total polyphenol amount include the above-described methods. In the production method of one embodiment of the present invention, Step (b) can be carried out together with Step (1), (2) or (3). Further, after Step (1), (2) or (3), the total polyphenol amount is checked, and if necessary, a diluent selected from dilution water, carbonated water, spirits (distilled liquor), etc. is added and adjusted.

[0105] <Step (c)> Step (c) is a step of adjusting the real extract value of the beer-taste beverage to 3.20 to 6.80 mass %. Methods for adjusting the real extract value include the methods described above. In one embodiment of the production method of the present invention, step (c) can be carried out together with step (1), (2), or (3). Furthermore, after step (1), (2), or (3), a diluent selected from dilution water, carbonated water, spirits (distilled alcoholic beverages), and the like may be added for adjustment, if necessary.

[0106] A method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage and a method for producing a non-fermented beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention are described below.

[0107] 2.1 Manufacturing method of fermented beer-taste beverage One embodiment of the method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention includes a method that involves a fermentation step using yeast, and includes the following steps (1) and (2) in addition to steps (a) to (c) above. Step (1): A step of obtaining a pre-beverage solution by using various raw materials and performing at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solid content removal. Step (2): A step of adding yeast to the pre-beverage liquid obtained in step (1) to carry out alcoholic fermentation.

[0108] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the above steps (a) to (c) and adjustments of the contents of various aroma components, various acidulants or organic acids, total nitrogen content, free amino nitrogen content, original extract concentration, bitterness value, color, and pH can be performed at one or more of the following times (a) to (c). Furthermore, if steps (a) to (c) and the above-mentioned adjustments can be performed simultaneously by performing steps (1) and (2), there is no need to perform these steps separately. (A): Simultaneously with at least one of step (1) and step (2) (A): Between step (1) and step (2) (C): After step (2) Hereinafter, each step in the method for producing a fermented beer - flavored beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0109] 2.1.1 Step (1) Step (1) is a step of obtaining a pre - beverage liquid by performing at least one of saccharification treatment, boiling treatment, and solid - content removal treatment using various raw materials. For example, when using malt as various raw materials, various raw materials including water, malt, and various carbohydrate raw materials other than malt are put into a charging kettle or a charging tank, and enzymes such as amylase are added as necessary. As various raw materials other than malt, various additives such as hops, preservatives, sweeteners, water - soluble dietary fibers, bitter agents or bitterness - imparting agents, antioxidants, flavors, acidulants, and pigments may be added. These may be added before performing the saccharification treatment, during the saccharification treatment, or after the completion of the saccharification treatment. Also, these may be added after fermentation in the next step.

[0110] The mixture of various raw materials is heated to saccharify the starch of the raw materials and perform the saccharification treatment. The temperature and time of the saccharification treatment are preferably adjusted appropriately in consideration of the type of malt used, the malt ratio, raw materials other than water and malt, the type and amount of the enzyme used, the original wort extract concentration of the finally obtained beverage, etc. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the saccharification treatment may be 55 - 75°C, and the time of the saccharification treatment may be 30 - 240 minutes.

[0111] It is preferable to perform a boiling treatment on this saccharified liquid. When performing this boiling treatment, when using hops, bitter agents, etc. as raw materials, it is preferable to add them. Hops, bitter agents, etc. may be added between the start of boiling and before the end of boiling of the saccharified liquid.

[0112] After the completion of the boiling treatment, it is transferred to a whirlpool, cooled to 0 - 23°C to obtain a cooling liquid, and then it is preferable to perform a solid - content removal treatment such as coagulated protein. By this treatment, the original wort extract concentration can be adjusted. In this way, a pre - beverage liquid is obtained. In addition, in this step, in order to perform the solid content removal treatment, filtration may be performed through a filter with a predetermined pore size (for example, a pore size of less than 30 μm).

[0113] Instead of the above saccharified liquid, warm water may be added to malt extract, and then hops, bittering agents, etc. may be added and boiled to prepare a pre-beverage (pre-fermentation liquid). Also, when malt is not used as various raw materials, liquid sugar containing a carbon source, a nitrogen source as an amino acid-containing raw material other than wheat or malt, hops, dietary fiber, preservatives, sweeteners, antioxidants, bitterness-providing agents, flavors, acidulants, pigments, etc. are mixed with warm water to prepare a liquid sugar solution, and the liquid sugar solution is boiled to prepare a pre-beverage (pre-fermentation liquid). When using hops, they may be added before the boiling treatment or during the period from the start to the end of boiling of the liquid sugar solution.

