Alcoholic beverage manufacturing method and alcoholic beverage

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing method of an alcohol beverage having smoked incense.SOLUTION: A method of manufacturing an alcoholic beverage having flavor by dipping an imperfectly burned wood in an alcoholic beverage, and by using a container capable of defining a nearly closed space within the inside surrounded by each part by abutting against each other, which is made of a material having heat resistance and non-breathability. It is preferable that the container is heated to an incomplete combustion by heating the container after replacement gas, which is gas other than air or oxygen, is injected into the container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing an alcoholic beverage having a smoked aroma. [Background technology]

[0002] Smoking (or "smoking"; hereafter the same) refers to exposing food ingredients (e.g. meat or fish) to smoke obtained by burning wood, etc., and is known as a method for improving the shelf life of food ingredients, and is also used as a method for imparting a unique flavor. The aroma imparted to food ingredients by smoking is called smoked aroma. The shelf life of smoking is due to the bactericidal effect of the phenols contained in the smoke. In the smoking process, the bactericidal components in the smoke penetrate the food, and at the same time, the moisture content of the food decreases due to the long period of smoking, which causes a decrease in water activity, thereby improving shelf life. Originally, smoking was a technique for processing food ingredients that spoil easily so that they could be stored for a long time, but in today's world where preservation technology has developed, its significance has relatively diminished, and it is changing into something that allows people to enjoy the smoked aroma.

[0003] One type of alcoholic beverage that has a similar aroma to smoked aroma is whiskey. Whiskey is produced by pouring distilled liquor with a high alcohol content into a wooden barrel that has been charred and carbonized on the inside, and storing it there. Through this manufacturing process, the colorless and transparent distilled liquor turns amber and is given an aroma similar to smoked aroma. The reaction between the wooden barrel and the distilled liquor gives the originally colorless and transparent distilled liquor color and aroma, but since this reaction is a hydrolysis reaction, distilled liquor with a low water content and high alcohol content requires several years to several decades of storage to achieve the color and aroma of whiskey. The color and aroma given to the distilled liquor vary depending on the charring method on the inside of the wooden barrel and the material of the wooden barrel. A light charring method results in a whiskey with a strong woody aroma and a pale yellow color, while a heavily charred wooden barrel results in a whiskey with a strong burnt aroma and a very dark amber color. Furthermore, if the wooden barrel is made of oak, a vanilla-like aroma will be imparted as the wine ages, while Mizunara, a type of oak, will impart a sandalwood-like aroma.

[0004] However, there is room for improvement in the method of pouring the distilled spirit into oak barrels, which requires a long storage period.

[0005] In response to this, for example, JP 2015-202105 A (Patent Document 1) describes a method of adding roasted oak powder in a water-permeable bag to a colorless and transparent distilled liquor to impart a whiskey-like color and aroma. However, the method described in the document does not provide an adequate smoky aroma to the distilled liquor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP2015-202105A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] One of the objects of a specific embodiment of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an alcoholic beverage having a smoky aroma. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the inventor discovered that a suitable smoked aroma is produced when wood is intentionally incompletely burned, and after extensive research, he invented a method for producing an alcoholic beverage with a sufficient smoked aroma by immersing pieces of wood that have been intentionally incompletely burned under certain conditions in an alcoholic beverage.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is A method for producing an alcoholic beverage having a smoked aroma, comprising: Wood chips Incomplete combustion The first step is to The above Soaking the wood chips in an alcohol-containing liquid The second step, Including, The diameter of the wood piece is 5 mm or more and 15 mm or less, The alcohol-containing liquid is either sake with an alcohol concentration of 5% to 21% or shochu with an alcohol concentration of 5% to 44%, The second step is to immerse the wood chips incompletely burned in the first step in the alcohol-containing liquid until the absorbance at least at one of 430 nanometers and 480 nanometers is 0.080 or more. Alcoholic beverage manufacturing method It is.

[0010] According to this manufacturing method, an alcoholic beverage having a smoked aroma can be produced. In addition, according to this manufacturing method, since the phenols produced by the incomplete combustion of the wood chips have a sterilizing effect against microorganisms, etc., an alcoholic beverage having good preservability can be obtained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing a production method for obtaining a liqueur and gin having a smoked aroma according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a table of the evaluation results. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] As the alcohol-containing liquid used as the raw material for the alcoholic beverage of this embodiment, any classification and type of alcoholic beverage can be used regardless of the classification and item division of the Liquor Tax Law. However, in terms of compatibility with the smoke aroma to be produced, sake, shochu (Japanese liquor), gin, and liqueur are preferred as the raw material alcohol-containing liquid, and sake, and single-distilled or continuous-distilled shochu are particularly preferred.

