Beer-flavored beverage

Abstract

To provide a beer-flavored beverage with superior body. [Solution] A beer-flavored beverage containing 10 mg / L or more of L-glutamine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beer - flavored beverage.

Background Art

[0002] Various technical means for improving the flavor of beer - flavored beverages have been proposed so far. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a beer - flavored alcoholic beverage with excellent sharpness, having a D - alanine content of 3.0 mg / L or less and a D - isoleucine content of 0.03 - 0.40 mg / L.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The inventor has found that by increasing the L - glutamine content in a beer - flavored beverage, the thickness is enhanced. The present invention is based on this new finding and aims to provide a beer - flavored beverage with excellent thickness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention relates to a beer - flavored beverage having an L - glutamine content of 10 mg / L or more.

[0006] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a beer - flavored beverage having an alcohol content of more than 10 v / v% and an L - glutamine content of 5 mg / L or more.

[0007] The beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention has increased body due to its higher L-glutamine content. Furthermore, the beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention also has increased roundness due to its higher L-glutamine content.

[0008] The beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention may further contain L-glutamic acid. This further enhances both the thickness and the roundness.

[0009] If the beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention further contains L-glutamic acid, the L-glutamic acid content may be 500 mg / L or less, or 40 mg / L to 200 mg / L. This makes the above-mentioned effects more pronounced.

[0010] The beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention may have an alcohol content of 4v / v% or less. Beer-flavored beverages with low alcohol content tend to lack body, but the beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention has enhanced body even at low alcohol content. When the alcohol content of the beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention is 4v / v% or less, the L-glutamine content may be 20 mg / L or more. This makes the effect of enhancing body and the effect of enhancing roundness more pronounced.

[0011] The beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention may have an alcohol content exceeding 4 v / v%. When the alcohol content of the beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention exceeds 4 v / v%, the L-glutamine content may be 15 mg / L or more. This makes the effect of increasing thickness and the effect of increasing roundness more pronounced.

[0012] The present invention also relates to a method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, which includes adjusting the L-glutamine content to 10 mg / L or more.

[0013] The present invention further relates to a method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, which includes adjusting the alcohol content to more than 10 v / v% and adjusting the L-glutamine content to 5 mg / L or more.

[0014] The present invention also relates to a method for improving the richness of a beer-flavored beverage, which includes adjusting the L-glutamine content to 10 mg / L or more.

[0015] The present invention includes, for example, the following inventions: [1] A beer-flavored beverage containing 10 mg / L or more of L-glutamine. [2] A beer-flavored beverage as described in [1], further containing L-glutamic acid. [3] A beer-flavored beverage as described in [1] or [2], having an L-glutamic acid content of 500 mg / L or less. [4] A beer-flavored beverage as described in any of [1] to [3], having an L-glutamic acid content of 40 mg / L or more and 200 mg / L or less. [5] A beer-flavored beverage described in any of [1] to [4], having an alcohol content of 4v / v% or less. [6] A beer-flavored beverage as described in [5], having an L-glutamine content of 20 mg / L or more. [7] A beer-flavored beverage described in any of [1] to [4], having an alcohol content of more than 4v / v%. [8] A beer-flavored beverage as described in [7], having an L-glutamine content of 15 mg / L or more. [9] A beer-flavored beverage with an alcohol content exceeding 10 v / v% and an L-glutamine content of 5 mg / L or more.

[10] A beer-flavored beverage as described in [9], further containing L-glutamic acid.

[11] A beer - flavored beverage according to [9] or

[10] with an L - glutamic acid content of 500 mg / L or less.

[12] A beer - flavored beverage according to any one of [9] to

[11] with an L - glutamic acid content of 40 mg / L or more and 200 mg / L or less.

[13] A method for producing a beer - flavored beverage, including adjusting the L - glutamine content to 10 mg / L or more.

[14] A method for producing a beer - flavored beverage, including adjusting the alcohol content to more than 10 v / v% and adjusting the L - glutamine content to 5 mg / L or more.

[15] A method for improving the thickness of a beer - flavored beverage, including adjusting the L - glutamine content to 10 mg / L or more.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, a beer - flavored beverage excellent in thickness can be provided.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0018] 〔Beer - flavored beverage〕 The beer - flavored beverage according to the present embodiment has an L - glutamine content of 10 mg / L or more.

