Low alcohol beer-tasting beverage and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

To provide a low-alcohol beer-tasting beverage with a complex, beer-like taste and the sweetness of malt, as well as a balanced taste of sourness and sweetness, and a clean aftertaste.SOLUTION: A low-alcohol beer-tasting beverage contains more than 100 mg / L but less than 600 mg / L of proline and more than 25 mg / L but less than 200 mg / L of acetic acid.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage, and in particular to a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage with an alcohol concentration of less than 1 v / v%. "Beer-flavored" refers to a taste and aroma reminiscent of beer. "Beer" refers to a beverage obtained by fermenting ingredients such as malt, hops, and water with yeast. [Background technology]

[0002] Low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages are known, which are made by dealcoholizing beer after fermentation to remove the alcohol content. However, post-fermentation dealcoholized beer-flavored beverages have a bland flavor and are unsuitable for consumption in terms of both flavor and aroma, as the alcohol content is removed, eliminating the sweetness inherent in the alcohol itself and the aroma characteristic of beer.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a carbonated beverage that has a beer-like flavor and an improved sweetness balance, smoothness, and crispness by adding malt extract to a beer-flavored beverage that has been dealcoholized after fermentation for flavoring and further adjusting the sugar composition.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a beer-flavored beverage that is substantially free of bitter components derived from hops and contains a specific amount of proline. The beer-flavored beverage in Patent Document 2 has umami and sweetness reminiscent of beer.

[0005] Patent Document 3 describes a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage with a pH of 4.2 to 4.7 that contains vinegar or malt vinegar obtained by acetic acid fermentation of beer and wort as main ingredients and is substantially alcohol-free. The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of Patent Document 3 is a non-alcoholic beverage that has a flavor similar to beer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-250503 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-103272 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-148838 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages have low alcohol and volatile aroma component contents and lack the complex flavor and barley flavor characteristic of beer. When malt extract or proline is added with the aim of recreating the umami, sweetness, and complex flavor characteristic of beer, the balance between sourness and sweetness is disrupted, resulting in a problem of an inconsistent, refreshing aftertaste.

[0008] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage that has a complex beer-like flavor and a sweetness typical of barley, a good balance of sourness and sweetness, and a refreshing aftertaste. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention provides a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage containing more than 100 mg / L and less than 600 mg / L of proline and more than 25 mg / L and less than 200 mg / L of acetic acid.

[0010] In one embodiment, the concentration of the proline is 150 to 550 mg / L.

[0011] In one embodiment, the concentration of the acetic acid is 40 to 160 mg / L.

[0012] In one embodiment, the ratio B / A of the acetic acid concentration B [mg / L] to the proline concentration A [mg / L] in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is 0.073 to 1.06.

[0013] In one embodiment, the ratio B / A is 0.17 to 0.50.

[0014] In one embodiment, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage has a bitterness value of 10 to 50 BU.

[0015] In one embodiment, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage contains 1 to 10 w / v % of apparent extract.

[0016] In one embodiment, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage contains a component derived from a fermented wort liquid.

[0017] In one embodiment, the wort fermentation liquid is a bottom-fermented wort liquid.

[0018] In one embodiment, the wort fermentation liquid has a malt usage ratio of 50 w / w % or more.

[0019] In one embodiment, the wort fermentation liquid is a dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid.

[0020] The present invention also provides a method for producing a low-alcohol, beer-taste beverage, which comprises adjusting the proline concentration contained in the low-alcohol, beer-taste beverage to more than 100 mg / L and less than 600 mg / L, and adjusting the acetic acid concentration to more than 25 mg / L and less than 200 mg / L. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage that has a complex beer-like flavor and a sweetness typical of barley, a good balance of sourness and sweetness, and a refreshing aftertaste. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] As used herein, the term "process" refers not only to an independent process, but also to processes that cannot be clearly distinguished from other processes, as long as the intended purpose of the process is achieved. Furthermore, when multiple substances corresponding to each component are present in the composition, the content of each component in the composition refers to the total amount of those multiple substances present in the composition, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the upper and lower limits of the numerical ranges in this specification can be arbitrarily selected and combined. Below, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail. However, the embodiments described below are intended to exemplify low-alcohol beer-taste beverages and methods for producing same in order to embody the technical concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the low-alcohol beer-taste beverages and methods for producing same shown below.