[0114] 2.1.2 Step (2) Step (2) is a step of adding yeast to the pre-beverage obtained in step (1) and performing alcoholic fermentation. The yeast used in this step can be appropriately selected in consideration of the type of beer-taste beverage to be produced, the desired flavor, fermentation conditions, etc. Top-fermenting yeast or bottom-fermenting yeast may be used.

[0115] The yeast may be added to the raw material liquid as a yeast suspension, or a slurry obtained by concentrating the yeast by centrifugation or sedimentation may be added to the stock solution. Also, after centrifugation, the completely removed supernatant may be added. The addition amount of yeast to the stock solution can be set appropriately. For example, it is about 5.0×10 6 cells / ml to 1.0×10 9 cells / ml.

[0116] Fermentation conditions can be set as appropriate, but from the perspective of adjusting the alcohol content of the fermented beer-taste beverage to fall within the above-mentioned range, the fermentation temperature is preferably 5 to 25°C (more preferably 10 to 22°C). The alcohol content of the fermented beer-taste beverage can be adjusted by appropriately setting the type, amount, and timing of addition of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes such as transglucosidase and glucoamylase. Furthermore, the temperature (increase or decrease) or pressure of the fermentation liquid may be changed during the fermentation process, as necessary.

[0117] After fermentation, the fermented beer-taste beverage may be filtered to remove yeast, or may not be filtered. Water and the various additives described above may be added as needed.

[0118] The fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention obtained in this manner is filled into a predetermined container and distributed on the market as a finished product. The method for packaging the fermented beer-taste beverage is not particularly limited, and any packaging method known to those skilled in the art can be used. In the packaging process, the fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention is filled and sealed in a container. Containers of any shape and material can be used in the packaging process, and examples of containers include those described in "1.4 Packaged Beverages."

[0119] 2.2 Manufacturing method of non-fermented beer-taste beverage One embodiment of the method for producing a non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention may be any method that does not involve a fermentation step, and examples include methods that include the following steps (1) and (3). Step (1): A step of obtaining a pre-beverage solution by using various raw materials and performing at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solid content removal. Step (3): A step of cooling the pre-beverage liquid obtained in step (1) and adding carbon dioxide gas.

[0120] Step (1) is the same as step (1) in the above-mentioned "method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage" to obtain a pre-beverage solution. Carbon dioxide gas may be added in step (3) by mixing the cooled beverage preliminaries obtained in step (1) with carbonated water, or by directly adding carbon dioxide gas to the cooled beverage concentrate. Furthermore, additives such as preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, acidulants, and colorants may be added as needed when adding carbon dioxide gas at the same time as step (3).

[0121] Furthermore, when the non-fermented beer-taste beverage is converted into a non-fermented alcohol-containing beer-taste beverage, the following step (3a) is included. Step (3a): A step of blending an alcohol component after at least step (1).

[0122] Step (3a) may be carried out at least after step (1), and may be carried out, for example, at one or more of the following times (α), (β), and (γ): (α): Between step (1) and step (3) (β): Simultaneous with step (3) (γ): After step (3) Among these, step (3a) is preferably carried out after the beverage pre-liquid obtained in step (1) is cooled to prepare a cooled beverage concentrate, and before adding carbon dioxide gas. The alcohol component to be added in step (3a) is preferably spirits (distilled alcohol) derived from the above-mentioned grains.

[0123] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the method for producing a non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the above steps (a) to (c) and adjustments to the contents of various aroma components, various acidulants or organic acids, total nitrogen content, free amino nitrogen content, original extract concentration, bitterness value, color, and pH can be performed at one or more of the following times (i) to (v). Furthermore, if steps (a) to (c) and the above-mentioned adjustments can be performed simultaneously by performing steps (1), (3), and (3a), there is no need to perform these steps separately. (i): Simultaneously with at least one of step (1), step (3), and step (3a). (ii): Between step (1) and step (3) ·(iii): Between step (1) and step (3a) ·(iv): After step (3) or between step (3) and step (3a) ·(v): After step (3a)

[0124] The non-fermented beer-taste beverage thus obtained is filled into a predetermined container and distributed on the market as a product. The method for filling the container with the non-fermented beer-taste beverage is not particularly limited, and a container filling method well known to those skilled in the art can be used. By the container filling step, the non-fermented beer-taste beverage is filled and sealed in the container. Any form and material of the container may be used in the container filling step, and examples of the container are as described above.

