Foaming beverage

Abstract

To provide a foaming beverage exhibiting superior foam recovery capability.SOLUTION: A foaming beverage containing 15% or more of fine particles with particle diameters ranging from 30.5 nm to 139.5 nm.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to sparkling beverages. [Background technology]

[0002] In sparkling beverages such as beer-flavored beverages, tiny granular bubbles may form between the liquid and the foam when the beverage is poured into a drinking container. These granular bubbles are called frosty mist. It is known that when the sparkling beverage poured into the drinking container is consumed, the frosty mist is stimulated, causing fine bubbles to regenerate (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-081211 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If a sparkling beverage has an excellent ability to regenerate bubbles when consumed (also referred to herein as "bubble regeneration power"), the drinker can enjoy fine bubbles for a long time. However, technical means for improving the bubble regeneration power of sparkling beverages have not yet been fully explored.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a sparkling beverage that has excellent foam restoring ability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present inventors have found that there is a correlation between the proportion of fine particles of a specific particle size in the fine particles contained in a sparkling beverage and the foam-restoring ability of the beverage. The present invention is based on this novel finding.

[0007] The present invention relates to a sparkling beverage in which the proportion of fine particles having a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less is 15% or more.

[0008] The sparkling beverage according to the present invention has an excellent ability to restore foam because the proportion of fine particles of a specific particle size is within a specific range.

[0009] The sparkling beverage may have an alcohol content of less than 5.5 v / v %. When the alcohol content is within this range, the above-mentioned effects become more pronounced.

[0010] The sparkling beverage may be a beer-flavored beverage.

[0011] The present invention also relates to a method for producing a sparkling beverage, which comprises adjusting the proportion of fine particles having a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less in the sparkling beverage to 15% or more.

[0012] The present invention also relates to a method for improving the foam recovery of a sparkling beverage, the method comprising adjusting the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less in the sparkling beverage to 15% or more.

[0013] The present invention also relates to a method for evaluating the foam restoring ability of a sparkling beverage from the proportion of fine particles in the beverage. The proportion of fine particles of a specific particle size in the total fine particles contained in the sparkling beverage correlates with the foam restoring ability of the sparkling beverage, and therefore the foam restoring ability of the sparkling beverage can be evaluated based on the proportion of fine particles in the sparkling beverage.

[0014] In the above method, the proportion of fine particles may be the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less. As shown in the examples below, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size in this range has a particularly high correlation with the foam restoring ability of sparkling drinks. However, in the above method, evaluation does not necessarily have to be based on the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less. For example, evaluation can be performed using other indicators, such as the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 200 nm or less, since these indicators have a certain correlation with the foam restoring ability. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, a sparkling beverage having excellent foam restoring ability can be provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0017] The sparkling beverage according to this embodiment has a proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less (hereinafter also referred to as "proportion of fine particles of a specific particle size") of 15% or more.

[0018] In this specification, "particles" refers to components contained in sparkling beverages with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 999.5 nm. The particles may be suspended matter in the sparkling beverage, and may be composed of, for example, inorganic salts, organic matter, etc. Examples of inorganic salts include calcium salts and magnesium salts.

[0019] The proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less in a sparkling beverage is a value calculated according to the following formula. Percentage of particles with a diameter of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less (%) = (Number of particles with a diameter of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less in sparkling drinks / Number of particles with a diameter of 30.5 nm or more and 999.5 nm or less in sparkling drinks) x 100

[0020] The particle size and number of particles contained in sparkling drinks are measured using the following method. Measurements are carried out using a device (NanoSight, manufactured by Malvern Instruments) that analyzes nanoparticles (particles with a diameter of 10 to 1000 nm) in liquid using the particle tracking method. Laser light is incident on the measuring container, and the scattered light generated by the particles is received by a CMOS camera connected to an optical microscope, which is then captured as an image on a PC. The particle diameter is calculated using the Stokes-Einstein equation from the amount of particle movement per time. The Stokes-Einstein equation uses the diffusion coefficient D as D=k b T / 6πηr, and k b is the Boltzmann constant, T is the absolute temperature, η is the viscosity, π is the circular constant, and r is the particle radius. The diffusion coefficient D is given by x=(2Dt) 1 / 2 By observing the one-dimensional distance x that a particle moves in t seconds, the diffusion coefficient D can be calculated for each particle, and the particle size of each particle can be calculated from the diffusion coefficient D. More specifically, the measurement can be performed by the method described in the examples below.