[0014] Considering the classification of the Liquor Tax Law, under the Japanese Liquor Tax Law, when sake is used as a raw material, the resulting alcoholic beverage is classified as a liqueur, and when single-distilled or continuous-distilled shochu is used as a raw material, the resulting alcoholic beverage is classified as gin.

[0015] To explain the difference between single-distilled and continuous-distilled shochu, single-distilled shochu is made by distilling once at a time using a pot still or similar, while continuous-distilled shochu is made by distilling continuously.

[0016] 1 is a process diagram showing a production method for obtaining a liqueur and gin having a smoked aroma according to one embodiment. The following will be described with reference to this process diagram.

[0017] First, a heat-resistant container capable of defining a substantially sealed space and allowing pieces of wood to be placed in the space is used, and the wood pieces are placed in the space and the lid of the container is closed (step S1). At this time, a replacement gas is injected into the space of the container as necessary.

[0018] Next, the wood chips are placed in the sealed container and heated from the outside to intentionally cause incomplete combustion of the wood chips in the container (step S2). "Incomplete combustion" here refers to combustion that occurs without flames due to insufficient oxygen supply, resulting in the generation of carbon monoxide and soot. Wood chips that have undergone such incomplete combustion are preferable because they can produce a strong smoked aroma.

[0019] Next, the wood chips that have been incompletely burned in step S2 are immersed in an alcohol-containing liquid that has been placed in advance in a glass bottle or the like (step S3). Here, for example, sake, single-distilled shochu, or continuous-distilled shochu is used as the alcohol-containing liquid.

[0020] After the wood chips are soaked in the liquid in step S3, the alcohol-containing liquid is filtered to remove the wood chips (step S4). In this manner, an alcoholic beverage having a smoky aroma is obtained.

[0021] The alcoholic beverage produced through steps S1 to S4 is a sake-like beverage with a smoked aroma when sake is used as the raw alcohol-containing liquid, and is a shochu-like beverage with a smoked aroma when shochu is used as the raw alcohol-containing liquid. As mentioned above, the alcoholic beverage obtained here is classified as a liqueur or gin under the Liquor Tax Act.

[0022] Preferred conditions for each of the above steps will be described in detail below. First, the alcohol concentration of the alcohol-containing liquid used as the raw material is preferably 3% to 60%, more preferably 5% to 44%, and most preferably 15% to 44%. By setting the alcohol concentration to 3% to 60%, the hydrolysis reaction occurs efficiently, and an alcoholic beverage having a smoky aroma can be efficiently produced.

[0023] The alcohol content of distilled liquor used as a raw material for whiskey is generally 40% to 60%, whereas the alcohol content of sake is generally 15% to 20%, and the alcohol content of both single-column and continuous-distilled shochu is generally 20% to 25%, and any of these can be suitably used in this embodiment.

[0024] In particular, it is more preferable that the sake and the single-distilled and continuous-distilled shochu used as the raw alcohol-containing liquid in this embodiment are alcoholic beverages produced according to the respective definitions of the Liquor Tax Law of Japan. In addition, the alcohol concentration in the case of sake is preferably 5% to 21%, and more preferably 15% to 21%. In addition, the alcohol concentration in the case of single-distilled and continuous-distilled shochu is preferably 5% to 44%, and more preferably 20% to 44%. By setting the alcohol concentration at these levels, the hydrolysis reaction with the wood chips can be accelerated more quickly than in the distilled liquor that is the raw material of whiskey, and the smoked aroma and amber color can be efficiently imparted.

[0025] As the wood chips, wood chips generally used for smoking meat, fish, etc. can be suitably used. Specifically, wood chips obtained from trees such as beech, oak, hickory, and cherry can be used. By using these varieties, wood chips having a smoked aroma can be efficiently produced. The size of the wood chips is not particularly limited, but a diameter of about 5 mm to 15 mm is preferable. By using wood chips of this size, the wood chips can be immersed in an alcohol-containing liquid with good handling. The "diameter" here refers to the longest part when the wood chips are viewed from above, and corresponds to the diagonal if the wood chips are rectangular or similar, corresponds to the diameter if the wood chips are circular or similar, and corresponds to the long axis if the wood chips are elliptical or similar. The thickness of the wood chips is preferably about 2 mm to 8 mm. The "thickness" here refers to the longest part when the wood chips are viewed from the side.

