drinks

Abstract

The aim is to provide a beverage with a clean finish, an added or enhanced bitterness reminiscent of alcohol, and a reduced sticky sweetness. [Solution] The above problem is solved by providing a beverage containing 0.1 mg / L or more of geraniol and further containing 0.1 mg / L or more of bergamol.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to beverages, methods for producing the same, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Alcoholic beverages such as RTD beverages (e.g., canned Chu-Hi, etc.), RTS beverages (e.g., sour base, etc.), and non-alcoholic beverages (e.g., non-alcoholic Chu-Hi taste beverages, etc.) that give drinkers a feeling of having consumed the above alcoholic beverages are one of the beverages highly popular among consumers. Against this background, technologies for improving the flavor and the like of such beverages have been developed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a container-packed alcoholic taste beverage having a citrus flavor, with an alcohol concentration of 3.5 v / v% or less, containing ascorbic acid and thymol, and an ascorbic acid concentration of 100 to 1500 ppm. It is disclosed that this container-packed alcoholic taste beverage enhances the liquor-like feeling without impairing the citrus flavor even though the alcohol concentration is low or it does not contain alcohol, and has high palatability.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in order to further meet consumer preferences and the like, there is still room for further improvement in the flavor and the like of the above alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic beverages. In particular, there is room for improvement in terms of good aftertaste, imparting or improving the bitterness that reminds of alcohol, and reducing the sticky sweetness. It would be more preferable to obtain a beverage in which all of these are improved.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a beverage that has a clean finish, a bitterness reminiscent of alcohol, and a reduced sticky sweetness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the inventors diligently conducted research and found that the flavor and aroma of a beverage can be improved by including geraniol and bergamol, both of which are aroma components, in the beverage. They then found that by creating a beverage containing 0.1 mg / L or more of geraniol and 0.1 mg / L or more of bergamol, a clean finish and a bitterness reminiscent of alcohol are imparted or enhanced, and the sticky sweetness is reduced, thus completing the present invention.

[0008] In other words, the present invention is as follows <1> ~ <7> Includes embodiments. <1> A beverage containing 0.1 mg / L or more of geraniol, and further containing 0.1 mg / L or more of bergamol. <2> The geraniol content is 0.2 mg / L or more and 5.0 mg / L or less. <1> The beverages listed. <3> The bergamol content is 0.2 mg / L or more and 4.5 mg / L or less. <1> or <2> The beverages listed. <4> The alcohol content is less than 8v / v%, <1> ~ <3> A beverage listed in any one of the following. <5> An alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1 v / v% or higher, and an extract content of 2.0 w / v% or higher. <1> ~ <4> A beverage listed in any one of the following. <6> A method for producing a beverage, comprising the steps of: adding 0.1 mg / L or more of geraniol; and adding 0.1 mg / L or more of bergamol. <7> A method for providing or enhancing a clean finish and an alcohol-like bitterness, as well as reducing a sticky sweetness, in a beverage, characterized by having a geraniol content of 0.1 mg / L or more and a bergamol content of 0.1 mg / L or more. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage that has a clean finish and an alcohol-like bitterness, as well as reduced cloying sweetness. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The present invention will now be described. The present invention relates to a beverage containing 0.1 mg / L or more of geraniol and further containing 0.1 mg / L or more of bergamol (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the beverage according to the present invention"). Furthermore, the present invention also includes a method for producing a beverage, comprising the steps of: adding 0.1 mg / L or more of geraniol and adding 0.1 mg / L or more of bergamol (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the method for producing a beverage according to the present invention").

[0011] The components of the beverage according to the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0012] The beverage according to the present invention is either an alcoholic beverage or a non-alcoholic beverage. That is, it may be an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1 v / v% or more, or it may be a non-alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1 v / v%, even less than 0.1 v / v%, even less than 0.05 v / v%, and even less than 0.01 v / v% (for example, a non-alcoholic beverage intended to give the drinker the sensation of having consumed an alcoholic beverage). Herein, in this invention, "alcoholic beverage" means a beverage with an alcohol content of 1 v / v% or more, such as alcoholic beverages as defined in the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 6 of 1953) (for example, liqueurs, spirits, other sparkling alcoholic beverages, other brewed alcoholic beverages, etc. as defined in the Liquor Tax Act). On the other hand, in this invention, "non-alcoholic beverage" means a beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1 v / v%. This "alcohol content (v / v%)" is a value measured based on the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (Instruction) 3 Sake 3-4 Alcohol content (vibrating density meter method or gas chromatography analysis method) (the same applies hereinafter). Furthermore, in this invention, "alcohol" means ethanol (ethyl alcohol).

