Pinene-containing alcoholic beverage and method for producing the same

Abstract

To provide a pinene-containing alcoholic beverage that exhibits reduced astringent taste and / or tingling taste.SOLUTION: An alcoholic beverage comprising sodium and α-pinene and / or β-pinene, wherein a total concentration of α-pinene and β-pinene is 0.1 ppm or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pinene-containing alcoholic beverage and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In alcoholic beverages, various flavors are produced by the interaction of alcohol with various components derived from raw materials, and various improvement techniques have been developed to adapt the flavor of alcoholic beverages to consumer preferences.

[0003] Among the alcoholic beverage products on the market, there are alcoholic beverages made with gin, including RTD (Ready to Drink) products. Gin is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage, and many commercially available products have a scent derived from distinctive ingredients such as juniper berries, which is popular with many consumers. Various improvement techniques have also been developed for alcoholic beverages made with gin.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology for providing a bottled alcoholic beverage containing gin and having a sweetness level of 2 or less, in which the pH is 3.0 or more but less than 5.0 and the acidity, calculated as citric acid, is 0.05 g / 100 ml or less, thereby improving the drinkability and making the beverage less difficult to drink. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-108429 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present inventors have discovered that in alcoholic beverages containing gin and / or gin flavor, the α-pinene and / or β-pinene contained in the gin and / or gin flavor (hereinafter, α-pinene and / or β-pinene will also be simply referred to as pinene) has a botanical-like aroma, and the inclusion of such α-pinene and / or β-pinene in alcoholic beverages can impart a refreshing and / or cool feeling, but that as the concentration of α-pinene and / or β-pinene increases, an astringent or tingling taste becomes stronger. The tingling taste referred to here is an impurity flavor accompanied by a pungent, pungent taste on the tongue.

[0007] As a result of extensive investigations aimed at solving the above problems, the present inventors have found that the astringent and tingling taste of alcoholic beverages containing α-pinene and / or β-pinene can be reduced by adding sodium to the alcoholic beverages. The present invention is based on this finding.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pinene-containing alcoholic beverage with reduced astringent and / or tingling taste, and a method for producing the same.

[0009] According to the present invention, the following inventions are provided. (1) An alcoholic beverage comprising sodium and alpha-pinene and / or beta-pinene, The sum of the concentrations of alpha-pinene and beta-pinene is 0.1 ppm or more, Alcoholic beverage. (2) further comprising limonene; The limonene concentration is 15 ppm or less. (1) An alcoholic beverage as described above. (3) An alcoholic beverage according to (1) or (2), comprising gin and / or gin flavor. (4) An alcoholic beverage according to any one of (1) to (3), comprising at least one sodium salt selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, sodium tartrate, sodium lactate, sodium fumarate, sodium citrate, sodium malate, sodium succinate, and sodium acetate. (5) The alcoholic beverage according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the sodium concentration is 0.0001 to 0.5 w / v%. (6) The alcoholic beverage according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the alcohol concentration of the alcoholic beverage is 3 to 15 v / v%. (7) An alcoholic beverage according to any one of (1) to (6), in which the ratio of the mass of sodium to the sum of the masses of α-pinene and β-pinene (mass of sodium: sum of the masses of α-pinene and β-pinene) is 1:0.0005 to 1.0. (8) A method for producing an alcoholic beverage containing alpha-pinene and / or beta-pinene, comprising: incorporating sodium; and adjusting the total concentration of α-pinene and β-pinene to 0.1 ppm or more. (9) A method for reducing the astringent and / or tingly taste in an alcoholic beverage comprising alpha-pinene and / or beta-pinene, comprising: incorporating sodium; and adjusting the total concentration of α-pinene and β-pinene to 0.1 ppm or more.

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided a pinene-containing alcoholic beverage with reduced astringent and / or tingling taste.

[0011] In the present invention, by adding sodium to a pinene-containing alcoholic beverage, the astringent and / or tingling taste can be reduced, and the present invention is also advantageous in that it can improve or impart a refreshing and / or cool feeling to the alcoholic beverage.

[0012] In this specification, "alcoholic beverage" means a beverage with an alcohol content of 1% or more that is considered an alcoholic beverage under the Liquor Tax Act.

[0013] In this specification, the unit "ppm" is synonymous with "mg / L."