[0019] In this specification, "beer-flavored beverage" means a beverage having a beer-like flavor. Examples of beer-flavored beverages, though not limited to beer, include those classified as beer, sparkling alcoholic beverages, and other carbonated alcoholic beverages as defined in Article 3 of the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 6 of 1953). Furthermore, beer-flavored beverages may also include beverages not classified as carbonated alcoholic beverages under the Liquor Tax Act, and soft drinks (e.g., non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages). The beer-flavored beverages according to this embodiment are not limited to those exemplified above.

[0020] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be a beer-flavored alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1 v / v% or more, or a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1 v / v%. In this specification, "alcohol" means ethanol unless otherwise specified.

[0021] The alcohol content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, and for example, 0.1v / v% or more, 0.5v / v% or more, 1.0v / v% or more, 1.5v / v% or more, 2v / v% or more, 2.5v / v% or more, 3.0v / v% or more, 3.5v / v% or more, 4.0v / v% or more, greater than 4.0v / v%, 4.5v / v% or more, 5.0v / v% or more, 5.5v / v% or more, 6.0v / v% or more, 6.5v / v% or more, 7.0v / v It may be % or more, 7.5v / v% or more, 8.0v / v% or more, 8.5v / v% or more, 9.0v / v% or more, 9.5v / v% or more, 10.0v / v% or more, greater than 10.0v / v%, 10.5v / v% or more, 11.0v / v% or more, 11.5v / v% or more, 12.0v / v% or more, 12.5v / v% or more, 13.0v / v% or more, 13.5v / v% or more, 14.0v / v% or more, 14.5v / v% or more, or 15.0v / v% or more.Furthermore, the alcohol content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment is, for example, 40.0 v / v% or less, 39.0 v / v% or less, 38.0 v / v% or less, 37.0 v / v% or less, 36.0 v / v% or less, 35.0 v / v% or less, 34.0 v / v% or less, 33.0 v / v% or less, 32.0 v / v% or less, 31.0 v / v% or less, 30.0 v / v% or less, 29.0 v / v% or less, 28.0 v / v% or less, 27.0 v / v% or less, 26.0v / v% or less, 25.0v / v% or less, 24.0v / v% or less, 23.0v / v% or less, 22.0v / v% or less, 21.0v / v% or less, 20.0v / v% or less, 19.5v / v% or less, 19.0v / v% or less, 18.5v / v% or less, 18.0v / v% or less, 17.5v / v% or less, 17.0v / v% or less, 16.5v / v% or less, 16.0v / v% or less, 15.5v / v% or less Bottom, 15.0v / v% or less, 14.5v / v% or less, 14.0v / v% or less, 13.5v / v% or less, 13.0v / v% or less, 12.5v / v% or less, 12.0v / v% or less, 11.5v / v% or less, 11.0v / v% or less, 10.5v / v% or less, 10.0v / v% or less, 9.5v / v% or less, 9.0v / v% or less, 8.5v / v% or less, 8.0v / v% or less, 7.5v / v% or less, 7.0v / v% or less The following values ​​may be less than or equal to 6.5v / v%, 6.0v / v%, 5.5v / v%, 5.0v / v%, 4.5v / v%, 4.0v / v%, 3.5v / v%, 3.0v / v%, 2.5v / v%, 2.0v / v%, 1.5v / v%, 1.0v / v%, less than 1.0v / v%, 0.5v / v%, 0.1v / v%, or less than 0.005v / v% (0.00v / v%).

[0022] The alcohol content of beer-flavored beverages can be measured, for example, by the revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Japan Brewing Association, edited by the International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] of the Beer Brewers Association, revised and enlarged in 2013), specifically section 8.3.6, "Beer, Alcohol (Alcoholizer Method)," or by the method corresponding to measurement method number 15, which is a method for measuring alcohol content using a vibrating densimeter combining a steam distillation apparatus and gravimetric method, among the methods deemed reasonable and accurate after going through the procedures when the National Tax Agency intends to adopt a measurement method different from the National Tax Agency's prescribed analysis method.

