A beverage with reduced alcoholic stimulant and aftertaste

Abstract

To provide an alcoholic beverage that achieves reduction in stimulation from alcohol and / or an odd flavor of alcohol after drinking.SOLUTION: An alcoholic beverage includes cinnamaldehyde and / or terpinyl acetate.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to alcoholic beverages containing cinnamaldehyde and / or terpinyl acetate, and related methods. [Background technology]

[0002] The spiciness and harshness of alcohol often pose a problem for alcoholic beverages. Several methods for solving such problems are known. For example, a method using a combination of milk and caramel coloring (Patent Document 1), a method using specific sugars (Patent Document 2), and a method using 2-methyl-3-furanthiol and limonene (Patent Document 3) are known. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-129517 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-193602 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-176108 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Alcoholic beverages not only produce a stimulating sensation due to alcohol (ethanol) during and after drinking, but also produce a lingering aroma. Here, the lingering aroma of alcohol refers to the distinctive nasal irritating smell, similar to that of alcoholic disinfectant, felt after drinking.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a new means for reducing the irritating sensation and / or aftertaste of alcohol in alcoholic beverages. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have found that cinnamaldehyde and / or terpinyl acetate can reduce the irritating sensation and / or aftertaste of alcohol.

[0007] The present invention relates to, but is not limited to, the following: 1. An alcoholic beverage having a cinnamaldehyde content of 10 ppb to 1000 ppb and an absorbance at a wavelength of 550 nm of less than 0.68. 2. The alcoholic beverage according to 1, wherein the terpinyl acetate content is 7 ppb to 900 ppb. 3. Alcoholic beverages with a terpinyl acetate content of 7 ppb to 900 ppb. 4. An alcoholic beverage according to 3, wherein the cinnamaldehyde content is 10 ppb to 1000 ppb. 5. An alcoholic beverage according to 3 or 4, having an absorbance at a wavelength of 550 nm of less than 0.68. 6. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 5, wherein the fruit juice content is less than 5 w / w% in terms of fruit juice ratio. 7. A beverage described in any one of 1 to 6, having an alcohol content of 1 to 40 v / v%. 8. A method for reducing the irritating sensation and / or aftertaste of alcohol in an alcoholic beverage, comprising: The method includes mixing the ingredients so that the cinnamaldehyde content in the beverage is 10 to 1000 ppb. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the alcoholic beverage has an absorbance at 550 nm of less than 0.68. 10. A method for reducing the irritating sensation and / or aftertaste of alcohol in an alcoholic beverage, comprising: the method comprising mixing the ingredients so that the content of terpinyl acetate in the beverage is 7 ppb to 900 ppb. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the alcoholic beverage has an absorbance at 550 nm of less than 0.68. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the irritating sensation and / or aftertaste of alcohol in an alcoholic beverage can be reduced. In one aspect, the present invention can reduce the irritating sensation and / or aftertaste without imparting excessive spicy flavors of cinnamaldehyde and / or terpinyl acetate to alcoholic beverages. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The beverages of the present invention and related methods are described below. Unless otherwise specified, "ppb" used in this specification means weight / volume (w / v) ppb, which is synonymous with "μg / L."

[0010] (alcohol) The beverage of the present invention is an alcoholic beverage, i.e., a beverage containing alcohol. As used herein, the term "alcohol" means ethanol unless otherwise specified.

[0011] The alcohol content of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 to 40 v / v%, more preferably 3 to 40 v / v%, and even more preferably 5 to 40 v / v%. The upper limit of the alcohol content is not particularly limited, but the content may be 38 v / v% or less, 35 v / v% or less, 30 v / v% or less, or 20 v / v% or less.

[0012] In this specification, the alcohol content of a beverage can be measured by any known method, for example, using a vibration density meter. Specifically, the beverage is decarbonated by filtration or ultrasonication as necessary to prepare a sample, and the sample is then steam distilled. The density of the resulting distillate is measured and converted using "Table 2: Conversion Table of Alcohol Content, Density (15°C) and Specific Gravity (15 / 15°C)," an appendix to the National Tax Agency's Prescribed Analysis Methods (National Tax Agency Ordinance No. 6 of 2007, revised June 22, 2007).

[0013] The beverage of the present invention may contain alcohol by any means, but typically, the beverage of the present invention contains an alcoholic raw material, thereby containing alcohol. The alcoholic raw material is not particularly limited, but examples include spirits (rum, vodka, gin, tequila, etc.), liqueurs, whiskey, brandy, shochu, etc., and may also be brewed alcoholic beverages such as beer. These alcoholic raw materials can be used alone or in combination.