[0021] There is a positive correlation between the proportion of microparticles of a specific particle size and foam restoration ability. If the proportion of microparticles of a specific particle size in a sparkling beverage is 15% or more, sufficient foam restoration ability can be obtained. From the perspective of further enhancing foam restoration ability, the proportion of microparticles of a specific particle size in a sparkling beverage may be, for example, 16% or more, 17% or more, 18% or more, 19% or more, 20% or more, 21% or more, 22% or more, 23% or more, or 24% or more. There are no particular restrictions on the proportion of microparticles of a specific particle size in a sparkling beverage, and it may be, for example, 95% or less, 90% or less, 85% or less, 80% or less, 75% or less, 70% or less, 65% or less, 60% or less, or 55% or less.

[0022] In this specification, "foam renewal ability" refers to the ability of a sparkling beverage to regenerate foam when consumed, and can be measured specifically by the method described in the Examples below. When a sparkling beverage is consumed, i.e., when the drinking container is tilted and then returned to upright, new foam is generated (foam renewal). Excellent foam renewal ability means that a large amount of this new foam is generated. The sparkling beverage according to this embodiment has excellent foam renewal ability, and the foam renewal ability measured by the method described in the Examples below is typically 20 mm or more, and may be 25 mm or more, 30 mm or more, or 35 mm or more.

[0023] The proportion of microparticles of a specific particle size in the sparkling beverage of this embodiment can be achieved, for example, by adjusting the proportion of microparticles of a specific particle size in the raw material water, by selecting a yeast strain that is more or less likely to produce microparticles of a specific particle size, by adjusting fermentation conditions (fermentation temperature, fermentation period), by using raw materials containing microparticles of a specific particle size, etc.

[0024] The sparkling beverage according to this embodiment is a sparkling beverage. Here, the sparkling beverage is defined as a beverage having a gas pressure of 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm) at 20°C. 2 The upper limit of gas pressure is 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg / cm 2 ) may be sufficient.

[0025] The sparkling beverage according to this embodiment may be an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1% v / v or more, or a non-alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 0% v / v or more but less than 1% v / v. In this specification, alcohol means ethanol unless otherwise specified.

[0026] The alcohol content of the sparkling beverage according to this embodiment is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 0.1 v / v% or more, 0.3 v / v% or more, 0.5 v / v% or more, 0.7 v / v% or more, 1 v / v% or more, 2 v / v% or more, 3 v / v% or more, 4 v / v% or more, or 5 v / v% or more. The alcohol content of the sparkling beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 20 v / v% or less, 15 v / v% or less, 10 v / v% or less, 9 v / v% or less, 8 v / v% or less, 7 v / v% or less, 6 v / v% or less, 5 v / v% or less, 4 v / v% or less, 3 v / v% or less, 2 v / v% or less, 1 v / v% or less, 0.8 v / v% or less, 0.6 v / v% or less, 0.4 v / v% or less, or 0.2 v / v% or less.

[0027] From the viewpoint of further enhancing the foam recovery ability of the sparkling beverage, the alcohol content of the sparkling beverage according to this embodiment may be less than 5.5 v / v%. From the same viewpoint, the alcohol content of the sparkling beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 5.4 v / v% or less, 5.3 v / v% or less, 5.2 v / v% or less, 5.1 v / v% or less, or 5.0 v / v% or less.

[0028] The alcohol content of sparkling beverages can be measured, for example, by the method described in "8.3.6 Beer, Alcohol (Alcolyzer Method)" or "8.3.7 Headspace GC-FID Method" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee), revised and expanded in 2013), or by the method described in "3-4 Alcohol Content" of the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method.

[0029] The alcohol content of the sparkling beverage of this embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by adding alcohol (e.g., raw material alcohol, distilled alcohol such as spirits and vodka, or fermented liquid obtained by brewing), setting fermentation conditions, etc.