[0023] The wort extract concentration of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 1.0% by weight or more, 2.0% by weight or more, 3.0% by weight or more, 4.0% by weight or more, 5.0% by weight or more, 6.0% by weight or more, 7.0% by weight or more, 8.0% by weight or more, 9.0% by weight or more, 10.0% by weight or more, 11.0% by weight or more, 12.0% by weight or more, 13.0% by weight or more, 14.0% by weight or more, 15.0% by weight or more, 16.0% by weight or more, 17.0% by weight or more, 18.0% by weight or more, 19.0% by weight or more, 20.0% by weight or more, 21.0% by weight or more, 22.0% by weight or more, 23.0% by weight or more, 24.0% by weight or more, 25.0% by weight or more, 26.0% by weight or more, 27.0% by weight or more, or 28.0% by weight or more. Furthermore, the wort extract concentration of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment is 60.0% by weight or less, 59.0% by weight or less, 58.0% by weight or less, 57.0% by weight or less, 56.0% by weight or less, 55.0% by weight or less, 54.0% by weight or less, 53.0% by weight or less, 52.0% by weight or less, 51.0% by weight or less, 50.0% by weight or less, 49.0% by weight or less, 48.0% by weight or less, 47.0% by weight or less, 46.0% by weight or less, 45.0% by weight or less, 44.0% by weight or less, 43.0% by weight or less, 42.0% by weight or less, 41.0% by weight or less, 40.0% by weight or less, 39.0% by weight or less, 38.0% by weight or less, 37.0% by weight or less, 36.0% by weight or less, 35.0% by weight or less, 34.0% by weight or less. It may be 33.0% by weight or less, 32.0% by weight or less, 31.0% by weight or less, 30.0% by weight or less, 29.0% by weight or less, 28.0% by weight or less, 27.0% by weight or less, 26.0% by weight or less, 25.0% by weight or less, 24.0% by weight or less, 23.0% by weight or less, 22.0% by weight or less, 21.0% by weight or less, 20.0% by weight or less, 19.0% by weight or less, 18.0% by weight or less, 17.0% by weight or less, 16.0% by weight or less, 15.0% by weight or less, 14.0% by weight or less, 13.0% by weight or less, 12.0% by weight or less, 11.0% by weight or less, 10.0% by weight or less, 9.0% by weight or less, 8.0% by weight or less, 7.0% by weight or less, 6.0% by weight or less, 5.0% by weight or less, or 4.0% by weight or less.

[0024] The wort extract concentration of beer-flavored beverages can be measured, for example, by the method described in "8.5 Extract-Related Calculation Method" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Japan Brewing Association, edited by the International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] of the Beer Brewers Association, revised and enlarged in 2013).

[0025] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment contains L-glutamine (Gln).

[0026] The L-glutamine content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment is, based on the total amount of the beer-flavored beverage, for example, 5 mg / L or more, 6 mg / L or more, 7 mg / L or more, 8 mg / L or more, 9 mg / L or more, 10 mg / L or more, 11 mg / L or more, 12 mg / L or more, 13 mg / L or more, 14 mg / L or more, 15 mg / L or more, 16 mg / L or more, 17 mg / L or more, 18 mg / L or more, 19 mg / L or more, 20 mg / L or more, 21 mg / L or more, 22 mg / L or more, 23 mg / L or more, 24 mg / L or more, 25 mg / L or more. g / L or more, 26 mg / L or more, 27 mg / L or more, 28 mg / L or more, 29 mg / L or more, 30 mg / L or more, 31 mg / L or more, 32 mg / L or more, 33 mg / L or more, 34 mg / L or more, 35 mg / L or more, 36 mg / L or more, 37 mg / L or more, 3 8mg / L or more, 39mg / L or more, 40mg / L or more, 41mg / L or more, 42mg / L or more, 43mg / L or more, 44mg / L or more, 45mg / L or more, 46mg / L or more, 47mg / L or more, 48mg / L or more, 49mg / L or more, 50mg / L or more , 51 mg / L or more, 52 mg / L or more, 53 mg / L or more, 54 mg / L or more, 55 mg / L or more, 56 mg / L or more, 57 mg / L or more, 58 mg / L or more, 59 mg / L or more, 60 mg / L or more, 61 mg / L or more, 62 mg / L or more, 63 mg / L 64mg / L or more, 65mg / L or more, 66mg / L or more, 67mg / L or more, 68mg / L or more, 69mg / L or more, 70mg / L or more, 71mg / L or more, 72mg / L or more, 73mg / L or more, 74mg / L or more, 75mg / L or more, 76mg It may be 100 mg / L or more, 77 mg / L or more, 78 mg / L or more, 79 mg / L or more, 80 mg / L or more, 81 mg / L or more, 82 mg / L or more, 83 mg / L or more, 84 mg / L or more, 85 mg / L or more, 86 mg / L or more, 87 mg / L or more, 88 mg / L or more, 89 mg / L or more, 90 mg / L or more, 91 mg / L or more, 92 mg / L or more, 93 mg / L or more, 94 mg / L or more, 95 mg / L or more, 96 mg / L or more, 97 mg / L or more, 98 mg / L or more, 99 mg / L or more, or 100 mg / L or more.