[0023] <Low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage> The low-alcohol beer-taste beverage herein contains acetic acid and proline.

[0024] "Low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage" refers to a beer-flavored beverage with an alcohol concentration lower than that of a regular beer-flavored beverage. A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage has an alcohol concentration of 3 v / v% or less, preferably 2 v / v% or less, and more preferably less than 1 v / v%. "Low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage" also includes non-alcohol beer-flavored beverages that contain substantially no alcohol (e.g., alcohol concentration 0.00 v / v%). Furthermore, the term "alcohol" refers to ethanol.

[0025] <Proline> Proline is an amino acid contained in malt. The proline contained in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may be a commercially available compound added to the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage, or may be contained in nitrogen-containing raw materials such as malt that are commonly used in the production of low-alcohol beer-taste beverages.

[0026] At a predetermined concentration, proline in a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage imparts a barley-like sweetness to the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage, improving the balance between the sourness and sweetness of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage, and at a predetermined concentration, proline in a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage enhances the beer-like flavor of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage.

[0027] Proline is added to the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage in an amount such that the proline concentration in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is greater than 100 mg / L and less than 600 mg / L. If the proline concentration in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is 100 mg / L or less, the balance between the sourness and sweetness of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may be disrupted. If the proline concentration in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is 600 mg / L or more, the sweetness of the proline becomes more pronounced, which may disrupt the balance between the sourness and sweetness of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. The proline concentration in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is, for example, 150 to 550 mg / L, preferably 200 to 500 mg / L, and more preferably 250 to 450 mg / L.

[0028] The proline concentration in a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage can be measured, for example, by the AccQ-Tag Ultra labeling method using an Acquity UPLC analyzer manufactured by Waters Corporation (USA). Measurement can also be performed using an automated amino acid analyzer, such as the JLC-500 / V model manufactured by JEOL Ltd.

[0029] The proline concentration in low-alcohol beer-taste beverages can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of raw materials with a relatively high nitrogen content that can be assimilated by yeast, or by adding proline as needed. Examples of raw materials with a high nitrogen content include malt, soybeans, yeast extract, peas, and ungerminated grains.

[0030] <Acetic acid> Acetic acid is a type of organic acid produced by yeast during the fermentation of wort, and is a taste substance with a sour taste. The acetic acid contained in a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may be produced by fermentation of the raw materials used in the production of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. The acetic acid contained in a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may be commercially available as an acidulant or compound added to the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage, or may be contained in the raw materials used in the production of general low-alcohol beer-taste beverages. Furthermore, the acetic acid contained in a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may be produced during the fermentation process of the raw materials used in the production of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage.

[0031] At a predetermined concentration, acetic acid in a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage, particularly when the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage contains proline, imparts a sour taste to the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage, improving the balance between the sourness and sweetness of the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage. Furthermore, at a predetermined concentration, acetic acid in a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage enhances the complex, beer-like flavor of the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage.

[0032] Acetic acid is added to the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage in an amount that results in an acetic acid concentration of more than 25 mg / L but less than 200 mg / L. If the acetic acid concentration of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is 25 mg / L or less, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may have a heavy, unrefreshing aftertaste, particularly if the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage contains proline. Furthermore, if the acetic acid concentration of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is 200 mg / L or more, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage's sourness may become noticeable, disrupting the balance between sourness and sweetness. The acetic acid concentration of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 40 to 160 mg / L, more preferably 50 to 150 mg / L, and even more preferably 60 to 140 mg / L.