[0030] The pH of the sparkling beverage according to this embodiment is not particularly limited and may be, for example, from 2 to 6. The pH of the sparkling beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 5.5 or less, 5 or less, 4.5 or less, 4.4 or 4.3 or less, 4.2 or less, 4.1 or less, 4 or less, or less than 4. It may be 3.9 or less, 3.8 or less, 3.7 or less, 3.6 or less, or 3.5 or less, or may be 2.1 or more, 2.2 or more, 2.3 or more, 2.4 or more, 2.5 or more, 2.6 or more, 2.7 or more, 2.8 or more, 2.9 or more, or 3 or more.

[0031] The pH of the sparkling beverage according to this embodiment can be appropriately set within the above range, for example, by adjusting the types and amounts of ingredients used and, if necessary, by adding a pH adjuster such as citric acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, or lactic acid.

[0032] The sparkling beverage according to this embodiment may further contain components (other components) other than those described above, provided that the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of other components include bittering agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, etc. Examples of bittering agents include hops, iso-α acids, caffeine, gentian extract, peptides, theobromine, naringin, bitter persimmon extract, artemisia absinthium extract, and cinchona extract. Examples of coloring agents include caramel color, gardenia color, fruit juice color, vegetable color, and synthetic color. Examples of sweeteners include high-fructose glucose syrup, glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, glycogen, and starch. Examples of high-intensity sweeteners include neotame, acesulfame K, sucralose, saccharin, saccharin sodium, disodium glycyrrhizinate, cyclamate, dulcin, stevia, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, aspartame, and alitame. Examples of antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenols. Examples of salts include table salt, potassium acid phosphate, calcium acid phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate.

[0033] The sparkling beverage according to this embodiment may be a fermented beverage or a non-fermented beverage. Fermented beverages are produced through fermentation using yeast or the like. Non-fermented beverages are produced without fermentation using yeast or the like. Note that non-fermented beverages also include beverages produced by blending alcohol (e.g., distilled alcohol such as spirits or raw material alcohol) without fermentation using yeast or the like.

[0034] The sparkling beverage according to this embodiment may be a beer-taste beverage. In this specification, "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage with a beer-like flavor. Examples of beer-taste beverages include, but are not limited to, those classified as beer, happoshu, and other sparkling alcoholic beverages as defined in Article 3 of the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 6 of 1953). Beer-taste beverages also include beverages and soft drinks (e.g., non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages) that do not fall under the category of sparkling alcoholic beverages under the Liquor Tax Act. The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is not limited to the above examples.

[0035] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain a barley ingredient as an ingredient. In this specification, the barley ingredient refers to barley or a processed barley product. Examples of barley include barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl barley, and oats. Examples of processed barley products include barley extract, malt, and malt extract. Barley extract is obtained by extracting barley extract components containing sugars and nitrogen from barley. Malt is obtained by germinating barley. Malt extract is obtained by extracting extract components containing sugars and nitrogen from malt.

[0036] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may have a malt ratio (the proportion of malt in ingredients other than water and hops) of 0% to 100% by mass. The malt ratio may be 10% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 65% by mass or more, 66% by mass or more, 67% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, 95% by mass or more, 99% by mass or more, or 100% by mass. The malt ratio may also be less than 100% by mass, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less.

[0037] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain ingredients other than barley. Examples of ingredients other than barley include grains such as corn, rice, and sorghum; potatoes such as potatoes and sweet potatoes; beans such as soybeans and peas; plant ingredients such as herbs and spices; and carbohydrate ingredients (sugars) such as starch, grits, and liquid sugar.

[0038] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain hops as an ingredient. In this specification, hops includes, for example, fresh hops, dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extracts, as well as processed hop products such as extracts of low hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and isomerized hops.

[0039] The bitterness value (BU) of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.0 or more and 50.0 or less. The BU of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 40.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, or 15.0 or less, or 1.0 or more, 2.0 or more, 3.0 or more, 4.0 or more, 5.0 or more, or 10.0 or more. The bitterness value of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be measured by the method described in "8.15 Bitterness Value" in 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), revised and expanded in 2013). The bitterness value can be appropriately set within the above range, for example, by adjusting the type and amount of ingredients used.

[0040] The sparkling beverage according to this embodiment can be placed in a container and provided as a packaged sparkling beverage. The container may be any container that can be sealed, and so-called cans or barrels made of metal (such as aluminum or steel) can be used. Glass containers, PET bottles, paper containers, pouch containers, etc. can also be used. The capacity of the container is not particularly limited, and any container currently in circulation can be used. It is preferable to use a metal container, as it completely blocks gas, moisture, and light and can maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long period of time.