[0026] In addition, the wood chips are preferably heated in a state in which they are placed in a container made of a heat-resistant and gas-impermeable material, rather than by direct roasting. One example of a heating method is to place the wood chips on an iron plate or the like, seal it with an iron lid, and apply fire to the bottom of the iron plate.

[0027] When the wood chips are incompletely combusted, the container used for heating may be filled with air, but it is also preferable to fill most of the container with a replacement gas (food additive gas). The "replacement gas" used here can be any gas that can replace the air in the container containing the wood chips and reduce the oxygen concentration in the container relatively to that in the air. Among these, carbon dioxide gas (gaseous carbon dioxide) is particularly preferable because it is irritating to humans and makes it easy to determine from the outside that the container is sufficiently filled with carbon dioxide gas. Nitrogen gas (gaseous nitrogen) may also be used as the replacement gas.

[0028] More specifically, for example, it is preferable to place pieces of wood in a metal pot and place a lid on the pot so as to leave a gap of 5 to 10 mm. Then, a hose connected to a replacement gas cylinder is inserted through the gap between the pot and the lid, replacement gas is filled, and after confirming that the oxygen concentration in the container is 16% or less based on the stimulation of the gas leaking from the gap or by measurement with an oxygen concentration meter, the hose is removed and the lid is replaced so as to eliminate the gap, and then heating is preferably performed.

[0029] Alternatively, it is also suitable to place pieces of wood and dry ice on a metal plate, cover the top with a lid that has a steam vent, and after smelling the pungent odor of carbon dioxide from the hole, seal the hole with heat-resistant tape and heat the metal plate from below.

[0030] The container is preferably made of a material that is heat-resistant and impermeable. Specifically, the material is one that can withstand heat of at least 500°C or more and that does not allow air to enter from the outside. Typical examples of the material include iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, ceramics, and heat-resistant glass.

[0031] In addition, since the gas in the container expands when heated, it is necessary to be able to appropriately exhaust the expanded gas outside the container. For this reason, for example, it is preferable that the parts constituting the container are simply in contact with each other. Here, "in contact" refers to the parts constituting the container (for example, parts such as a pot and a lid, a plate and a cover) being in contact with each other at parts to form an approximately closed space, and being in contact with each other in a state in which the two can be easily separated as the pressure in the approximately closed space (inside the container) increases. In this way, when the gas in the container expands, the pressure increase creates gaps between the parts, making it easier to release the expanded gas outside the container.

[0032] The conditions for incomplete combustion of wood chips are preferably such that the wood chips are placed in a substantially sealed container, the container is filled mainly with air, carbon dioxide gas or nitrogen gas, and the wood chips are heated for 10 to 60 minutes at a temperature range of 200° C. to 600° C., and more preferably for 10 to 20 minutes at a temperature range of 350° C. to 450° C. In principle, the temperature referred to here is the atmospheric temperature around the wood chips, but in practice it can be substituted by the temperature inside the container.

[0033] It is also preferable to heat the wood chips together with liquid nitrogen and / or dry ice in a container. By heating liquid nitrogen and dry ice, the volume increases several hundred times when they change from liquid / solid to gas, so that the air present in the container can be more effectively discharged and the relative oxygen concentration can be reduced. In this case, it is necessary to make the container in a state where the gas can escape from the container as appropriate as the gas in the container expands. For example, a pressure regulating valve may be provided, or more simply, a container consisting of a pot (container body) and a lid as described above may be used, and the lid may be lifted appropriately as the pressure inside the container increases, allowing the gas to escape from the container.

[0034] If liquid nitrogen or dry ice is placed in the container together with wood chips, nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas will be generated by heating, and these nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas will promote the exhaust of air from the container, which can easily cause incomplete combustion. Even in this case, it is preferable for the parts that make up the container to be in contact with each other. This is because the expanded gas can be exhausted efficiently.