[0033] The concentration of acetic acid contained in a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage can be measured, for example, using HPLC analysis with pH buffered post-column electrical conductivity detection.

[0034] The acetic acid concentration in low-alcohol beer-taste beverages can be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the type of yeast and fermentation conditions, or by adding acetic acid as appropriate.

[0035] To improve the balance between sourness and sweetness in a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage, the ratio B / A of the acetic acid concentration B [mg / L] to the proline concentration A [mg / L] in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 0.073 to 1.06, more preferably 0.17 to 0.50, and even more preferably 0.20 to 0.33.

[0036] In one embodiment, the ratio B / A is preferably 0.17 to 0.33, more preferably 0.20 to 0.50, and even more preferably 0.25 to 0.50.

[0037] <Bitterness value> It is preferable that the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage has a predetermined bitterness value (unit: BU). When the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage has a predetermined bitterness value, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage has a cleaner aftertaste. Here, the bitterness value is an index of the bitterness imparted by a group of hop-derived substances, the main component of which isohumulone.

[0038] The bitterness value of a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 10 to 50 BU. If the bitterness value of a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is less than 10 BU, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may have a heavy aftertaste. If the bitterness value of a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is more than 50 BU, the bitterness of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may become too pronounced, and the complex beer-like flavor of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may become insufficient. The bitterness value of a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is more preferably 10 to 45 BU, even more preferably 15 to 40 BU, and particularly preferably 20 to 35 BU.

[0039] The bitterness value can be measured, for example, by the method described in BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods, 8.15 (2004), edited by the Brewers Association of Japan.

[0040] The bitterness value of a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage can be adjusted by adjusting the variety and amount of bitter substance-containing raw materials (e.g., hops), the timing of adding the raw materials, or by adding a bitter substance as appropriate. Isolated iso-α acids can be used as bitter substances. Iso-α acids are also contained in hops and can be used as hops or hop extracts. Hops or hop extracts refer to hop leaves, their ground product, extracts obtained by extracting these with water or hot water, and concentrates and dried products of the extracts.

[0041] <Components derived from fermented wort> The low-alcohol beer-taste beverage preferably contains a component derived from fermented wort, which enhances the complex, beer-like flavor of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage.

[0042] The term "components derived from fermented wort" refers to components contained in the fermented wort, and the fermented wort refers to a liquid obtained by fermenting the wort used in producing regular beer with brewer's yeast.

[0043] The amounts and concentrations of components derived from the fermented wort liquid contained in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage are not particularly limited and can be set appropriately depending on the desired flavor.

[0044] The wort fermentation liquid may be a top-fermented wort liquid or a bottom-fermented wort liquid, but is preferably a bottom-fermented wort liquid from the viewpoint of achieving a clean aftertaste. The top-fermented wort liquid refers to a wort fermentation liquid obtained by inoculating wort with a top-fermenting yeast and fermenting it under normal fermentation conditions, for example, at 15 to 25°C for several days. The bottom-fermented wort liquid refers to a wort fermentation liquid obtained by inoculating wort with a bottom-fermenting yeast and fermenting it under normal fermentation conditions, for example, at around 10°C for about one week.

[0045] The wort fermentation liquid has a predetermined malt content. The malt content is the ratio of the weight of malt to the weight of the starchy raw material. The malt content of the wort fermentation liquid is, for example, 50 w / w% or more. If the malt content of the wort fermentation liquid contained in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is less than 50 w / w%, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may lack the complex beer-like flavor and sweet barley-like flavor. The malt content of the wort fermentation liquid contained in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 55 w / w% or more, more preferably 60 w / w% or more, and even more preferably 60 to 75 w / w%.