[0041] The sparkling beverage according to this embodiment may be in the form of an RTD (Ready To Drink), which is consumed as is after opening the lid.

[0042] [Method for producing sparkling beverages] The sparkling beverage according to this embodiment can be produced according to conventional methods, except that the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less in the sparkling beverage is adjusted to 15% or more.

[0043] A production method (a method by blending) according to one embodiment includes, for example, a blending step of blending raw material water, and, if necessary, alcohol (for example, raw material alcohol, distilled alcohol such as spirits and vodka, or fermented liquid obtained by brewing), and / or one or a combination of two or more selected from the other components described above, into a raw material tank.

[0044] The production method according to this embodiment may further include a filtration step of filtering the mixed liquid obtained by mixing the components in the blending step, a first sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filtered in the filtration step, a filling step of filling a container such as a bottle, a can, or a plastic bottle with the sterilized filtrate sterilized in the first sterilization step, and a second sterilization step of sterilizing the container together with the filtrate filled in the filling step.

[0045] The blending step may involve mixing while stirring using a stirrer or the like so that the components are thoroughly mixed. The filtration step may be carried out using, for example, a general filter or strainer. The first sterilization step may be carried out by plate sterilization from the standpoint of processing speed, etc., and is not limited to this and can be applied as long as a similar process can be performed. The filling step may be carried out in a clean room that maintains a degree of cleanliness that is typically achieved in beverage production. The second sterilization step may be carried out by heating the filtrate together with the container at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time. The first or second sterilization step may be a non-heating sterilization step. Examples of non-heating sterilization steps include ultraviolet (UV) sterilization. It is also possible to carry out non-sterilization filling without performing a sterilization step.

[0046] The proportion of fine particles of a specific particle size can be adjusted to a specific range, for example, by adjusting the proportion of fine particles of a specific particle size in raw material water, by blending raw materials containing fine particles of a specific particle size in a blending step, etc. These treatments may be carried out singly or in combination of two or more.

[0047] The proportion of fine particles of a specific particle size in raw water can be adjusted by, for example, reverse osmosis membrane treatment, ion exchange membrane treatment, ultrafiltration membrane treatment, etc. These treatments may be performed alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of materials for reverse osmosis membranes include cellulose acetate, aromatic polyamide, polyvinyl alcohol, and polysulfone.

[0048] Examples of raw materials containing fine particles of a specific particle size include compounds (such as silica and activated carbon) adjusted to a specific particle size.

[0049] In another embodiment, the production method (brewing method) includes, for example, a brewing step, a fermentation step, and a post-fermentation step. The brewing step is a step of obtaining a pre-fermentation liquid. The fermentation step is a step of fermenting a raw material liquid (e.g., a pre-fermentation liquid) with yeast. The post-fermentation step is a step of performing various post-fermentation treatments (e.g., filtration, sterilization, addition of various additives (e.g., colorants, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts) and the like).

[0050] In brewing methods, adjusting the proportion of fine particles of a specific particle size to a specific range can be achieved, for example, by adjusting the proportion of fine particles of a specific particle size in the raw material water, selecting a yeast strain that is more or less likely to produce fine particles of a specific particle size, adjusting fermentation conditions (fermentation temperature, fermentation period), or blending raw materials containing fine particles of a specific particle size at any stage.

[0051] The brewing method will be described in more detail below, taking as an example a case where the sparkling beverage according to this embodiment is a beer-flavored beverage.

[0052] In the mashing process, a pre-fermentation liquid is obtained using raw materials and mashing water (raw material water). In other words, the mashing process is a process for preparing a pre-fermentation liquid to be used for fermentation. The mashing process may include, in this order, a saccharification process for producing mash from the raw materials and mashing water, a filtration process for filtering the mash to obtain a sugar-containing liquid, a boiling process for boiling the sugar-containing liquid, a removal process for removing solids from the raw material liquid, and a cooling process for cooling the raw material liquid.