[0014] The type of alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably a highball, chuhai (shochu highball), cocktail, sour, or the like. The terms "highball" and "chuhai," when used in connection with the beverage of the present invention, refer to a beverage containing water, distilled alcohol, and carbon dioxide. Highballs and chuhai may further contain fruit juice. Furthermore, the term "sour," when used in connection with the beverage of the present invention, refers to a beverage containing spirits, sour fruit juice or flavoring, such as citrus juice or flavoring, and carbon dioxide. The term "cocktail," when used in connection with the beverage of the present invention, refers to an alcoholic beverage made by mixing fruit juice or the like with a base alcoholic beverage. In some embodiments, the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is an alcoholic beverage excluding beer-taste beverages. In this specification, "beer-taste beverage" refers to a carbonated beverage that has the same or similar taste and aroma as regular beer produced through fermentation with yeast or the like, and includes fermented malt beverages such as beer, happoshu, and liqueur.

[0015] When the beverage of the present invention has a relatively high alcohol content, it may be diluted before drinking. (Cinnamaldehyde) In one embodiment, the beverage of the present invention contains 10 to 1000 ppb, preferably 15 to 700 ppb, more preferably 20 to 450 ppb, and even more preferably 20 to 350 ppb of cinnamaldehyde, thereby reducing the irritating sensation and / or aftertaste of alcohol.

[0016] It is known that cinnamaldehyde can be obtained from herbal medicines such as cinnamon bark. The content of cinnamaldehyde in a beverage may be measured by any known method, for example, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC / MS). Examples of measurement conditions for the GC / MS method are as follows: Pre-analysis: Take 1 mL of the sample solution and add 5 μL of an ethanol solution containing 1000 ppm of cyclohexanol as an internal standard. After mixing the solution well, take 100 μL of the solution and put it into a 10 mL vial to use as the analytical sample. ·Analyzer: GC8890 (Agilent) ·Mass spectrometer: MSD5977B (Agilent) Column: HP-INNOWAX (Agilent), inner diameter 0.25 mm, length 60 m, film thickness 0.5 μm Carrier gas: He (flow rate: 1.0 mL / min constant flow rate) Sample introduction method: FE-DHS method (full evaporation-dynamic headspace method) Oven temperature: 40°C (1 minute) → 4°C / minute → 230°C (3 minutes) Transfer line temperature: 220℃ Ion source temperature: 230℃ ·Quadrupole temperature: 150℃ Ion used for quantification: Cinnamaldehyde m / z 131 (Terpinyl acetate) In one embodiment, the beverage of the present invention contains 7 to 900 ppb, preferably 10 to 500 ppb, more preferably 15 to 300 ppb, and even more preferably 15 to 125 ppb of terpinyl acetate, thereby reducing the irritating sensation and / or aftertaste of alcohol.

[0017] Terpinyl acetate has a bergamot- or lavender-like scent and is known to be obtainable from Japanese cypress and the like. The content of terpinyl acetate in a beverage may be measured by any known method, for example, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC / MS). Examples of measurement conditions for the GC / MS method are as follows: Pre-analysis: The sample solution was diluted appropriately with ultrapure water, and 10 mL of the solution was placed in a 20 mL vial. 3 g of sodium chloride was then added to the vial and completely dissolved to prepare the measurement sample. The sample was then heated at 60°C for 5 minutes, after which the aroma compounds in the headspace were extracted for 20 minutes using an SPME fiber (65 μm PDMS / DVB, StableFlex, Sigma-Aldrich). ·Analyzer: GC7890A (Agilent) ·Mass spectrometer: MSD5975C (Agilent) Column: DB-WAX (Agilent) inner diameter 0.25 mm, length 60 m, film thickness 0.5 μm Carrier gas: He (flow rate: 1.0 mL / min constant flow rate) Trial injection method: Splitless injection ·Inlet temperature: 260℃ Oven temperature: 40°C (3 minutes) → 4°C / minute → 230°C (1 minute) Transfer line temperature: 220℃ Ion source temperature: 230℃ ·Quadrupole temperature: 150℃ Ion used for quantification: m / z 121 In one embodiment, the beverage of the present invention contains both cinnamaldehyde and terpinyl acetate. The content ranges thereof may be any of those described above. For example, the beverage of the present invention contains 10 ppb to 1000 ppb of cinnamaldehyde and 7 to 900 ppb of terpinyl acetate, or 10 ppb to 400 ppb of cinnamaldehyde and 7 to 500 ppb of terpinyl acetate. Examples of preferred content ranges for these components are as described above.