[0046] The wort fermentation liquid may also be a dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid. The dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid is a wort fermentation liquid obtained by removing alcohol from a liquid obtained by fermenting the wort used in producing ordinary beer. Methods for removing alcohol include a method of evaporating the alcohol and a method of removing alcohol using a reverse osmosis membrane or the like. The dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid may have alcohol removed to any extent such that the alcohol content of the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage in the final product is at the desired concentration.

[0047] The low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may contain a dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid, or may be one in which the proline concentration and acetic acid concentration have been appropriately adjusted using a dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid as a reference liquid.

[0048] The apparent extract content of a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is adjusted to 1 to 10 w / v%. If the apparent extract content of a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is less than 1 w / v%, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may lack the complex beer-like flavor and barley-like sweetness. If the apparent extract content of a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage exceeds 10 w / v%, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may have a heavy aftertaste. The apparent extract content of a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 2 to 9 w / v%, more preferably 2 to 8 w / v%, and even more preferably 3 to 7 w / v%.

[0049] In one embodiment, the apparent extract content of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 3 to 9.5 w / v %, more preferably 5 to 9 w / v %, and even more preferably 6 to 8.5 w / v %.

[0050] The apparent extract content of a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage can be measured, for example, by the method described in BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (ed., Brewers Association of Japan, 2004). Low-alcohol beer-taste beverages can be produced, for example, by the method for producing low-alcohol beer-taste beverages described below.

[0051] The apparent extract content of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage can be adjusted by adjusting the degree of fermentation of the wort or by increasing or decreasing the content of liquid sugar or fermented wort liquid, etc.

[0052] <Production method for low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages> The method for producing a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage only needs to include a step of adjusting the concentration of acetic acid contained in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage to a predetermined concentration and a step of adjusting the concentration of proline to a predetermined concentration, and apart from these steps, conventional methods for producing low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages can be used.

[0053] The method for producing a low-alcohol, beer-taste beverage herein may include an acetic acid concentration adjustment step for adjusting the acetic acid concentration in the low-alcohol, beer-taste beverage to a predetermined concentration, and a proline concentration adjustment step for adjusting the proline concentration in the low-alcohol, beer-taste beverage to a predetermined concentration. The order of the acetic acid concentration adjustment step and the proline concentration adjustment step is not particularly limited, and either step may be performed first.

[0054] The proline concentration adjustment step may include adjusting the proline concentration in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage to within the above-mentioned range.

[0055] The acetic acid concentration adjustment step may include adjusting the concentration of acetic acid in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage to within the above-mentioned range.

[0056] Furthermore, the method for producing a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may include a fermentation step, a dealcoholization step, a bitterness value adjustment step, a wort fermentation liquid-derived component addition step, or an appearance extract adjustment step.

[0057] The bitterness value adjustment step may include adjusting the bitterness value of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage to within the above-mentioned range.

[0058] The wort fermentation liquid-derived component addition step may include adding a component derived from the wort fermentation liquid to the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. In this case, the wort fermentation liquid itself may be added to the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage, or the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may be prepared using the wort fermentation liquid as a base.

[0059] The apparent extract content adjustment step may include adjusting the extract concentration in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage to within the above-mentioned range.

[0060] The dealcoholization process refers to a process of removing alcohol from a beer-taste beverage, fermented wort liquor, beer composition, etc. to an arbitrary level so that the alcohol content of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage in the final product reaches the desired concentration. Methods for removing alcohol include methods of vaporizing the alcohol and methods of removing alcohol using a reverse osmosis membrane, etc., with vaporizing the alcohol being preferred because it allows the alcohol to be removed in a relatively short time.

[0061] The fermentation process may be any process in which yeast is added to wort and fermentation is carried out, and various conditions such as fermentation temperature and fermentation period can be freely set. For example, fermentation may be carried out under the fermentation conditions for producing ordinary beer or happoshu, such as 8 to 25°C and for one week to ten days. Furthermore, the temperature (increase or decrease) or pressure of the fermented liquid may be changed during the fermentation process.