[0053] The saccharification process includes a step of adding raw materials and brewing water, adjusting the temperature to 50 to 76°C, and maintaining that temperature. In this step, the temperature is maintained at 50 to 76°C for, for example, 1 to 200 minutes. This allows, for example, saccharification of the raw materials to proceed and soluble components to elute, resulting in mash containing components necessary for yeast metabolism. The mash obtained in the saccharification process is filtered in a filtration process to produce a sugar-containing liquid.

[0054] In the boiling process, the sugar-containing liquid is boiled to obtain a boiled liquid (a sugar-containing liquid after boiling). A sugar-containing liquid is one that contains components that can be fermented into alcohol by yeast. Examples of sugar-containing liquids include wort and syrup. Wort is an unfermented liquid obtained through the saccharification of the above-mentioned barley raw material. Wort can be obtained, for example, through a process of mixing a raw material such as the above-mentioned barley raw material with water, a process of saccharifying the liquid containing the raw material and water by a conventional method to obtain a saccharified liquid, and a process of filtering the saccharified liquid.

[0055] In the removal step, solids in the post-boiling liquid are removed to obtain a purified liquid. The removal step can be carried out, for example, by precipitating insoluble solids contained in the post-boiling liquid. Examples of solids include thermal coagulation produced in the boiling step. The removal step may be carried out in a whirlpool. In the cooling step, the purified liquid is cooled to a temperature at which fermentation by yeast is possible to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.

[0056] The fermentation step is a step in which the pre-fermentation liquid is fermented with yeast. In the fermentation step, a post-fermentation liquid is obtained by fermenting the pre-fermentation liquid with yeast. In the fermentation step, alcoholic fermentation is carried out with yeast. More specifically, yeast is inoculated into the pre-fermentation liquid and fermented, thereby obtaining a post-fermentation liquid containing alcohol produced by the yeast. The yeast used in the fermentation step may be ordinary beer yeast.

[0057] Hops may be added in the method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment. Hops may be added during the brewing process, the fermentation process, or the post-fermentation process following the fermentation process, or may be added multiple times. Methods for adding hops include, but are not limited to, kettle hopping, late hopping, and dry hopping. Kettle hopping refers to adding hops while the pre-fermentation liquid is being heated or at the beginning of boiling, and late hopping refers to adding hops just before the end of boiling. Dry hopping refers to adding hops after the start of the fermentation process.

[0058] The production method according to this embodiment may include, as post-fermentation steps, a step of maturing and cooling the post-fermentation liquid, and a step of filtering the post-fermentation liquid. By carrying out the filtration step, insoluble solids, yeast, and the like having a particle size equal to or larger than a certain value can be removed from the post-fermentation liquid.

[0059] In the production method according to this embodiment, as another post-fermentation step, the post-fermentation liquid (or the post-fermentation liquid after the filtration step) may be heated (sterilized) or the like.

[0060] In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, adjusting the proportion of microparticles of a specific particle size to fall within a specific range can be achieved, for example, by adjusting the proportion of microparticles of a specific particle size in the brewing water (raw material water), by selecting a yeast strain that is more or less likely to produce microparticles of a specific particle size, by adjusting fermentation conditions (fermentation temperature, fermentation period), or by blending raw materials containing microparticles of a specific particle size at any stage (for example, a post-fermentation process).

[0061] The method for evaluating the foam restoring power of this embodiment (also simply referred to as the "evaluation method") involves evaluating the foam restoring power of a sparkling beverage from the proportion of fine particles in the sparkling beverage. The proportion of fine particles of a specific particle size in the fine particles contained in the sparkling beverage correlates with the foam restoring power of the sparkling beverage, so the foam restoring power can be evaluated based on the proportion of fine particles in the sparkling beverage.

[0062] The proportion of fine particles may be, for example, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 500 nm, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 450 nm, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 400 nm, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 350 nm, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 300 nm, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 250 nm, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 200 nm, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 150 nm, or the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 139.5 nm. In this specification, fine particles refer to components contained in sparkling beverages with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 999.5 nm, so for example, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 500 nm is complementary to the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of more than 500 nm to 999.5 nm. Therefore, the proportion of fine particles may be in a range complementary to the ranges exemplified above.