[0013] The alcohol content of the beverage according to the present invention is not limited, but it is preferably less than 8 v / v%, more preferably 7 v / v%, even more preferably 6 v / v%, even more preferably 5 v / v%, even more preferably 4 v / v%, and even more preferably 3 v / v%, as this makes it easier to exhibit the effects of the present invention. It may also be a non-alcoholic beverage as described above. For example, in the case of an alcoholic beverage, the lower limit is indicated as a preferred range of 1 v / v% or more, and more preferably 2 v / v% or more. It is also preferable that the beverage according to the present invention be an alcohol-flavored beverage (an alcoholic beverage or a non-alcoholic beverage intended to give the drinker the sensation of having drunk an alcoholic beverage). This alcohol content can be adjusted by the alcohol content of the alcoholic beverages (distilled spirits, macerated spirits, raw material alcohol, etc.) blended in the manufacturing process, as well as by their blending ratio. In the case of fermented beverages, it can also be adjusted by controlling the fermentation conditions in the alcohol fermentation process or by performing an alcohol removal process.

[0014] The beverage according to the present invention may be a fermented beverage (fermented alcoholic beverage or fermented non-alcoholic beverage from which alcohol has been removed) produced through an alcohol fermentation process by yeast (a process in which yeast produces alcohol, which is a metabolite, from organic substances such as saccharides), or may be a non-fermented beverage (for example, a non-fermented alcoholic beverage produced by blending using liquors such as distilled spirits as raw materials, or a non-fermented non-alcoholic beverage produced by blending without substantially using raw materials containing alcohol, etc.). However, it is more preferable that it is a non-fermented beverage because the effects of the present invention are more likely to be highly exhibited.

[0015] And the beverage according to the present invention contains geraniol (Geraniol: C 10 H 18 O, CAS No. 106 - 24 - 1) at 0.1 mg / L or more, and contains bergamol (Bergamol: C 12 H 20 ]] 20 O2, CAS No. 115 - 95 - 7) at 0.1 mg / L or more. In the beverage according to the present invention, by combining this predetermined amount of geraniol and the predetermined amount of bergamol, it is possible to obtain a beverage with good aftertaste (tightening of taste) and imparted or improved bitterness that reminds one of alcohol, and furthermore, with reduced sticky sweetness. Also, by imparting or improving this bitterness that reminds one of alcohol, it is also possible to obtain a beverage with reduced juiciness. And these effects are sufficiently exhibited even in a low alcohol content range or a non-alcoholic composition. Note that geraniol is a compound represented by the following formula (1), and bergamol is a compound represented by the following formula (2), also known as linalyl acetate, etc.

[0016]

Chemical formula

[0017]

Chemical formula

[0018] As described above, the geraniol content of the beverage according to the present invention is 0.1 mg / L or more. However, the effects of the present invention (particularly the effect of imparting and improving a clean finish) are more easily exhibited when combined with a predetermined amount of bergamol. Therefore, the lower limit is more preferably 0.2 mg / L or more, even more preferably 0.3 mg / L or more, and even more preferably 0.4 mg / L or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is preferably 8.0 mg / L or less, more preferably 6.0 mg / L or less, even more preferably 5.0 mg / L or less, even more preferably 4.5 mg / L or less, even more preferably 4.0 mg / L or less, even more preferably 3.5 mg / L or less, even more preferably 3.0 mg / L or less, even more preferably 2.5 mg / L or less, even more preferably 2.0 mg / L or less, even more preferably 1.5 mg / L or less, and even more preferably 1.0 mg / L or less. For example, the geraniol content is particularly preferable when it is between 0.2 mg / L and 5.0 mg / L. However, if the geraniol content is less than 0.1 mg / L, the effects of the present invention may not be achieved. The geraniol content can be adjusted by using commercially available geraniol (e.g., pure or refined geraniol) or geraniol-containing raw materials (e.g., fragrances), and multiple such materials may be used in combination.