[0027] There are no particular restrictions on the upper limit of the L-glutamine content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment, but based on the total amount of the beer-flavored beverage, for example, 1000 mg / L or less, 950 mg / L or less, 900 mg / L or less, 850 mg / L or less, 800 mg / L or less, 750 mg / L or less, 700 mg / L or less, 650 mg / L or less, 600 mg / L or less, 550 mg / L or less, 500 mg / L or less. g / L or less, 490 mg / L or less, 480 mg / L or less, 470 mg / L or less, 460 mg / L or less, 450 mg / L or less, 440 mg / L or less, 430 mg / L or less, 420 mg / L or less 33 0mg / L or less, 320mg / L or less, 310mg / L or less, 300mg / L or less, 290mg / L or less, 280mg / L or less, 270mg / L or less, 260mg / L or less, 250mg / L L or less, 240mg / L or less, 230mg / L or less, 220mg / L or less, 210mg / L or less, 200mg / L or less, 190mg / L or less, 180mg / L or less, 170mg / L or less, It may be 160 mg / L or less, 150 mg / L or less, 140 mg / L or less, 130 mg / L or less, 120 mg / L or less, 110 mg / L or less, 100 mg / L or less, 95 mg / L or less, 90 mg / L or less, 85 mg / L or less, 80 mg / L or less, 75 mg / L or less, 70 mg / L or less, 65 mg / L or less, 60 mg / L or less, 55 mg / L or less, or 50 mg / L or less.

[0028] The L-glutamine content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by adding L-glutamine at any stage when manufacturing the beer-flavored beverage by conventional methods, by appropriately selecting the type and amount of raw materials used to increase or decrease the L-glutamine content, by appropriately setting manufacturing conditions (e.g., mashing conditions, fermentation conditions, etc.), and by any combination thereof. The addition of L-glutamine may be, for example, by adding L-glutamine itself, or by adding a composition containing L-glutamine.

[0029] The L-glutamine content of beer-flavored beverages can be measured by conventional methods using a fully automated amino acid analyzer (for example, the Hitachi High-Tech Science LA8080 high-speed amino acid analyzer).

[0030] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may further contain L-glutamic acid (Glu).

[0031] If the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment contains L-glutamic acid, the L-glutamic acid content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment is, based on the total amount of the beer-flavored beverage, for example, greater than 0 mg / L, 1 mg / L or more, 2 mg / L or more, 3 mg / L or more, 4 mg / L or more, 5 mg / L or more, 6 mg / L or more, 7 mg / L or more, 8 mg / L or more, 9 mg / L or more, 10 mg / L or more, 11 mg / L or more, 12 mg / L or more, 13 mg / L or more, 14 mg / L or more, 15 mg / L or more, 16 mg / L or more, 17 mg / L or more, 18 mg / L or more, 1 9mg / L or more, 20mg / L or more, 21mg / L or more, 22mg / L or more, 23mg / L or more, 24mg / L or more, 25mg / L or more, 26mg / L or more, 27mg / L or more, 28mg / L or more, 29mg / L or more, 30mg / L or more, 31mg / L or more, 32mg / L or more , 33 mg / L or more, 34 mg / L or more, 35 mg / L or more, 36 mg / L or more, 37 mg / L or more, 38 mg / L or more, 39 mg / L or more, 40 mg / L or more, 41 mg / L or more, 42 mg / L or more, 43 mg / L or more, 44 mg / L or more, 45 mg / L or more, 46 mg / L or more Above, 47 mg / L or more, 48 mg / L or more, 49 mg / L or more, 50 mg / L or more, 51 mg / L or more, 52 mg / L or more, 53 mg / L or more, 54 mg / L or more, 55 mg / L or more, 56 mg / L or more, 57 mg / L or more, 58 mg / L or more, 59 mg / L or more, 60 mg / L L or more, 61mg / L or more, 62mg / L or more, 63mg / L or more, 64mg / L or more, 65mg / L or more, 66mg / L or more, 67mg / L or more, 68mg / L or more, 69mg / L or more, 70mg / L or more, 71mg / L or more, 72mg / L or more, 73mg / L or more, 74m It may be g / L or more, 75 mg / L or more, 76 mg / L or more, 77 mg / L or more, 78 mg / L or more, 79 mg / L or more, 80 mg / L or more, 81 mg / L or more, 82 mg / L or more, 83 mg / L or more, 84 mg / L or more, 85 mg / L or more, 86 mg / L or more, 87 mg / L or more, 88 mg / L or more, 89 mg / L or more, 90 mg / L or more, 91 mg / L or more, 92 mg / L or more, 93 mg / L or more, 94 mg / L or more, 95 mg / L or more, 96 mg / L or more, 97 mg / L or more, 98 mg / L or more, 99 mg / L or more, or 100 mg / L or more.