[0062] The method for producing a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may further include a step of adding hops, caramel color, etc., a boiling step, a pH adjustment step, a filtration step, a flavor adjustment step, a step of dissolving carbon dioxide gas, etc., using known equipment, etc.

[0063] The method for producing a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage may further include a step of adding, as necessary, dietary fiber, soy peptides, hop extract, carbon dioxide, extracts, flavorings, acidulants, sweeteners, bittering agents, coloring agents, antioxidants, pH adjusters, various nutritional components, and the like.

[0064] The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. [Example]

[0065] <Analysis method for low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages> The evaluation method for low-alcohol beer-taste beverages is described below.

[0066] [Appearance extract] The apparent extract was calculated using the following formula (1) in accordance with the method described in the BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (2004) edited by the Brewers Association of Japan.

[0067] Es end =-460.234+662.649×SG EA -202.414×SG EA 2 (1) In the formula, "Es end" is the appearance extract, "SG EA " is the specific gravity of a degassed, low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage.

[0068] [Bitterness value] The bitterness value was measured in accordance with the Brewers' Association of Japan (BCOJ) Beer Analysis Methods, 8.15 (2004). Specifically, the bitterness value (BU) was calculated by adding acid to the sample, extracting it with isooctane, and centrifuging it. The absorbance of the isooctane layer obtained at 275 nm was measured using pure isooctane as a control, and multiplying it by a constant (50).

[0069] [Acetic acid concentration] The acetic acid concentration was measured by HPLC analysis using pH buffered post-column electrical conductivity detection. Samples were filtered through a 0.45 μm filter before measurement. An organic acid analysis system (Shimadzu Corporation) was used, with an RSpak KC811 (Shodex) column and 5 mmol / L p-toluenesulfonic acid as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 ml / min to separate organic acids. An electrical conductivity detector (Shimadzu Corporation, CDD-10Avp) was used. Quantitation was performed by adding a standard sample to the sample, creating a calibration curve, and using this calibration curve.

[0070] [Proline concentration] The proline concentration in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage was measured using a Waters Acquity UPLC analyzer (USA) in accordance with the AccQ-Tag Ultra labeling method. A calibration curve was prepared using an amino acid standard solution type H (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.).

[0071] <Comparative Example> 10 g of liquid sugar, 0.3 g of caramel, 0.7 g of phosphoric acid, and 1.0 g of flavoring were mixed with a small amount of drinking water. A predetermined amount of dextrin and iso-hop extract (manufactured by John I. Haas, Inc.) were added, and drinking water was added until the volume reached 1 liter. Carbon dioxide gas was then dissolved to a gas pressure of 0.22 MPa to produce a reference low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage. This was used as a comparative example. The apparent extract content of the comparative example was 8 w / v%, and the bitterness value was 25 BU. was carried out.

[0072] <Examples 1 to 6> Proline was added to the comparative example to adjust the proline concentration to 300 mg / L, and acetic acid was further added to adjust the acetic acid concentration to 25 mg / L, 50 mg / L, 100 mg / L, 150 mg / L, 200 mg / L, or 250 mg / L, respectively, to obtain the low-alcohol beer-taste beverages of Examples 1 to 6.

[0073] <Examples 7 to 11> To the comparative example, acetic acid was added to adjust the acetic acid concentration to 100 mg / L, and proline was further added to adjust the proline concentration to 100 mg / L, 200 mg / L, 400 mg / L, 500 mg / L, or 600 mg / L, respectively, to obtain the low-alcohol beer-taste beverages of Examples 7 to 11.

[0074] <Sensory evaluation> Next, the produced low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages were subjected to a sensory evaluation. The evaluation items were "balance of sourness and sweetness," "beer-like complex flavor," "barley-like sweetness," and "clean aftertaste." Because these evaluation items are affected by conditions other than the acetic acid concentration and proline concentration, all other conditions were kept constant.