[0019] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the amount of bergamol contained together with geraniol in the beverage according to the present invention is 0.1 mg / L or more. However, since the effects of the present invention (particularly the effect of imparting and improving a clean finish) are more easily exhibited when combined with a predetermined amount of geraniol, this lower limit is more preferably 0.2 mg / L or more, even more preferably 0.3 mg / L or more, even more preferably 0.5 mg / L or more, and even more preferably 0.8 mg / L or more. While this upper limit is not limited, it is preferable that the bergamol content be 6.0 mg / L or less, more preferably 5.0 mg / L or less, even more preferably 4.5 mg / L or less, even more preferably 4.0 mg / L or less, even more preferably 3.5 mg / L or less, even more preferably 3.0 mg / L or less, even more preferably 2.5 mg / L or less, even more preferably 2.0 mg / L or less, and even more preferably 1.5 mg / L or less, as this makes it easier to maintain the effects of the present invention at a high level and also makes it easier to maintain a high balance of flavor as a beverage. For example, a bergamol content of 0.2 mg / L or more and 4.5 mg / L or less is particularly preferable. Note that if the bergamol content is less than 0.1 mg / L, the effects of the present invention may not be exhibited. The bergamol content can also be adjusted by using commercially available bergamol (e.g., pure or refined products) or bergamol-containing raw materials (flavorings, etc.), and multiple of these may be used in combination.

[0020] While not limited to these, it is more preferable that the ratio of bergamol content to geraniol content (bergamol content (mg / L) / geraniol content (mg / L)) in the beverage according to the present invention is 0.2 or more and 10 or less, as this makes it easier to exhibit the effects of the present invention. The lower limit is more preferably 0.3 or more, more preferably 0.5 or more, more preferably 0.8 or more, more preferably 1.0 or more, and more preferably 1.2 or more, and the upper limit is more preferably 8.0 or less, more preferably 5.0 or less, more preferably 4.0 or less, more preferably 3.0 or less, more preferably 2.5 or less, and more preferably 2.0 or less.

[0021] Here, the geraniol content in the beverage according to the present invention can be measured, for example, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after appropriately diluting the sample. Furthermore, the bergamol content in the beverage according to the present invention can be measured by appropriately diluting the sample and, for example, by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

[0022] The acidity of the beverage according to the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.10 g / 100 ml or more and 1.00 g / 100 ml or less. The lower limit may be 0.20 g / 100 ml or more, or 0.30 g / 100 ml or more. The upper limit may be 0.90 g / 100 ml or less, or 0.70 g / 100 ml or less, or 0.60 g / 100 ml or less. The acidity of the beverage according to the present invention can be adjusted by including acidulants containing citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid, or salts thereof, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), etc. In particular, it is preferable to adjust the acidity by including citric acid, citrate, or phosphoric acid. This "acidity" refers to the acidity in terms of citric acid (the value of acidity converted to the equivalent amount of citric acid), and is a value determined by the method specified in the Japanese Agricultural Standards for Fruit Beverages (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Notification No. 489, February 24, 2016). Specifically, the beverage is titrated with a sodium hydroxide solution (0.1 mol / L), and the acidity can be calculated using the "titration volume (ml)" of the sodium hydroxide solution required in the neutralization titration, the "volume (ml)" of the beverage used in the titration, and a constant called "0.0064" (the weight (g) of citric acid equivalent to 1 mL of 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide solution).

[0023] The beverage according to the present invention preferably contains a sweetener. Sweeteners that can be used in the beverage according to the present invention include sugars (such as glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, and fructose-glucose liquid sugar), sugar alcohols (such as xylitol and erythritol), and high-intensity sweeteners (such as acesulfame K, sucralose, neotame, sodium saccharin, and stevia), and one or more selected from these are shown as an example. For example, the sugar content of the beverage according to the present invention may be set appropriately according to the extract content and desired flavor, as described later. As an example, the lower limit may be 0.5g / 100ml or more, 1.0g / 100ml or more, or 1.5g / 100ml or more. The upper limit may be 7.0g / 100ml or less, 6.0g / 100ml or less, 5.5g / 100ml or less, 5.0g / 100ml or less, 4.5g / 100ml or less, or 4.0g / 100ml or less.

[0024] Furthermore, the beverage according to the present invention may use fruit-derived ingredients (fruit juice, fruit peel, fruit extract, etc.) as raw materials. For example, it may be a beverage containing fruit juice. However, it may also be a beverage that substantially does not contain fruit juice (a fruit juice-free beverage).