[0018] (absorbance) Neither cinnamaldehyde nor terpinyl acetate imparts a strong color to beverages, meaning that the present invention does not significantly affect the inherent color of beverages to which these ingredients are added.

[0019] For example, if a beverage is inherently colorless or light in color, the present invention does not significantly change its color. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the beverage of the present invention is colorless or light in color. This property can be defined, for example, by the absorbance at a wavelength of 550 nm measured using an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (such as UV-1600 (Shimadzu Corporation)). Specifically, the absorbance at a wavelength of 550 nm of the beverage of the present invention in this embodiment is less than 0.68. Examples of preferred absorbance values ​​at a wavelength of 550 nm are 0.67 or less, 0.65 or less, 0.63 or less, 0.60 or less, 0.55 or less, 0.50 or less, 0.40 or less, 0.30 or less, 0.20 or less, and 0.10 or less. The lower limit of the absorbance is not particularly important, but may be, for example, 0 or more, 0.01 or more, 0.02 or more, 0.05 or more, 0.07 or more, or 0.10 or more.

[0020] (fruit juice) The beverage of the present invention may or may not contain fruit juice. The fruit juice may be in any form, such as straight fruit juice obtained by squeezing fruit and using the juice as is, or concentrated fruit juice. Clear fruit juice or cloudy fruit juice may also be used, as well as whole fruit juice obtained by crushing the whole fruit including the skin and removing only particularly hard solids such as seeds, fruit puree obtained by straining fruit, or fruit juice obtained by crushing or extracting the pulp of dried fruit.

[0021] The type of fruit juice is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include citrus juices (oranges such as Valencia oranges and navel oranges, grapefruits such as grapefruits, lemons, limes, Shikuwasa, Daidai, Yuzu, Kabosu, Sudachi, Citron, Bush citrus fruits such as Natsumikan, Hassaku, Hyuganatsu, Sweetie, Dekopon, and other miscellaneous citrus fruits, pomelo fruits such as Iyokan and Tankan, mandarin oranges, and Unshu oranges). Examples of fruit juices include mandarin oranges such as sea tangerines, Ponkan oranges, and Kishu mandarins, and kumquat juices such as kumquats, apple juice, grape juice, peach juice, tropical fruit juices (pineapple juice, guava juice, banana juice, mango juice, acerola juice, lychee juice, papaya juice, passion fruit juice, etc.), other fruit juices (plum juice, pear juice, apricot juice, plum juice, berry juice, kiwi fruit juice, etc.), strawberry juice, melon juice, etc. These fruit juices may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0022] The content of fruit juice in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited. However, the smaller the amount of fruit juice, the more pronounced the effect of the present invention, i.e., the effect of reducing the irritating sensation and / or aftertaste of alcohol. Therefore, the amount of fruit juice in the beverage of the present invention, converted into fruit juice percentage, is preferably less than 5 w / w%, more preferably 4 w / w% or less, more preferably 3 w / w% or less, more preferably 2 w / w% or less, and more preferably 1 w / w% or less. These numerical ranges also include 0 w / w%. The fruit juice to be reduced may be citrus juice, for example, lemon juice.

[0023] In the present invention, the "fruit juice ratio" in a beverage is calculated using the amount of fruit juice (g) blended in 100g of beverage using the following conversion formula. The concentration ratio is calculated in accordance with JAS standards, excluding the sugar refractometer readings of sugars, honey, etc. added to the juice.

[0024] Juice percentage (w / w%) = <amount of juice (g)> x <concentration ratio> / 100 mL / <specific gravity of beverage> x 100 (carbon dioxide) The beverage of the present invention may contain carbon dioxide gas. Carbon dioxide gas can be added to the beverage using methods commonly known to those skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, dissolving carbon dioxide in the beverage under pressure, mixing the carbon dioxide and the beverage in a pipe using a mixer such as a Zühenhagen carbonator, spraying the beverage into a tank filled with carbon dioxide to absorb the carbon dioxide, or mixing the beverage with carbonated water. Carbon dioxide pressure can be adjusted using any of these methods.