[0032] If the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment contains L-glutamic acid, the upper limit of the L-glutamic acid content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment is, based on the total amount of the beer-flavored beverage, for example, 1000 mg / L or less, 950 mg / L or less, 900 mg / L or less, 850 mg / L or less, 800 mg / L or less, 750 mg / L or less, 700 mg / L or less, 650 mg / L or less, 600 mg / L or less, 550 mg / L or less, 500 mg / L or less, 490 mg / L or less, 480 mg / L or less, 470 mg / L or less, 460 mg / L or less, 450 mg / L or less, 440 mg / L or less, 430 mg / L or less, 420 mg / L or less, 410 mg / L or less, 400 mg / L or less, 390 mg / L or less mg / L or less, 380 mg / L or less, 370 mg / L or less, 360 mg / L or less, 350 mg / L or less, 340 mg / L or less, 330 mg / L or less, 320 mg / L or less , 310mg / L or less, 300mg / L or less, 290mg / L or less, 280mg / L or less, 270mg / L or less, 260mg / L or less, 250mg / L or less, 240mg / L or less, 230mg / L or less, 220mg / L or less, 210mg / L or less, 200mg / L or less, 190mg / L or less, 180mg / L or less, 170mg / L or less, 1 It may be 60 mg / L or less, 150 mg / L or less, 140 mg / L or less, 130 mg / L or less, 120 mg / L or less, 110 mg / L or less, or 100 mg / L or less.

[0033] The L-glutamic acid content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by adding L-glutamic acid at any stage when manufacturing the beer-flavored beverage by conventional methods, by appropriately selecting the type and amount of raw materials used to increase or decrease the L-glutamic acid content, by appropriately setting manufacturing conditions (e.g., mashing conditions, fermentation conditions, etc.), and by any combination thereof. The addition of L-glutamic acid may be, for example, by adding L-glutamic acid itself, or by adding a composition containing L-glutamic acid.

[0034] The L-glutamic acid content of beer-flavored beverages can be measured by conventional methods using a fully automated amino acid analyzer (for example, the Hitachi High-Tech Science LA8080 high-speed amino acid analyzer).

[0035] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, any of the following (1) to (3). (1) A beer-flavored beverage with an alcohol content of 4v / v% or less and an L-glutamine content of 10 mg / L or more. (2) A beer-flavored beverage having an alcohol content greater than 4v / v% and 10v / v% or less, and an L-glutamine content of 10 mg / L or more. (3) A beer-flavored beverage having an alcohol content of more than 10 v / v% and an L-glutamine content of 5 mg / L or more.

[0036] The alcohol content and L-glutamine content of the beer-flavored beverages described in (1) to (3) can be adjusted within the ranges exemplified above.

[0037] The beer-flavored beverages described in (1) to (3) may further contain L-glutamic acid. If the beer-flavored beverages described in (1) to (3) contain L-glutamic acid, the L-glutamic acid content can be adjusted within the range exemplified above.

[0038] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain malt as an ingredient. In this specification, malt refers to malt or processed malt products. Examples of malt include barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl oats, and oats. Examples of processed malt products include malt extract, malt, and malt extract. Malt extract is obtained by extracting malt extract containing sugars and nitrogen from malt. Malt is obtained by germinating malt. As malt, colored malt (e.g., caramel malt, crystal malt, dark malt, chocolate malt, coffee malt, etc.) produced by roasting or scorching at a relatively high temperature (e.g., about 120°C) during malt production may be used. Malt extract is obtained by extracting extract containing sugars and nitrogen from malt.