[0125] 3. Method for improving the flavor of beer-taste beverage The method for improving the flavor of the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention has at least the following operations (I) to (III). The method for improving the flavor of the beer-taste beverage according to another aspect of the present invention has at least the following operations (II) and (III). ·Operation (I): An operation of checking and / or adjusting the alcohol content to 1.0 (v / v)% or more. ·Operation (II): An operation of checking and / or adjusting the total polyphenol content to 20 to 140 mass ppm. ·Operation (III): An operation of checking and / or adjusting the real extract value to 3.20 to 6.80 mass%. Operations (I) to (III) respectively correspond to steps (a) to (c) in the above-described method for producing the beer-taste beverage. By adjusting the total polyphenol content and the real extract value to predetermined ranges by operations (II) and (III), it is possible to improve the throat feel and / or drinkability suitable for the beer-taste beverage. In the flavor improvement method according to one aspect of the present invention, the beverage serving as the reference for flavor improvement is a beer-taste beverage prepared without performing any one or more of operations (II) and (III). Further, in the flavor improvement method according to another aspect of the present invention, the beverage serving as the reference for flavor improvement may be a beer-taste beverage produced without restricting the malt ratio. The preferred ranges of alcohol content, total polyphenol content, and real extract value, as well as various properties, various components, and their contents of the beer - flavored beverage are as described in the above - mentioned "1. Beer - flavored beverage".

Examples

[0126] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited by these examples.

[0127] Examples 1 - 9, Comparative Examples 1 - 8 <Preparation of Beverage> 40 kg of crushed barley malt was put into a charging tank containing 200 L of warm water maintained at 50 °C. While repeating the step - by - step temperature increase and holding, the temperature was raised to 78 °C, and then filtered to remove malt dregs to obtain a saccharified liquid. Next, a sugar solution was added to the saccharified liquid, and hops were further added for boiling. After solid - liquid separation treatment, a clear wort was obtained. Then, a polysaccharide - degrading enzyme and top - fermenting yeast were inoculated into the cooled pre - beverage (pre - fermentation liquid) of the wort for alcohol fermentation. Thereafter, the yeast was removed by filtration to obtain a fermented beer - flavored beverage. The alcohol content of the obtained beverage was 5 - 8 (v / v)%, the original extract concentration was 11 - 17% by mass, the total nitrogen content was 20 - 50 mg / 100 mL, the content of free amino - type nitrogen was 3 - 10 mg / 100 mL, the bitterness value was 6 - 15 BUs, and the color degree was 2 - 6 EBC. Also, the malt ratio of the beverages of Examples 1 - 9 and Comparative Examples 1 - 8 was 10 - 38% by mass.

[0128] <Sensory Evaluation> Regarding the beverages obtained in the examples and comparative examples cooled to about 4 °C, six panelists who had been trained daily evaluated the "presence or absence of a suitable throat feel for the beer - flavored beverage", "presence or absence of an astringent aftertaste unsuitable for the beer - flavored beverage", "presence or absence of a suitable drinking feeling for the beer - flavored beverage", and "presence or absence of a heavy drinking mouthfeel unsuitable for the beer - flavored beverage" of each test beverage based on the following score criteria in the range of 3.0 (maximum value) - 1.0 (minimum value) with a score increment of 0.1, and the average value of the scores of the six panelists was calculated. The results are shown in Tables 1 - 2. In the evaluation, samples conforming to the following criteria "3.0", "2.5", "2.0", "1.5" and "1.0" were prepared in advance to unify the criteria among the panelists. Also, in any of the sensory evaluations in Tables 1 to 2, no difference in the score value of 1.5 or more was confirmed among the panelists for the same beverage.

[0129] [Score Criteria for the Presence or Absence of Throat Clearing Suitable for Beer-Taste Beverages] · "3.0": The throat clearing suitable for beer-taste beverages is felt very strongly. · "2.5": The throat clearing suitable for beer-taste beverages is felt strongly. · "2.0": The throat clearing suitable for beer-taste beverages is felt sufficiently. · "1.5": The throat clearing suitable for beer-taste beverages is hardly felt. · "1.0": The throat clearing suitable for beer-taste beverages is hardly felt at all.

[0130] [Score Criteria for the Presence or Absence of Astringency in the Aftertaste Unsuitable for Beer-Taste Beverages] · "3.0": The astringency in the aftertaste unsuitable for beer-taste beverages is not felt at all. · "2.5": The astringency in the aftertaste unsuitable for beer-taste beverages is hardly felt. · "2.0": The astringency in the aftertaste unsuitable for beer-taste beverages is not felt much. · "1.5": The astringency in the aftertaste unsuitable for beer-taste beverages is felt and it is difficult to drink. · "1.0": The astringency in the aftertaste unsuitable for beer-taste beverages is felt strongly and it is very difficult to drink.