[0014] In this specification, "refreshing sensation" refers to the lack of a lingering aftertaste in the mouth after consumption, such as with carbonated drinks. "Improved refreshing sensation" refers to a weaker aftertaste after consumption and a stronger clean feeling. "Refreshing sensation" refers to a cool sensation caused by a forest-like scent. "Improved refreshing sensation" refers to an increase in the intensity of the forest-like scent, resulting in a stronger refreshing sensation. In gin, pinene is the main source of the refreshing sensation and also enhances the refreshing sensation.

[0015] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention comprises sodium and α-pinene and / or β-pinene. Such beverages can be produced by adding sodium and α-pinene and / or β-pinene or adjusting their concentrations during the beverage production process. The addition or adjustment of the concentrations of sodium and α-pinene and / or β-pinene can be achieved by adding sodium and α-pinene and / or β-pinene, or by blending ingredients containing them or increasing or decreasing the amounts blended. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, ingredients containing α-pinene and / or β-pinene include gin and / or gin flavor. Therefore, it is preferable to add sodium and gin and / or gin flavor during the beverage production process or adjust their concentrations. In this specification, "α-pinene and / or β-pinene" refers to α-pinene, β-pinene, or a combination of α-pinene and β-pinene.

[0016] As used herein, the compound "α-pinene" refers to the compound with the IUPAC name "(1S,5S)-2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene ((1S)-(-)-α-pinene)" and / or the compound with the IUPAC name "(1R)-2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene ((1R)-(+)-α-pinene)."

[0017] As used herein, the compound "β-pinene" refers to the compound with the IUPAC name "(1R,5R)-6,6-dimethyl-2-methylenebicyclo[3.1.1]heptane ((1R)-(+)-β-pinene)" and / or the compound with the IUPAC name "(1S,5S)-6,6-dimethyl-2-methylenebicyclo[3.1.1]heptane ((1S)-(-)-β-pinene)."

[0018] The total concentration of α-pinene and β-pinene in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of improving a refreshing and / or cool feeling, it is, for example, 0.1 ppm or more, preferably 0.3 ppm or more, more preferably 0.8 ppm or more, even more preferably 1.0 ppm or more, even more preferably 2.0 ppm or more, and even more preferably 2.5 ppm or more. Furthermore, the upper limit of the total concentration of α-pinene and β-pinene is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of further suppressing the generation of an astringent taste and / or a tingling taste, it can be preferably 5 ppm or less, more preferably 4 ppm or less, and even more preferably 3 ppm or less.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pinene and limonene described below in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention are derived from gin and / or gin flavor. Therefore, the alcoholic beverage of the present invention preferably contains gin and / or gin flavor, and more preferably contains gin and / or gin flavor as ingredients containing pinene and limonene.

[0020] Here, "gin" refers to a clear, colorless distilled alcoholic beverage obtained by adding flavor components (botanical components) from herbs, roots, and bark to a distillate obtained by saccharifying, fermenting, and distilling grains such as barley, rye, and potatoes, and further distilling the resulting liquid, and the botanical components include juniper berries. Therefore, the gin contained in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention uses botanicals as an ingredient and contains at least juniper berries as botanicals.

[0021] Juniper berries are cones of the common juniper (Juniperus communis). Coarsely ground juniper berries are more preferred as the juniper berries used in the gin contained in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention. Here, "coarsely ground" means dividing (splitting) the cone into two or more pieces, and is also called "cracking." However, "coarsely ground" does not include crushing the cone. By appropriately dividing the juniper berry cone, the total cross-sectional area of ​​the cone can be adjusted to an appropriate range. According to a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the juniper berries are coarsely ground so that 2 to 8 crushed pieces are obtained from one juniper berry.

[0022] The concentration of gin in an alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited and may be adjusted as appropriate depending on the strength of the flavor of the specific gin used, but it can be, for example, in the range of 1 to 30 v / v%, preferably in the range of 3 to 20 v / v%, and more preferably in the range of 5 to 10 v / v%.

[0023] The gin flavor contained in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention has a flavor characteristic of gin, a distilled alcoholic beverage. Gin flavors may be commercially available or may be prepared based on known recipes (see "Latest Fragrance Dictionary," by Soichi Arai, Akio Kobayashi, Izumi Yajima, and Michiaki Kawasaki, Asakura Shoten, p. 525, Table 7.86, Dry Gin Flavor Recipe Example). The gin flavor may, for example, comprise 0.5 to 50 v / v% of an oil base and 50 to 99.5 v / v% of a solvent component. Typically, the primary component of the oil base of a gin flavor is juniper berry oil. The concentration of the gin flavor in an alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited and may be adjusted appropriately depending on the flavor intensity of the specific gin flavor used. However, it can be generally within the range of 0.01 to 2.0 v / v%, preferably 0.02 to 1.0 v / v%, and more preferably 0.03 to 0.5 v / v%.