[0035] The color of the alcoholic beverage obtained from the components of incompletely burned wood, i.e., the degree of coloring, can be grasped by measuring the absorbance at 430 nanometers or 480 nanometers with a spectrophotometer or the like. A preferred amber color is one in which the absorbance at 430 nanometers and / or 480 nanometers is 0.080 or more. If the degree of coloring is 0.080 or less, it is preferable to soak the above-mentioned wood pieces again. It is preferable to repeat this process until the absorbance at 430 nanometers or 480 nanometers is 0.080 or more. Quality control by absorbance thing This allows for the stable production of high-quality alcoholic beverages.

[0036] This point will be explained by comparing the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment with a typical whiskey. In typical whiskey production, the inside of a wooden barrel is directly quenched with a burner, completely burned, and carbonized before use, so wood chips or even wood that has been incompletely burned are not used. By incompletely burning the wood chips, a large amount of phenols, which are the main components of smoked aroma, can be produced, giving a unique flavor different from that of whiskey. In addition, the components of incompletely burned wood can give sake, single-distilled shochu, and continuous-distilled shochu an amber color.

[0037] The conditions for immersing the incompletely burned wood chips in the alcohol-containing liquid are not particularly limited, but it is preferable to add 50 g to 200 g of wood chips per liter of alcohol-containing liquid and immerse the wood chips at room temperature (15°C to 25°C) for 10 days or more. It is more preferable to immerse the wood chips for 10 days or more and 30 days or less. On the other hand, the temperature during immersion may be 40°C or higher. By increasing the temperature, the active ingredients can be extracted efficiently from the wood chips.

[0038] Furthermore, when filtering wood chips soaked in an alcohol-containing liquid, the method is not particularly limited as long as it does not leave any wood chips in the alcoholic beverage, and the same filtering methods used in general sake brewing can be used. Specifically, filtering can be done using a filtering agent such as filter cloth or filter paper, and a filtering aid such as fibrous material such as pulp or mineral material such as celite or diatomaceous earth.

[0039] Alternatively, the wood chips may be placed in a permeable pack and immersed in the alcohol-containing liquid, eliminating the need for a filtering step.

[0040] According to the above embodiment, it is possible to produce an alcoholic beverage having a characteristic flavor (smoked aroma) not found in alcoholic beverages known so far. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to produce an alcoholic beverage that goes well with foods having a smoked aroma. This is because when smoked foods and alcoholic beverages having a smoked aroma are eaten together, they form a marriage, and the umami sensation of the food can be increased many times over. Furthermore, as a secondary effect of the present embodiment, it is expected that the use of thinned wood will be promoted.

[0041] The method of storing sake, single- or continuous-distilled shochu, and other distilled alcoholic beverages in wooden barrels is widely known, but it is believed that there have been no known examples of alcoholic beverages being produced by the method of this embodiment, which uses incompletely combusted wood chips.

[0042] Some examples are given below.

[0043] <Example 1> 100g of oak wood chips (approximately 10mm in diameter) were placed in a 10-inch Dutch oven, and a temperature sensor was installed. In this state, the lid was placed 5mm to 10mm off the pot, which is the main body of the Dutch oven. A hose connected to a carbon dioxide gas cylinder was inserted through the gap created by the lid being moved, and carbon dioxide gas was filled into the Dutch oven. After filling the Dutch oven until the worker felt irritation from the carbon dioxide gas leaking from the gap, the hose was quickly removed and the lid was placed to close the gap. The Dutch oven was heated on a stove, and after the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reached 400°C, the temperature was maintained for 15 minutes. The entire amount of the heated oak wood chips was placed in a 1-liter glass bottle, and 1 liter of sake with an alcohol content of 15 degrees was added, and the mixture was left to stand at room temperature for 10 days. After that, it was filtered with Advantec's standard 5C filter paper, and it was confirmed that the absorbance at 430 nanometers and 480 nanometers was 0.080 or more using a spectrophotometer. This resulted in a sake-like liqueur with a smoked aroma.