[0131] [Score Criteria for the Presence or Absence of Drinkability Suitable for Beer-Taste Beverages] · "3.0": The drinkability suitable for beer-taste beverages is felt very strongly. · "2.5": The drinkability suitable for beer-taste beverages is felt strongly. · "2.0": The drinkability suitable for beer-taste beverages is felt sufficiently. · "1.5": There is not much feeling of a suitable drinking experience for beer - flavored beverages. · "1.0": There is hardly any feeling of a suitable drinking experience for beer - flavored beverages. [[ID=~]]

[0132] [[ID=~]] [Score criteria for the presence or absence of heaviness in the taste of beer - flavored beverages] · "3.0": There is no feeling of heaviness in the taste that is unsuitable for beer - flavored beverages at all. · "2.5": There is hardly any feeling of heaviness in the taste that is unsuitable for beer - flavored beverages. · "2.0": There is not much feeling of heaviness in the taste that is unsuitable for beer - flavored beverages. · "1.5": There is a feeling of heaviness in the taste that is unsuitable for beer - flavored beverages, and it is difficult to drink. · "1.0": There is a strong feeling of heaviness in the taste that is unsuitable for beer - flavored beverages, and it is very difficult to drink. [[ID=~]]

[0133] [[ID=~]] And the comprehensive evaluation was carried out based on the following criteria. [Comprehensive evaluation] · A: The scores of all evaluation items are 2.5 or more. · B: It does not fall under the above "A" or "C". · C: The score of any one of the evaluation items is less than 2.0. [[ID=~]]

[0134] [[ID=~]] [[ID=~]]

Table 1

[0135] [[ID=~]] [[ID=~]]

Table 2

[0136] [[ID=~]] Examples 10 - 19 [Preparation of beverages] Fermented beer - flavored beverages were obtained according to the methods of Examples 1 to 9. In each example, the set temperature and holding time of each temperature region when preparing the saccharified solution, the type, addition amount, and addition timing of hops, the setting of fermentation temperature and fermentation time, etc., and the addition and / or dilution of the purified product were carried out as necessary to adjust the contents of various aroma components shown in Table 3. The alcohol content of the obtained beverage was 5 - 8 (v / v)%, the original extract concentration was 11 - 17% by mass, the total nitrogen content was 20 - 50 mg / 100 mL, the content of free amino - nitrogen was 3 - 10 mg / 100 mL, the bitterness value was 6 - 15 BUs, and the color degree was 2 - 6 EBC. Also, the malt ratio of the beverages of Examples 10 - 19 was 10 - 38% by mass. <Sensory evaluation> The obtained fermented beer - flavored beverages were subjected to sensory evaluation in the same manner as the above - described sensory evaluation method. Further, based on the following criteria, regarding the "presence or absence of an aftertaste suitable for a beer - flavored beverage" and the "presence or absence of a fruity aroma suitable for a beer - flavored beverage", based on the following score criteria, in the range of 3.0 (maximum value) - 1.0 (minimum value), the score was evaluated in increments of 0.1, and the average value of the scores of 6 panelists was calculated. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0137] [Score criteria for the presence or absence of an aftertaste suitable for a beer - flavored beverage] · "3.0": The aftertaste suitable for a beer - flavored beverage is felt very strongly. · "2.5": The aftertaste suitable for a beer - flavored beverage is felt strongly. · "2.0": The aftertaste suitable for a beer - flavored beverage is felt sufficiently. · "1.5": The aftertaste suitable for a beer - flavored beverage is not felt very much. · "1.0": The aftertaste suitable for a beer - flavored beverage is hardly felt.

[0138] [Score criteria for the presence or absence of a fruity aroma suitable for a beer - flavored beverage] · "3.0": The fruity aroma suitable for a beer - flavored beverage is felt very strongly. · "2.5": A fruity aroma suitable for beer - flavored beverages is strongly felt. · "2.0": A fruity aroma suitable for beer - flavored beverages is sufficiently felt. · "1.5": A fruity aroma suitable for beer - flavored beverages is hardly felt. · "1.0": A fruity aroma suitable for beer - flavored beverages is scarcely felt.

[0139] And the comprehensive evaluation was carried out based on the following criteria. [Comprehensive Evaluation] · A: The scores of all evaluation items are 2.5 or more. · B: It does not fall under the above "A" or "C". · C: The score of any one of the evaluation items is less than 2.0.