[0024] The sodium in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be in any form, such as sodium, sodium salt, or sodium ion. The sodium concentration in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.0001 to 0.5 w / v% (calculated as the weight of sodium), more preferably 0.0005 to 0.1 w / v%, even more preferably 0.001 to 0.05 w / v%, even more preferably 0.002 to 0.05 w / v%, and even more preferably 0.045 to 0.05 w / v%. The sodium concentration in the beverage can be measured by methods known in the art, such as sodium analysis using an ICP optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). For more accurate concentration measurements, it is desirable to use a calibration curve prepared based on measurements of several control samples with known concentrations.

[0025] The sodium used in producing the alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be in any form, including various forms of substances such as sodium, sodium salts, and sodium ions, as well as raw materials containing these. Examples of the sodium salt include, but are not limited to, sodium chloride, sodium tartrate, sodium lactate, sodium fumarate, sodium citrate (e.g., monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate), sodium malate, sodium succinate, sodium acetate, and hydrates thereof. Therefore, it is preferable that the sodium contained in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is derived from the sodium salt.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the mass of sodium to the sum of the masses of α-pinene and β-pinene in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention (mass of sodium:sum of the masses of α-pinene and β-pinene) is 1:0.0005 to 1.0, more preferably 1:0.0007 to 0.7, even more preferably 1:0.001 to 0.6, even more preferably 1:0.0015 to 0.5, even more preferably 1:0.002 to 0.4, even more preferably 1:0.0025 to 0.2, even more preferably 1:0.003 to 0.1, and even more preferably 1:0.003 to 0.01.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the alcoholic beverage of the present invention may contain limonene in addition to sodium and α-pinene and / or β-pinene. Such a beverage can be produced by adding sodium, α-pinene and / or β-pinene, and limonene or adjusting their concentrations during the beverage production process. The addition or adjustment of the concentrations of sodium, α-pinene and / or β-pinene, and limonene may be achieved by adding sodium, α-pinene and / or β-pinene, and limonene, or by blending or increasing or decreasing the amounts of ingredients containing these. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, gin and / or gin flavors are used as ingredients containing α-pinene and / or β-pinene and limonene. Therefore, it is preferable to produce the beverage by adding sodium and gin and / or gin flavors or adjusting their concentrations during the beverage production process.

[0028] As used herein, the compound "limonene" refers to the compound with the IUPAC name "1-methyl-4-(1-methylethenyl)cyclohexene."

[0029] The concentration of limonene in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of not impairing the gin-like flavor, it is preferably 15 ppm or less, more preferably 13 ppm or less, even more preferably 10.0 ppm or less, and even more preferably 7.0 ppm or less. Furthermore, the lower limit of the limonene concentration is not particularly limited, but it can be preferably 0.01 ppm or more, more preferably 0.1 ppm or more.

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the limonene is derived from the gin flavor as described above.

[0031] The concentrations of α-pinene, β-pinene, and limonene in the beverages of the present invention can be measured by GC / MS analysis. Such measurements can be performed using a commercially available GC instrument (e.g., GC7890B, Agilent), MS instrument (e.g., 7000D, Agilent), and column (e.g., VF-5MS, Agilent). For more accurate concentration measurements, it is desirable to use a calibration curve prepared based on measurements of several control samples with known concentrations. For pretreatment, 0.5 ml of an internal standard solution (2 ppm fluorobenzene) is added to 10 ml of a degassed sample, followed by addition of 5 ml of chloroform and shaking. Liquid-liquid extraction is then performed to collect the chloroform layer, which can then be used for measurement.

[0032] The alcohol concentration of the alcoholic beverage (final product) of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 3 to 15 v / v%, more preferably 5 to 12 v / v%, and even more preferably 6 to 9 v / v%. The alcohol concentration can be adjusted by adding an ethanol-containing material whose safety as a food product has been confirmed. Examples of the ethanol-containing material include raw alcohol and distilled alcohol (spirits), and preferred examples of distilled alcohol include gin, vodka, shochu, tequila, and rum.

[0033] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention may contain other ingredients used in the production of beverages, such as sweeteners (e.g., sugar, glucose, fructose, oligosaccharides, isomerized liquid sugar, sugar alcohols, etc.), acidulants (e.g., tartaric acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, acetic acid, or salts thereof, etc.), colorants, flavorings, and food additives (e.g., foaming and foam retention improvers, bittering agents, preservatives, antioxidants, thickening stabilizers, emulsifiers, dietary fiber, pH adjusters, etc.).