[0044] <Example 2> 800g of cherry wood chips (approximately 15mm in diameter) and dry ice were placed on a hot plate, and a semicircular aluminum lid with a thermometer and a hole for steam escape was placed on top. The plate was left to stand until the worker felt irritation from the carbon dioxide gas leaking from the hole for steam escape. After leaving the plate to stand, the hole for steam escape was covered with heat-resistant tape, and the hot plate was heated from below with a burner. After the temperature detected by the thermometer reached 430°C, the plate was kept at that temperature for 10 minutes. The entire amount of the heated cherry wood chips was placed in a 5-liter glass bottle, and sake with an alcohol content of 20 degrees was added. The mixture was left to stand in an incubator set at 40°C for 10 days, and then filtered with Advantec's 5C filter paper. The absorbance at 430 and 480 nanometers was 0.070 on the spectrophotometer, so the 800g of cherry wood chips heated as described above was again immersed in sake with an alcohol content of 20 degrees in a 5-liter glass bottle. After that, it was left to stand at room temperature for 10 days, and then filtered again with Advantech's 5C filter paper, and the absorbance at 430 nanometers and 480 nanometers was confirmed to be 0.080 or more using a spectrophotometer. As a result, a sake-like liqueur with a smoked aroma was obtained.

[0045] <Example 3> 100g of apple wood chips (approximately 8mm in diameter) were placed inside a 10-inch Dutch oven, and a temperature sensor was installed. In this state, the lid was placed on the Dutch oven, shifting it 5mm to 10mm from the pot (the main body of the Dutch oven). A hose connected to a nitrogen gas cylinder was inserted through the gap created by shifting the lid, and nitrogen gas was filled into the Dutch oven. Nitrogen gas was filled until the oxygen concentration reached 16% or less when an operator measured the gas leaking from the shifted gap in the Dutch oven with an oxygen concentration meter. After filling with nitrogen gas, the hose was quickly removed, and the lid was replaced so that there were no gaps. The Dutch oven was heated on a stove, and after the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reached 380°C, that temperature was maintained for 15 minutes. The entire amount of heated apple wood chips was placed in a 1-liter glass bottle, and 1 liter of single-distilled shochu with an alcohol content of 25% was added, and the bottle was left to stand at room temperature for 10 days. It was then filtered through Advantech's 5C filter paper, and the absorbance at 430 nanometers and 480 nanometers was confirmed to be 0.080 or higher using a spectrophotometer. This resulted in a shochu-like gin with a smoked aroma.

[0046] <Example 4> 100g of oak wood chips (approximately 10mm in diameter) were placed in a 10-inch Dutch oven, a temperature sensor was installed, and the lid was closed. This Dutch oven, i.e., a Dutch oven filled with air, was heated on a stove, and after the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reached 400°C, that temperature was maintained for 15 minutes. All of the heated oak wood chips were placed in a 1-liter glass bottle, and 1 liter of sake with an alcohol content of 15 degrees was added. After leaving it at room temperature for 10 days, it was filtered with Advantech's 5C filter paper, and it was confirmed that the absorbance at 430 nanometers and 480 nanometers was 0.080 or more using a spectrophotometer. As a result, a sake-like liqueur with a smoked aroma was obtained.

[0047] <Example 5> 100g of oak wood chips (approximately 10mm in diameter) were placed in a 10-inch Dutch oven, and a temperature sensor was installed. The lid was placed on the Dutch oven, shifting it from the pot (the main body) by 5mm to 10mm. A hose connected to a carbon dioxide gas cylinder was inserted through the gap created by shifting the lid, and carbon dioxide gas was filled into the Dutch oven until the worker felt a tingling sensation from the gas leaking from the shifted gap. The hose was then quickly removed and the lid was placed on the oven. The Dutch oven was heated on a stove, and the heat was adjusted so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor was 200°C to 250°C, and the temperature was maintained for 15 minutes. The entire amount of the heated oak wood chips was placed in a 1-liter glass bottle, and 1 liter of sake with an alcohol content of 15 degrees was added. The mixture was left at room temperature for 10 days, after which it was filtered through Advantec's 5C standard filter paper, and the absorbance values ​​at 430 and 480 nanometers were confirmed to be 0.080 or higher using a spectrophotometer. From the above, a sake-like liqueur with a smoked aroma was obtained.