[0140]

Table 3

[0141] Examples 20 - 23 <Preparation of Beverage> Fermented beer - flavored beverages were obtained according to the methods of Examples 1 - 9. In each example, the set temperature and holding time of each temperature region when preparing the saccharified liquid, the type, addition amount and addition timing of hops, the settings of fermentation temperature and fermentation time, etc., and the addition and / or dilution of purifying agents were carried out as necessary to adjust the contents of various components shown in Table 4. Also, the alcohol content of the beverages in Examples 20 - 23 was 5 - 8 (v / v)%, the original extract concentration was 11 - 17 mass%, and the malt ratio was 24 - 26 mass%. <Sensory Evaluation> The obtained fermented beer - flavored beverages were subjected to sensory evaluation in the same manner as the above - described sensory evaluation method. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0142]

Table 4

[0143] As shown in Tables 1 to 4, the beer - flavored beverages prepared as examples had excellent various evaluation items compared to the beverages of the comparative examples by adjusting the total polyphenol content and the real extract value to a predetermined numerical range, and were beverages having excellent flavor overall. Furthermore, the beer - flavored beverages prepared in Examples 10 to 23 were beverages having excellent aftertaste and / or fruity aroma by adjusting the content of various higher alcohols and / or esters to a predetermined numerical range. On the other hand, for the beer - flavored beverages prepared in Comparative Examples 1 to 8, since either the total polyphenol content or the real extract value did not satisfy the predetermined numerical range, one or more of the above - mentioned various evaluation items were inferior.

Claims

1. The alcohol content is 1.0 (v / v)% or more, the total polyphenol content is 20 to 140 ppm by mass, and the real extract value is 3.20 to 6.80% by mass. A beer-taste beverage.

2. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the malt ratio is less than 50% by mass.

3. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the malt ratio is less than 25% by mass.

4. Satisfying the following formula (1), Formula (1): X1 / Y > 4.5 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the total polyphenol content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the real extract value (unit: % by mass). The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the total content (A) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol is 50.0 mg / L or more.

6. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the total content (B) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate is 100.0 μg / L or more.

7. Satisfying the following formula (2), Formula (2): A / X1 > 0.2 [In the above formula (2), A represents the total content (unit: mg / L) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of isoamyl alcohol, n-propanol, and isobutanol, and X1 represents the total polyphenol content (unit: ppm by mass).]The beer-taste beverage according to claim 5.

8. Satisfying the following formula (3), Formula (3): B / X1 > 1.0 [In the above formula (3), B represents the total content (unit: μg / L) of one or more components selected from the group consisting of ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate, and X1 represents the total polyphenol content (unit: ppm by mass).]The beer-taste beverage according to claim 6.

9. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the total polyphenol content is 65 to 90 ppm by mass.

10. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the content of acetaldehyde is 0.2 to 5.0 mg / L.

11. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the content of ethyl acetate is 5.0 to 50.0 mg / L.

12. 4. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the isoamyl acetate content is 0.2 to 5.0 mg / L.

13. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having a color of less than 7.0 EBC.

14. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has a bitterness value of less than 30.0 BUs.

15. 4. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the free amino nitrogen content is less than 20.0 mg / 100 mL.

16. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the total nitrogen content is less than 60.0 mg / 100 mL.

17. 4. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pyroglutamic acid content is less than 150 mg / L.

18. 4. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the raw material is one or more selected from the group consisting of sugars, yeast extract, and corn protein hydrolysates.

19. 4. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the beer-taste beverage is a fermented beer-taste beverage.

20. 4. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the beer-taste beverage is a filtered beer-taste beverage.

21. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has a turbidity of less than 22 Helm.

22. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has invertase activity.

23. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the following steps (1) and (a) to (c): Step (1): A step of obtaining a pre-beverage solution by using various raw materials and performing at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solid content removal. Step (a): adjusting the alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage to 1.0 (v / v)% or more. Step (b): adjusting the total polyphenol content of the beer-taste beverage to 20 to 140 ppm by mass. Step (c): adjusting the real extract value of the beer-taste beverage to 3.20 to 6.80% by mass.

24. 24. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 23, further comprising the following step (2): Step (2): A step of adding yeast to the pre-beverage liquid obtained in step (1) to carry out alcoholic fermentation.

25. of the final product The alcohol content is 1.0 (v / v)% or more, the total polyphenol content is 20 to 140 ppm by mass, the real extract value is 3.20 to 6.80% by mass, A method for improving the flavor of a beer-taste beverage, which includes adjusting to these values.

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