[0034] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention includes those classified as liqueurs and spirits. Liqueurs, as defined by the Liquor Tax Act, are alcoholic beverages made from alcoholic beverages and sugars or other ingredients (including alcoholic beverages) with an extract content of at least two percent. The alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be one in which carbon dioxide is injected, i.e., a carbonated beverage. The carbon dioxide pressure can be adjusted as desired, for example, within the range of 0.05 to 0.24 MPa (gas pressure at 20°C). According to one embodiment of the present invention, the alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be an alcoholic beverage with an adjusted sugar concentration, for example, a sugar concentration of less than 0.5 g / 100 mL, which corresponds to "zero sugar" as defined by the Food Labeling Standards of the Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan.

[0035] The pH of the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 3.0 to 7.0.

[0036] The acidity of the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.1 w / v% or higher, preferably 0.1 to 2.0 w / v%, and more preferably 0.1 to 1.0 w / v%. The acidity of the alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be expressed as the number of grams of acid contained in 100 mL of the beverage converted into citric acid (g / 100 mL citric acid equivalent, w / v%). The acidity can be measured by degassing the beverage using a conventional method to remove carbon dioxide gas, and then by the method specified in the acidity measurement method for fruit beverages in the Japanese Agricultural Standards, specifically, by neutralization titration (quantitative) using a 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide standard solution as the alkaline solution.

[0037] The sweetness of the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 2.0 or less. The lower limit is 0 or more. Here, sweetness refers to "sucrose-equivalent sweetness (% by mass)" and is calculated using the following formula (1):

[0038]

number

[0039] The "sweet component content (g / 100g)" refers to the concentration (g / 100g) of the sweet component (g) contained per 100g of the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, and the relative sweetness level refers to the relative sweetness intensity of a specific type of sweet component, where the sweetness of sucrose at 20°C is set to 1. Therefore, the "sweetness level" in the present invention refers to the concentration (g / 100g) of the sweet component converted to sucrose, and reflects the degree of sweetness perceived by a person consuming the alcoholic beverage of the present invention. Here, the "sweetening component" in the present invention includes sweetening components commonly used as additives in foods and beverages, such as crystalline sugars such as monosaccharides (e.g., fructose, glucose, etc.), disaccharides (e.g., lactose, trehalose, maltose, sucrose, etc.), and polysaccharides (e.g., powdered starch syrup), oligosaccharides (e.g., maltooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, etc.), amorphous sugars (e.g., starch syrup, isomerized liquid sugar (e.g., high-fructose glucose liquid sugar), and sugar alcohols (e.g., maltitol). Also included are high-intensity sweeteners (high-intensity sweeteners) such as acesulfame potassium, sucralose, stevia, and aspartame. For example, acesulfame potassium, a high-intensity sweetener, is 200 times sweeter than sucrose, and therefore, the sweetness is calculated as 200 times the concentration (% by mass). The content of sweetening components in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be measured by applying known methods, such as HPLC, GC-MS, and LC-MS, to the alcoholic beverage of the present invention.

[0040] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be provided as a packaged beverage. The container used for the alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be any container commonly used for filling beverages, such as a metal can, a barrel, a plastic bottle (e.g., a PET bottle or cup), a paper container, a bottle, or a pouch, with metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., a PET bottle), or bottles being preferred.

[0041] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for reducing the astringent and / or tingling taste in an alcoholic beverage comprising α-pinene and / or β-pinene and limonene, the method comprising the steps of adding sodium and adjusting the total concentration of α-pinene and β-pinene to 0.1 ppm or more. [Example]

[0042] The present invention will be specifically described based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0043] Example 1: Examination of conditions for reducing the astringent and tingling taste of gin-flavored alcoholic beverages In order to find suitable conditions for reducing the astringent and tingling taste in alcoholic beverages containing gin and / or gin flavor, various beverage samples were produced and sensory evaluations were carried out for each beverage sample.

[0044] The composition of the tasting sample is shown below. <Control> · Gin flavor: 0.050~0.300v / v%; Trisodium citrate dihydrate (concentration equivalent to 0.002-0.049 w / v% sodium); · Alcohol concentration: 7.3v / v%; ·Sugars: 0w / v%; Acidulant: 0 w / v%; · Sweetener: 0w / v%; Carbon dioxide pressure: 0.20 MPa.

[0045] <Control (negative control)> The control was 0% gin flavor and 0% trisodium citrate dihydrate.