[0063] As shown in the examples below, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 139.5 nm has a particularly high correlation with the foam restoring ability of a sparkling beverage. Therefore, the evaluation method according to this embodiment preferably includes evaluating the foam restoring ability of a sparkling beverage from the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm to 139.5 nm. [Example]

[0064] The present invention will be specifically described below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0065] Test Example 1: Preparation of beer-flavored beverage The raw materials and water were charged into a mash tank, and a saccharified solution was produced according to conventional methods. The resulting saccharified solution was filtered to obtain wort. Hops were added to the wort, and the mixture was boiled. The sediment was separated and removed, and then cooled to obtain a pre-fermentation solution (cold wort). Beer yeast (bottom-fermenting yeast) was added to the pre-fermentation solution, and fermented for a predetermined period (fermentation step). This resulted in the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 1-1 to 1-4. Three commercially available beer-taste beverages were prepared as comparative examples (Test Examples 1-5 to 1-7). The beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 1-1 to 1-7 all had a malt ratio of 66% by mass or more.

[0066] <Measurement of fine particles> The beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 1-1 to 1-7 were measured for fine particles using the following method. The particle tracking method was used to analyze nanoparticles (particles with a particle size of 10 to 1000 nm) in liquid using a device (NanoSight, manufactured by Malvern Instruments) to measure particle size (particle size and particle count). The following instruments were used for the measurement. Three 100mL glass beakers 1ml micropipette 1mL disposable syringe (for injecting nanosite measurement cells) The measurement procedure is as follows. Three beakers were prepared, one containing the sample (beer) and the other containing ultrapure water. Using a micropipette, the sample (beer) was diluted 10-fold with ultrapure water and placed in the third beaker as the 10-fold diluted sample (beer). The beaker containing the 10-fold diluted sample (beer) was covered and stored in the dark. First, the ultrapure water used for dilution was measured for particles, and after confirming that no particles were present, the 10-fold diluted sample (beer) was measured. For the measurement, 1 mL of the 10-fold diluted sample (beer) was taken into a disposable syringe and introduced into the NanoSight main unit. Each measurement took 1 minute. The same 10-fold diluted sample (beer) was measured five times, and the average value was used.

[0067] From the obtained results, the proportion of fine particles with a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less was calculated according to the following formula. The results are shown in Table 1. Percentage of particles with a diameter of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less (%) = (Number of particles with a diameter of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less / Number of particles with a diameter of 30.5 nm or more and 999.5 nm or less) x 100

[0068] <Measurement of alcohol content> The alcohol content of the beer-flavored beverages in Test Examples 1-1 to 1-7 was measured according to the method described in "8.3.6 Beer, Alcohol (Alcolyzer Method)" 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). The results are shown in Table 1.

[0069] Test Example 2: Evaluation of foam restoration ability of beer-flavored beverages Each beer-taste beverage was poured into a 380 mL tumbler (sample container). Sixty seconds after pouring, the container was tilted at a 65° angle to the horizontal, and the foam and liquid were poured out. Two seconds later, the container was returned to a vertical position. The thickness of the newly formed foam (unit: mm) was measured immediately afterward, and this was used as the foam recovery power. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0070] [Table 1]

[0071] The Spearman's correlation coefficient (rank correlation coefficient) was calculated from the results of the ratio of particles with a diameter of 30.5 nm to 139.5 nm and the foam regeneration ability, and was found to be 0.821. The statistical test value (t0) was calculated from the correlation coefficient (r) and sample size (n) according to the following formula:

number

[0072] This makes it possible to evaluate the foam recovery ability by measuring the proportion of fine particles in a beer-flavored beverage, making it easier to control the foam recovery ability.

Claims

1. A sparkling beverage in which the proportion of fine particles having a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less is 15% or more.

2. 2. The sparkling beverage according to claim 1, having an alcohol content of less than 5.5% v / v.

3. The sparkling beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which is a beer-taste beverage.

4. A method for producing a sparkling beverage, comprising: A manufacturing method comprising adjusting the proportion of fine particles having a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less in the sparkling beverage to 15% or more.

5. A method for improving the foam recovery of a sparkling beverage, comprising: The method comprises adjusting the proportion of fine particles having a particle size of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less in the sparkling beverage to 15% or more.

6. A method for evaluating the foam regeneration ability of sparkling drinks based on the proportion of fine particles.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the proportion of the fine particles is the proportion of fine particles having a particle diameter of 30.5 nm or more and 139.5 nm or less.

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