[0025] Furthermore, the beverage according to the present invention may also contain a flavoring. A flavoring is an additive added during the manufacturing or processing of food to impart or enhance a predetermined aroma, and examples include, but are not limited to, fruit-like flavors (e.g., lemon flavor, grapefruit flavor, etc.), spice / herb-like flavors, and alcoholic beverage-like flavors (e.g., chuhai-like flavor, etc.). This flavoring may also contain the aforementioned geraniol or bergamol.

[0026] In addition, the beverage according to the present invention may optionally use other salts (such as sodium chloride and potassium chloride), carbonated water, water (such as purified water), colorants (such as caramel color, gardenia color, and carotene color), seasonings (such as amino acids), antioxidants (such as vitamin E), pH adjusters (such as sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate), emulsifiers, etc., as ingredients, to the extent that they do not significantly affect the effects of the present invention.

[0027] The beverage according to the present invention is preferably a carbonated beverage containing carbon dioxide, as this allows the effects of the present invention to be more easily exhibited. Here, "carbonated" means that the carbon dioxide pressure at 20°C, as analyzed by the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (Instruction) 8-3 Beer 8-3 Gas Pressure, is 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm³). 2 This means that the carbon dioxide pressure is 0.10 MPa or higher, and may be 0.15 MPa or higher. Furthermore, the upper limit of this carbon dioxide pressure may be 0.50 MPa or lower, 0.45 MPa or lower, 0.40 MPa or lower, 0.35 MPa or lower, 0.30 MPa or lower, and 0.25 MPa or lower. In addition, this carbon dioxide may be derived from the carbonated water used as a raw material, or it may be added through a carbonation (carbon dioxide injection) process.

[0028] Furthermore, in the case of an alcoholic beverage (a beverage with an alcohol content of 1 v / v% or more), one of the features of the present invention is that even if the extract content is above a certain level, the effects of the present invention (particularly the effect of reducing sticky sweetness) can be fully exhibited. This extract content may be 1.0 w / v% or more, 1.5 w / v% or more, 2.0 w / v% or more, 2.5 w / v% or more, or 3.0 w / v% or more. The upper limit is preferably 8.0 w / v% or less, more preferably 7.5 w / v% or less, even more preferably 7.0 w / v% or less, even more preferably 6.5 w / v% or less, and even more preferably 6.0 w / v% or less. For example, this extract content is particularly preferable when it is between 2.0 w / v% and 7.5 w / v%. This extract content can be adjusted by the amount of sweeteners and acidulants, etc.

[0029] Here, "extract content" is the value calculated by the following formula (3). (3) Extract content (w / v%) = (SA) × 260 + 0.21 In equation (3), "S" is the specific gravity (15 / 4°C) of the beverage (alcoholic beverage) according to the present invention, and "A" is the value calculated by converting the alcohol content of the beverage (alcoholic beverage) according to the present invention to specific gravity (15 / 15°C). The conversion of alcohol content to specific gravity (15 / 15°C) is performed based on Table 2 of the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (instruction), "Conversion Table of Alcohol Content, Density (15°C), and Specific Gravity (15 / 15°C)". In addition, the fifth decimal place is rounded during the calculation using this formula, and the second decimal place is truncated for the final extract value. Furthermore, the specific gravity (15 / 4°C) of the beverage (alcoholic beverage) according to the present invention is calculated by measuring the density at 15°C using a vibrating densimeter and dividing the obtained density value by 0.99997.

[0030] The method for producing a beverage according to the present invention comprises at least the steps of: adding 0.1 mg / L or more of geraniol; and adding 0.1 mg / L or more of bergamol. Other steps may follow conventional methods for beverage production and are not particularly limited. Furthermore, the steps may be such that the above components are within the ranges described above, for example, the step of setting the geraniol content to 0.2 mg / L or more and 5.0 mg / L or less, or the step of setting the bergamol content to 0.2 mg / L or more and 4.5 mg / L or less. Note that each of the above steps may be performed together in one step, or at least one of each step may be divided into two or more steps. For example, an example is a method in which pure water is used as a base, and geraniol, bergamol, acidulants, sweeteners, flavorings, vodka, carbonated water, etc. are mixed as needed, and the geraniol content, bergamol content, etc. are adjusted so that they are ultimately within a predetermined range (as the final product), and if necessary, filtration, sterilization, etc. are performed to produce a beverage product.