[0075] Five panelists specializing in beer-taste beverages conducted sensory evaluations of the Comparative Example and Examples 1 to 11. The evaluation criteria were as follows. The panelists also conducted a pre-test to confirm that there were no significant discrepancies in the scores between the panelists. The average of the panelists' evaluations was used as the evaluation results for the Comparative Example and Examples 1 to 11. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

[0076] The "balance of sourness and sweetness" was evaluated on a 5-point scale, with the comparative example being given a score of 3 and the best sample being given a score of 5.

[0077] The "beer-like complex flavor" was evaluated on a 5-point scale, with the comparative example being given a score of 3 and the best sample being given a score of 5.

[0078] The "barley-like sweetness" was evaluated on a 5-point scale, with the comparative example being given a score of 2 and the best sample being given a score of 5.

[0079] The "cleanness of the aftertaste" was evaluated on a 5-point scale, with the comparative example being given a score of 3 and the best sample being given a score of 5.

[0080] If the average score for all evaluation items was 3.0 points or higher, the beer-like flavor was recognized and the overall rating was "A: Good." If the average score for any evaluation item was less than 3.0 points, the beer-like flavor was not recognized and the overall rating was "B: Poor."

[0081] [Table 1]

[0082] Table 1 shows that by adjusting the acetic acid concentration to 50 to 250 mg / L, the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage has a clean aftertaste. It also shows that by adjusting the proline concentration to 200 to 600 mg / L or more, the complex, beer-like flavor of the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage is enhanced. Furthermore, by adjusting the acetic acid concentration to 50 to 150 mg / L and the proline concentration to 200 to 500 mg / L, the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage has a complex, beer-like flavor and a barley-like sweetness, a good balance of sourness and sweetness, and a clean aftertaste.

Claims

1. A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage containing 3 v / v% or less alcohol, with proline in amounts exceeding 100 mg / L but less than 600 mg / L, acetic acid in amounts exceeding 25 mg / L but less than 200 mg / L, and an appearance extract of 7-10 w / v% (excluding alcohol-free beer (0.5% or less by weight) which is made only from barley, hops, and water, brewed from barley malt and hops, has a wort extract of 7.8 g / 100 g, an alcohol content of 0.33, contains 287 mg / L of proline, contains 93 mg / L of acetic acid, has a bitterness of 31.0 BE, and an appearance fermentation degree of 12.2).

2. The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of proline is 150 to 550 mg / L.

3. The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of acetic acid is 40 to 160 mg / L.

4. The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, wherein the ratio B / A of the acetic acid concentration B [mg / L] to the proline concentration A [mg / L] in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage is 0.073 to 1.

06.

5. The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to claim 4, wherein the ratio B / A is 0.17 to 0.

50.

6. A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, having a bitterness value of 10 to 50 BU.

7. The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to Claim 1, having an appearance extract of 8 to 10 w / v%.

8. A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, comprising a fermented wort liquid.

9. The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to claim 8, wherein the wort fermentation liquid is a bottom-fermented wort liquid.

10. The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to claim 8, wherein the wort fermented liquid has a malt usage ratio of 50 w / w% or more.

11. The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the wort fermentation liquid is a de-alcoholized wort fermentation liquid.

12. A method for producing a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage containing 3 v / v% or less alcohol, comprising adjusting the proline concentration in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage to be greater than 100 mg / L and less than 600 mg / L, adjusting the acetic acid concentration to be greater than 25 mg / L and less than 200 mg / L, and adjusting the appearance extract concentration to 7-10 w / v% (excluding alcohol-free beer (0.5% or less by weight) which is made only from barley, hops, and water, brewed from barley malt and hops, has a wort extract of 7.8 g / 100 g, an alcohol content of 0.33, contains 287 mg / L of proline, contains 93 mg / L of acetic acid, has a bitterness of 31.0 BE, and an appearance fermentation degree of 12.2).