[0025] When the beverage of the present invention contains carbon dioxide gas, the carbon dioxide gas pressure is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.7 to 4.5 kgf / cm 2 , more preferably 0.8 to 2.8 kgf / cm 2 In the present invention, the carbon dioxide pressure can be measured using a gas volume measuring device GVA-500A manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Manufacturing Co., Ltd. For example, the sample temperature is set to 20°C, and the air in the container is degassed (sniffed) using the gas volume measuring device, shaken, and then the carbon dioxide pressure is measured. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the carbon dioxide pressure refers to the carbon dioxide pressure at 20°C.

[0026] (pH) In one embodiment, the pH of the alcoholic beverage according to the present invention is 2.3 to 4.5, 2.8 to 4.3, or 3.3 to 4.1. When adjusting the pH of the beverage, the adjustment method is not particularly limited, and the adjustment can be performed using a substance typically used to adjust the pH of beverages, such as citric acid or trisodium citrate, or the pH can be adjusted by adjusting the content of other ingredients (for example, fruit juice, etc.).

[0027] (Other ingredients) The beverage of the present invention may contain various additives, as in ordinary beverages, within the range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. Examples of various additives include acidulants, flavorings, vitamins, colorants, antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, extracts, pH adjusters, thickeners, and quality stabilizers.

[0028] In one embodiment, the beverage of the present invention has a low content of iso-α acids. The total content of iso-α acids is preferably 0 to 0.0001 g / L, more preferably 0 to 0.00008 g / L, and more preferably 0 to 0.00005 g / L. Iso-α acids herein refer to isohumulone, isocohumulone, and isoadhumulone. Iso-α acids are components contained in beer-flavored beverages such as beer. The method for analyzing the content is not particularly limited, but HPLC, for example, can be used.

[0029] (packaged beverages) The beverage of the present invention can be provided in a container-packed form. Container forms include, but are not limited to, metal containers such as cans, PET bottles, paper cartons, bottles, pouches, etc. For example, a sterilized container-packed product can be produced by filling a container with the beverage of the present invention and then subjecting it to heat sterilization such as retort sterilization, or by sterilizing the beverage and filling it into a container.

[0030] (Related Methods) In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method for reducing the irritating sensation and / or aftertaste of alcohol, the method comprising mixing raw materials so that the cinnamaldehyde content in the beverage is 10 to 1000 ppb, mixing raw materials so that the terpinyl acetate content in the beverage is 7 ppb to 900 ppb, or both.

[0031] In this method, the alcoholic beverage may have an absorbance at 550 nm of less than 0.68. Examples of the raw materials include cinnamaldehyde and plant extracts containing it, terpinyl acetate and plant extracts containing it, and water.

[0032] The types of ingredients in the beverage, their contents, pH, carbon dioxide pressure, and their preferred ranges, as well as the method for adjusting them, are as described above for the beverage of the present invention or are obvious from them. The timing of adjustment is also not limited.

[0033] (Numerical range) For clarity, the numerical ranges set forth herein include their endpoints, i.e., lower and upper limits. [Example]

[0034] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to specific experimental examples. It is not limited to the examples. (Experiment 1) Effects of cinnamaldehyde Neutral spirits and water were mixed to prepare several alcohol-water solutions with alcohol contents of 7%, 15%, 30%, and 40%. Various amounts of cinnamaldehyde were added to these solutions to prepare sample beverages. The absorbance at 550 nm for all beverages was within the range of 0.01 to 0.10.

[0035] Next, four expert panelists performed a sensory evaluation of each sample beverage according to the following criteria, and the average scores were calculated. To minimize individual differences in evaluation, each panelist used a standard product corresponding to each score to establish a common understanding in advance of the relationship between each score and taste.

[0036] (Alcohol (EtOH) aftertaste) 6 points: No aftertaste from alcohol 5 points: Almost no aftertaste from alcohol 4 points: Weak alcohol-derived aftertaste 3 points: A slight aftertaste of alcohol is felt. 2 points: A lingering aroma from alcohol is felt. 1 point: Strong alcohol-derived aftertaste (Irritating sensation from alcohol (EtOH)) 6 points: No irritation from alcohol at all 5 points: Almost no irritation from alcohol 4 points: Less irritating feeling from alcohol 3 points: Slight irritation from alcohol 2 points: Feeling a stimulating sensation due to alcohol 1 point: Strong irritation from alcohol (Spicy flavor derived from cinnamaldehyde) 6 points: No spicy flavor at all 5 points: The aroma of spices is barely noticeable. 4 points: The spice flavor is not very noticeable. 3 points: A slight spice flavor can be detected 2 points: A slight spice flavor can be felt 1 point: Strong spice flavor These evaluation criteria and methods were also used in other experiments. The formulations and results of each beverage are shown in the table below.