[0031] Furthermore, the method for producing a beverage according to the present invention may further include, if necessary, steps to adjust the alcohol content (for example, a step to adjust the alcohol content to 0v / v% or more and less than 8v / v%, a step to maintain the alcohol content substantially at 0v / v%), steps to adjust the extract content, acidity, carbon dioxide pressure, etc., steps to include other raw materials, steps to adjust the ratio of geraniol content to bergamol content within the aforementioned range, etc. These steps may also be performed together in one step, or at least one of each step may be divided into two or more steps.

[0032] The beverage according to the present invention is preferably a packaged beverage in which the product obtained as described above is filled into a metal container (aluminum container, steel container, etc.), a PET bottle, a glass container, a paper container, a barrel container, etc. The method for producing the beverage according to the present invention may include a packaging step to produce such a packaged beverage. By producing such a packaged beverage, it is easier to suppress deterioration of flavor and other properties over time, and convenience in distribution and sales is further enhanced. For example, if the beverage according to the present invention is an alcoholic beverage, it may be an RTD (Ready to Drink) beverage that can be drunk as is after opening (drinked without dilution), or it may be an RTS (Ready to Serve) beverage that is diluted with water or carbonated water before drinking. In the case of an RTS beverage, it is sufficient to design it so that the product diluted with water or carbonated water at a set dilution ratio (for example, about 2 to 6 times, or even 3 to 5 times), that is, the state in which it is actually consumed, satisfies the composition of the beverage according to the present invention.

[0033] The beverage according to the present invention, having the above-described composition, is given or improved a clean finish and a complex, fruit-wine-like flavor in the middle, and further reduces cloying sweetness. In addition, it can also reduce the flatness of the taste in the middle. In particular, it is more preferable from the viewpoint of the above effects if the beverage according to the present invention is an alcohol-flavored beverage.

[0034] Furthermore, the present invention can also be described as providing a method for adding or improving a clean finish and a bitterness reminiscent of alcohol, as well as reducing sticky sweetness, by providing a beverage with a geraniol content of 0.1 mg / L or more and a bergamol content of 0.1 mg / L or more. In addition to the above, the invention can also provide a method for reducing the juice-like taste of the beverage.

[0035] The following describes embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the technical concept of the present invention. [Examples]

[0036] (Example 1) Using pure water as a base, predetermined amounts of vodka, sugars (fructose-glucose liquid sugar), and acidulant (anhydrous citric acid) are added and mixed. Further, geraniol and bergamol are added and mixed as needed, and then carbonated water is added and mixed to achieve a carbon dioxide pressure of 0.21 MPa (2.1 kg / cm²) at 20°C. 2 ) were prepared as sparkling alcoholic beverage samples (Samples 1-0 to 1-5) with the following values ​​for alcohol content, extract content, acidity (acidity in terms of citric acid), geraniol content, and bergamol content: as listed in the upper section of Table 1 below.

[0037] Then, six panelists with trained sensory discrimination abilities compared and evaluated each sample using the following evaluation criteria, focusing on the clean finish (taste tightness), bitterness reminiscent of alcohol, juice-likeness, sticky sweetness, and overall evaluation (overall evaluation as a beverage).

[0038] [Evaluation Criteria] For the clean finish and the bitterness reminiscent of alcohol, the evaluation for Sample 1-0 was set to 1 point for both aspects. In comparison to Sample 1-0, each sample was comparatively evaluated on a 5-point scale from 1 point (not felt at all: equivalent to Sample 1-0) to 5 points (strongly felt) for each evaluation item. On the other hand, for the juiciness and sticky sweetness, both were rated 5 points in Sample 1-0, and each sample was comparatively evaluated on a 5-point scale from 1 point (not felt at all) to 5 points (strongly felt: equivalent to Sample 1-0) for each evaluation item. Furthermore, for the overall evaluation, each sample was given an absolute rating on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5.

[0039] The results of this sensory evaluation (average evaluation of 6 panelists) are shown in the lower part of Table 1 below. From these results, it was shown that in an alcoholic beverage with a predetermined alcohol content, extract content, and acidity, by including a predetermined amount of bergamol along with a predetermined amount of geraniol, the aftertaste and bitterness reminiscent of alcohol are improved, and the juice-like quality and sticky sweetness are reduced. Furthermore, it was shown that the overall evaluation as a beverage also exceeds a certain level.