[0039] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain hops as an ingredient. Hops include, for example, dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract, as well as processed hop products such as raw hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and isopropyl hop extract.

[0040] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may have a malt usage ratio (the proportion of malt in ingredients other than water and hops) of 30% by mass or more. The malt usage ratio may be 35% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, 45% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 55% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 65% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, 75% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, 85% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, or 95% by mass or more. Alternatively, the malt usage ratio may be 100% by mass, or 100% by mass or less, less than 100% by mass, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 85% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 66% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, or 55% by mass or less.

[0041] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may contain bittering agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, etc., which are commonly used in beverages, as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. Examples of bittering agents include, in addition to the hops mentioned above, iso-alpha acids, caffeine, gentian extract, peptides, theobromine, naringin, bitter oak extract, wormwood extract, cinchona extract, etc. Examples of coloring agents include caramel color, gardenia color, fruit juice color, vegetable color, and synthetic color. Examples of sweeteners include fructose-glucose liquid sugar, glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glycogen, and starch. Examples of high-intensity sweeteners include neotame, acesulfame K, sucralose, saccharin, sodium saccharin, disodium glycyrrhizinate, cyclamate, dulcin, stevia, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, aspartame, and alitame. Examples of antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenols. Examples of acidulants include phosphoric acid, lactic acid, DL-malic acid, citric acid, adipic acid, trisodium citrate, glucono delta-lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, sodium acetate, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, DL-sodium tartrate, L-sodium tartrate, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, and DL-sodium malate. Examples of salts include table salt, acidic potassium phosphate, acidic calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate.

[0042] The bitterness value (BU) of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.0 or more and 150.0 or less. The BU of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 140.0 or less, 130.0 or less, 120.0 or less, 110.0 or less, 100.0 or less, 90.0 or less, 80.0 or less, 70.0 or less, 60.0 or less, 50.0 or less, 40.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, or 15.0 or less, and may be 1.0 or more, 2.0 or more, 3.0 or more, 4.0 or more, 5.0 or more, 10.0 or more, 15.0 or more, 20.0 or more, 25.0 or more, 30.0 or more, or 35.0 or more. The bitterness value of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be measured by the method described in "8.15 Bitterness Value" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Japan Brewing Association, edited by the International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] of the Beer Brewers Association, revised and augmented in 2013). The bitterness value can be appropriately set within the above range by, for example, adjusting the type and amount of raw materials used.

[0043] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be non-carbonated or carbonated. Here, non-carbonated means that the gas pressure at 20°C is 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm²). 2 This refers to a gas pressure of less than 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm²) at 20°C, and foaming means that the gas pressure at 20°C is less than 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm²). 2 This means that the pressure is 3.0 kg / cm² or higher. If it is foamed, the upper limit of the gas pressure is 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg / cm²). 2 It can be set to that extent.

[0044] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be provided in a container. That is, the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be a beer-flavored beverage in a container. The container can be any container that can be sealed, and so-called metal containers (such as aluminum or steel cans or barrels) can be used. Alternatively, glass containers, PET bottles, paper containers, pouch containers, etc., can also be used. The capacity of the container is not particularly limited, and any currently available container can be used. It is preferable to use a metal container because it can completely block gas, moisture and light, and maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long period of time.

[0045] [Method of manufacturing beer-flavored beverages] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be produced, for example, by a manufacturing method that includes adjusting the L-glutamine content to 10 mg / L or more. This manufacturing method may further include adding L-glutamic acid to the beer-flavored beverage.

[0046] In another embodiment, the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be produced by a manufacturing method that includes adjusting the L-glutamine content to 5 mg / L or more and adjusting the alcohol content to more than 10 v / v%. This manufacturing method may further include including L-glutamic acid in the beer-flavored beverage.

[0047] Each of the above manufacturing methods may, for example, involve mixing raw materials to produce a beer-flavored beverage (blending method), or may involve fermentation using yeast or the like to produce a beer-flavored beverage (fermentation method).