[0048] <Example 6> 100g of oak wood chips (approximately 10mm in diameter) were placed in a 10-inch Dutch oven, and a temperature sensor was installed. The lid was placed 5mm to 10mm off the pot, which is the main body of the Dutch oven. A hose connected to a carbon dioxide gas cylinder was inserted through the gap created by shifting the lid, and carbon dioxide gas was filled into the Dutch oven until the worker felt a tingling sensation from the gas leaking from the shifted gap. The hose was then quickly removed and the lid was placed back on. The Dutch oven was heated on a stove, and the heat was adjusted so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor was 500℃ to 600℃, and the temperature was maintained for 15 minutes. The entire amount of the heated oak wood chips was placed in a 1-liter glass bottle, and 1 liter of sake with an alcohol content of 15 degrees was added. The mixture was left to stand at room temperature for 10 days, after which it was filtered through Advantec's 5C standard filter paper, and the absorbance values ​​at 430 and 480 nanometers were confirmed to be 0.080 or higher using a spectrophotometer. As a result, a sake-like liqueur with a smoked aroma was obtained.

[0049] <Flavor evaluation> The flavor of the liqueur and gin obtained in Examples 1 to 6 was evaluated. For comparison, a commercially available sake labeled as aged in oak barrels (manufactured by Fukugao Sake Brewery Co., Ltd., product name "Sake Aged in Whisky Barrels. FUKUGAO") and whiskey (manufactured by Niigata Beer Co., Ltd., product name "Echigo Shinobi Blended Whisky 40%") were used as comparison products and the flavor was evaluated in the same manner. The flavor evaluation method is as follows. Five trained panelists evaluated whether the samples had a characteristic smoked aroma using a 5-point scale, with 1 point being a very strong smoked aroma, 2 points being a strong smoked aroma, 3 points being a detectable smoked aroma, 4 points being a weak but detectable smoked aroma, and 5 points being no detectable smoked aroma. They also provided comments about the aroma of each sample.

[0050] The evaluation results are shown in Table 1 in FIG. 2. The liqueur obtained in Example 1 had a very strong smoked aroma, and in Examples 4 to 6, although the smoked aroma was felt, it was weaker than that of the liqueurs in Examples 1 to 3. The panelists pointed out that the liqueurs or gins in Examples 1 to 3 were clearly different from commercially available sakes and whiskeys labeled as stored in oak barrels, and had a distinctive and desirable smoked aroma. The panelists also pointed out that the liqueurs or gins in Examples 4 to 6 had a smoked aroma different from that of commercially available sakes labeled as stored in oak barrels. That is, according to each Example, an alcoholic beverage was obtained that had an aroma clearly different from that of alcoholic beverages stored in oak barrels up to now.

[0051] In addition, to test the compatibility of the alcoholic beverages of each embodiment with smoked foods, smoked cheese and smoked pickles (iburigakko), the panelists tried them together, and the panelists commented that the smoked aromas of the alcoholic beverage and the smoked food worked synergistically, enhancing the umami flavor of the smoked foods, smoked cheese and iburigakko.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for producing an alcoholic beverage having a smoked aroma, comprising: A first step of incompletely burning wood chips; A second step of immersing the wood pieces in an alcohol-containing liquid; Including, The diameter of the wood piece is 5 mm or more and 15 mm or less, The alcohol-containing liquid is either sake having an alcohol concentration of 5% to 21% or shochu having an alcohol concentration of 5% to 44%, The second step is to immerse the wood chips incompletely burned in the first step in the alcohol-containing liquid until the absorbance at least at one of 430 nanometers and 480 nanometers is 0.080 or more. A method for producing an alcoholic beverage.

2. A method for producing an alcoholic beverage having a smoked aroma, comprising: A first step of incompletely burning wood chips; A second step of immersing the wood pieces in an alcohol-containing liquid; Including, The diameter of the wood piece is 5 mm or more and 15 mm or less, The alcohol-containing liquid is either sake having an alcohol concentration of 5% to 21% or shochu having an alcohol concentration of 5% to 44%, The first step is to use a container in which a plurality of parts made of a material having heat resistance and gas impermeability are in contact with each other to define an approximately closed space surrounded by the respective parts, the parts being in contact with each other in a state in which the respective parts can be separated as a pressure in the approximately closed space increases, and to place the wood chips in the container and heat the container to cause incomplete combustion of the wood chips. A method for producing an alcoholic beverage.

3. The first step comprises injecting a replacement gas, which is a gas other than air or oxygen, into the container and then heating the container to incompletely combust the wood chips. A method for producing the alcoholic beverage according to claim 2.

4. The replacement gas is one or more of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. A method for producing the alcoholic beverage according to claim 3.

5. The wood chips are heated in the container together with liquid nitrogen and / or dry ice. A method for producing the alcoholic beverage according to claim 4.

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