[0046] The limonene and pinene (total of α-pinene and β-pinene) contents in each beverage sample were determined by pretreatment: 0.5 ml of internal standard solution (2 ppm fluorobenzene) was added to 10 ml of degassed sample, followed by 5 ml of chloroform, followed by shaking, and then liquid-liquid extraction to collect the chloroform layer. The GC / MS analysis was performed using the following equipment and columns. GC device GC7890B (manufactured by Agilent) MS device 7000D (manufactured by Agilent) Column VF-5MS (Agilent)

[0047] Various beverage samples were prepared based on the control sample, and each beverage sample was subjected to a sensory evaluation for astringency and tingling taste. The sensory evaluation was carried out by four panelists trained in sensory evaluation, and the samples were scored on the following five-point scale (in increments of 1 point). Almost no astringent or tingling taste 1.0 A slight astringent or tingling taste is felt 2.0 Astringent and tingly taste 3.0 Astringent and tingly taste is felt strongly 4.0 The astringent and tingling taste is strong, and the astringent taste lingers in the aftertaste, while the tingling taste remains on the tongue. 5.0 Here, the beverage sample with 0 v / v% gin flavor added (Test Area 1-1) was given a score of 1, and the beverage sample with 0.300 v / v% gin flavor added (Test Area 5-1) was given a score of 5. The evaluation results were shown as the average scores of the four panelists.

[0048] First, the gin flavor was added at a concentration of 0.050 v / v% to 0.300 v / v% (Test Areas 1-1 to 5-1) (total pinene content was approximately 0.88 to 2.81 ppm). Then, trisodium citrate dihydrate was added to samples containing 0.050 v / v%, 0.100 v / v%, 0.200 v / v%, and 0.300 v / v% gin flavor to prepare various beverage samples. The resulting beverage samples were evaluated for astringency and tingling. The gin flavor concentration, pinene concentration, limonene concentration, sodium concentration and sensory evaluation results for each sample are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Note that the pinene and limonene contents of Test Plots 3-1 to 3 and Test Plots 4-1 to 2 in Tables 1 and 2 are calculated values ​​based on a formula estimated from the pinene and limonene contents of Test Plots 2-1 and 5-1.

[0049] [Table 1] [Table 2]

[0050] Table 1 shows that the astringent and tingling taste of the beverage samples increased with increasing pinene concentration. Also, as is clear from Table 2, the addition of trisodium citrate dihydrate reduced the astringent and tingling taste compared to the beverage samples without the addition (specifically, Test Plots 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, and 5-1). Furthermore, the refreshing and cool sensation of the beverage samples increased with increasing pinene concentration in the beverage samples, whereas the refreshing and cool sensation of beverage samples containing the same pinene concentration was unchanged by trisodium citrate dihydrate.

Claims

1. An alcoholic beverage comprising sodium and alpha-pinene and / or beta-pinene, The sodium concentration is 0.0005 to 0.1 w / v %, the sum of the concentrations of α-pinene and β-pinene is 0.8 to 3 ppm; The alcohol concentration is 5 to 12 v / v%. Alcoholic beverage.

2. further comprising limonene, The limonene concentration is 15 ppm or less. The alcoholic beverage according to claim 1.

3. 3. The alcoholic beverage of claim 1 or 2, comprising gin and / or gin flavors. Le beverage.

4. 3. The alcoholic beverage according to claim 1, comprising at least one sodium salt selected from the group consisting of sodium citrate, sodium chloride, sodium tartrate, sodium lactate, sodium fumarate, sodium malate, sodium succinate, and sodium acetate.

5. The alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ratio of the mass of sodium to the sum of the masses of α-pinene and β-pinene (mass of sodium: sum of the masses of α-pinene and β-pinene) is 1:0.0005 to 1.

0.

6. A method for producing an alcoholic beverage comprising sodium and alpha-pinene and / or beta-pinene, comprising: adjusting the sodium concentration to 0.0005 to 0.1 w / v%; adjusting the total concentration of α-pinene and β-pinene to 0.8 to 3 ppm; and A step of adjusting the alcohol concentration to 5 to 12 v / v% The method comprising:

7. A method for reducing astringent and / or tingly taste in an alcoholic beverage comprising sodium and alpha-pinene and / or beta-pinene, comprising: adjusting the sodium concentration to 0.0005 to 0.1 w / v%; adjusting the total concentration of α-pinene and β-pinene to 0.8 to 3 ppm; and A step of adjusting the alcohol concentration to 5 to 12 v / v% The method comprising:

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