[0040] [Table 1]

[0041] (Example 2) Using pure water as a base, predetermined amounts of vodka, sugars (fructose-glucose liquid sugar), and acidulant (anhydrous citric acid) are added and mixed. Further, geraniol and bergamol are added and mixed as needed, and then carbonated water is added and mixed to achieve a carbon dioxide pressure of 0.21 MPa (2.1 kg / cm²) at 20°C. 2 A sample of sparkling alcoholic beverage (Samples 2-1 to 2-5) was prepared, with the alcohol content, extract content, acidity (acidity in terms of citric acid), geraniol content, and bergamol content being the values ​​listed in the upper section of Table 2 below. Sample 2-3 is the same formulation as Sample 1-3 from Example 1. Sample 1-0, prepared in Example 1, was also prepared.

[0042] Then, each sample was sensory evaluated by six panelists with trained sensory discrimination abilities, using the same evaluation methods and criteria as in Example 1, regarding its clean finish, bitterness reminiscent of alcohol, juiciness, sticky sweetness, and overall evaluation.

[0043] The results of this sensory evaluation (average evaluation of 6 panelists) are shown in the lower part of Table 2 below. From these results, it was shown that in an alcoholic beverage with a predetermined alcohol content, extract content, and acidity, by including a predetermined amount of geraniol along with a predetermined amount of bergamol, the clean finish and bitterness reminiscent of alcohol are improved, and the juice-like quality and sticky sweetness are reduced. Furthermore, it was shown that the overall evaluation as a beverage also rises above a certain level.

[0044] [Table 2]

[0045] (Example 3) Using pure water as a base, predetermined amounts of sugars (fructose-glucose liquid sugar) and acidulants (anhydrous citric acid) are added and mixed. Furthermore, vodka, geraniol, and bergamol are added and mixed as needed, and then carbonated water is added and mixed to produce a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 0.21 MPa (2.1 kg / cm²) at 20°C. 2 Sparkling beverage samples (Samples 3-1 to 3-2, 4-1 to 4-2, 5-1 to 5-2, 6-1 to 6-2) were prepared, with the alcohol content, extract content (alcoholic beverage), acidity (acidity in terms of citric acid), geraniol content, and bergamol content being the values ​​listed in the upper section of Table 3 below. Samples 6-1 and 6-2 had the same formulation as sample 5-1 or 5-2 except for the alcohol content (amount of vodka), meaning that the vodka in the formulation of samples 5-1 and 5-2 was replaced with an equal amount of pure water.

[0046] Then, each sample was sensory evaluated by six panelists with trained sensory discrimination abilities using the same evaluation method as in Example 1, regarding its clean finish, bitterness reminiscent of alcohol, juiciness, sticky sweetness, and overall evaluation. However, for items other than the overall evaluation, the sample used as the evaluation standard was changed from Sample 1-0 to the same formulation sample (Samples 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, or 6-1) that did not contain either geraniol or bergamol.

[0047] The results of this sensory evaluation (average evaluation of 6 panelists) are shown in the lower part of Table 3 below. From these results, it was shown that the above effects are achieved by using predetermined amounts of geraniol and bergamol together, regardless of the acidity, extract content, or alcohol content of the beverage, and that the same effects are achieved in non-alcoholic beverages as well.

[0048] [Table 3]

Claims

1. A beverage containing 0.1 mg / L or more of geraniol, and further containing 0.1 mg / L or more of bergamol.

2. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the geraniol content is 0.2 mg / L or more and 5.0 mg / L or less.

3. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bergamol content is 0.2 mg / L or more and 4.5 mg / L or less.

4. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the alcohol content is less than 8 v / v%.

5. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the alcohol content is 1 v / v% or more, and the extract content is 2.0 w / v% or more.

6. A method for producing a beverage, comprising the steps of: adding 0.1 mg / L or more of geraniol; and adding 0.1 mg / L or more of bergamol.

7. A method for providing or enhancing a clean finish and an alcohol-like bitterness, as well as reducing a sticky sweetness, in a beverage, characterized by having a geraniol content of 0.1 mg / L or more and a bergamol content of 0.1 mg / L or more.

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