[0037] [Table 1]

[0038] As is clear from the above table, a specific amount of cinnamaldehyde or more can reduce the irritating feeling and / or aftertaste of alcohol. Furthermore, as the content of cinnamaldehyde increases, the spicy flavor also increases.

[0039] (Experiment 2) Effect of terpinyl acetate An experiment similar to Experiment 1 was carried out using terpinyl acetate instead of cinnamaldehyde.

[0040] Specifically, sample beverages were prepared by adding various amounts of terpinyl acetate to aqueous alcohol solutions with various alcohol contents, and sensory evaluations were conducted. The results are shown in the table below. For all beverages, the absorbance at a wavelength of 550 nm was within the range of 0.01 to 0.10.

[0041] [Table 2]

[0042] As is clear from the table above, a specific amount of terpinyl acetate or more can reduce the irritating feeling and / or aftertaste of alcohol. Furthermore, as the content of terpinyl acetate increases, the spicy flavor also increases.

[0043] (Experiment 3) Study on Lemon Chuhai Sample beverages were prepared in the same manner as in Experiments 1 and 2, except for the addition of various lemon chuhai ingredients. The lemon chuhai contains water, ethanol, cinnamaldehyde, terpinyl acetate, an acidulant, and lemon flavoring. The alcohol content of all beverages was 7 v / v%, and the absorbance at a wavelength of 550 nm was in the range of 0.01 to 0.10.

[0044] Sensory evaluation of the obtained sample beverages was carried out in the same manner as in Experiments 1 and 2. The results are shown in the table below.

[0045] [Table 3]

[0046] Even in the presence of ingredients other than alcohol and water, the effects of cinnamaldehyde and terpinyl acetate were observed, and the same trends as in Experiments 1 and 2 were observed. (Experiment 4) Use of two components Using the same method as in Experiment 1, a sample beverage (neutral spirits base) containing both cinnamaldehyde and terpinyl acetate was prepared. Another sample beverage (lemon chuhai base) containing both was also prepared using the same method as in Experiment 3. The alcohol content of all beverages was 7% v / v, and the absorbance at 550 nm was in the range of 0.01 to 0.10.

[0047] The obtained sample beverages were subjected to a sensory evaluation test similar to that in Experiment 1. The results are shown in the table below.

[0048] [Table 4]

[0049] The coexistence of these two components resulted in an excellent reduction in the aftertaste and irritation of alcohol, and also reduced the spicy flavor. (Experiment 5) Effects of fruit juice First, an alcoholic solution containing cinnamaldehyde and terpinyl acetate was prepared in the same manner as in Experiments 1 and 2. Various amounts of lemon juice were then added (to give juice ratios of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 w / w%) to prepare sample beverages. All sample beverages contained 100 ppb of cinnamaldehyde and 250 ppb of terpinyl acetate.

[0050] Furthermore, as a control, a sample beverage was prepared that was the same as the above sample beverage except that it did not contain cinnamaldehyde or terpinyl acetate. A sensory evaluation test similar to that in Experiment 1 was conducted on all sample beverages obtained. A score was then calculated by subtracting the score of the control containing the corresponding amount of fruit juice from the score of each beverage containing cinnamaldehyde and terpinyl acetate. The obtained value indicates the effect of cinnamaldehyde and terpinyl acetate in reducing alcohol-induced aroma and irritation (the greater the value, the greater the reduction effect). The results are shown in the table below.

[0051] [Table 5]

[0052] When the fruit juice content was less than 5 w / w%, the reduction effect was greater.

Claims

1. An alcoholic beverage having a terpinyl acetate content of 7 ppb to 900 ppb, a cinnamaldehyde content of 10 ppb to 1000 ppb, and an alcohol content of 1 to 40 v / v% (excluding cases where the beverage is a beer-flavored beverage).

2. The alcoholic beverage according to claim 1, having an absorbance at a wavelength of 550 nm of less than 0.

68.

3. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the fruit juice content is less than 5 w / w% in terms of fruit juice ratio.

4. A method for reducing alcohol-derived irritation and / or alcohol aftertaste in an alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of 1 to 40 v / v%, comprising: the method, comprising mixing ingredients so that the terpinyl acetate content in the beverage is 7 ppb to 900 ppb and the cinnamaldehyde content in the beverage is 10 to 1000 ppb (with the exception of cases where the beverage is a beer-taste beverage).

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the alcoholic beverage has an absorbance at 550 nm of less than 0.68.

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