[0048] A manufacturing method (by blending) according to one embodiment includes, for example, a blending step of blending water, L-glutamine, and optionally alcohol (e.g., distilled alcohol such as raw material alcohol, spirits and vodka, or fermented liquid obtained by brewing), L-glutamic acid and / or various additives (e.g., bittering agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, water-soluble dietary fiber, etc.) and other raw materials such as wort in a raw material tank. The blending step can be carried out in accordance with conventional methods, except for adjusting the L-glutamine content, and optionally the L-glutamic acid content and alcohol content, within the above-described ranges. The L-glutamine content and L-glutamic acid content can be adjusted by the method described above.

[0049] The manufacturing method according to this embodiment may further include a filtration step of filtering a mixture obtained by mixing each component in a blending step, a first sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filtered in the filtration step, a filling step of filling the sterilized filtrate sterilized in the first sterilization step into containers such as bottles, cans, or PET bottles, and a second sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filled into the containers together with the containers.

[0050] The blending process may involve mixing while stirring with a stirrer or similar device to ensure that each component is well combined. The filtration process can be carried out using, for example, a general filter or strainer. The first sterilization process may be carried out by plate sterilization, from the viewpoint of processing speed, etc., and is not limited to this method as long as a similar process can be performed. The filling process may be carried out in a clean room that maintains a level of cleanliness that is normally maintained in beverage manufacturing. The second sterilization process can be carried out by heating the filtrate together with the container at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time. The first or second sterilization process may be a non-heating sterilization process. Examples of non-heating sterilization processes include ultraviolet (UV) sterilization. It is also possible to perform unsterilized filling without performing a sterilization process.

[0051] Other embodiments of the manufacturing method (fermentation method) include, for example, a preparation step and a fermentation step.

[0052] The preparation process is the process of preparing the pre-fermentation liquid to be used for fermentation. The preparation process may be, for example, the process of obtaining the pre-fermentation liquid using raw materials and preparation water (water used in the preparation process). The preparation process may also include, for example, a boiling process in which the sugar-containing liquid is boiled, a removal process in which solids are removed from the raw material liquid, and a cooling process in which the raw material liquid is cooled.

[0053] In the boiling process, the sugar-containing liquid is boiled to obtain the boiled liquid (sugar-containing liquid after boiling). The sugar-containing liquid is a liquid that contains components capable of alcoholic fermentation by yeast. Examples of sugar-containing liquids include wort and syrup. Wort is a liquid obtained after the saccharification of the aforementioned barley raw materials, and is unfermented. Wort can be obtained, for example, by the process of mixing the aforementioned barley raw materials with water, the process of saccharifying the liquid containing the raw materials and water by a conventional method to obtain a saccharified liquid, and the process of filtering the saccharified liquid. During saccharification, an enzyme preparation containing a polysaccharide-degrading enzyme and / or an enzyme preparation containing a protein-degrading enzyme may be added.

[0054] Hops may be added to the raw material liquid during the boiling process. Examples of hops that can be added include dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract. The hops may also be processed hop products such as raw hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and isopropyl hop extract.

[0055] In the removal step, solid matter is removed from the boiled liquid to obtain a purified liquid. The removal step can be carried out, for example, by precipitating the insoluble solid matter contained in the boiled liquid. Examples of solid matter include heat-coagulated material produced during the boiling step, and, if hops were added during the boiling step, hop residue, etc. The removal step may be carried out in a whirlpool. In the cooling step, the purified liquid is cooled to a temperature at which yeast fermentation is possible to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.

[0056] The fermentation process involves fermenting the pre-fermentation liquid with yeast. The fermentation process yields a post-fermentation liquid, which is the result of fermenting the pre-fermentation liquid with yeast. In the fermentation process, alcoholic fermentation is carried out by yeast. More specifically, yeast is inoculated into the pre-fermentation liquid and fermented, yielding a post-fermentation liquid containing alcohol produced by the yeast.

[0057] In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the post-fermentation process may include steps for maturing and cooling the post-fermentation liquid, and for filtering the post-fermentation liquid. By performing the filtering step, insoluble solids, yeast, etc., can be removed from the post-fermentation liquid.

[0058] In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, other post-fermentation steps may include heating (sterilization) of the post-fermentation liquid (or the post-fermentation liquid after the filtration step), and the addition of various additives (for example, bittering agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, water-soluble dietary fiber).

[0059] The manufacturing method (fermentation method) according to this embodiment can be carried out in accordance with conventional methods, except that the L-glutamine content, and optionally the L-glutamic acid content and alcohol content are adjusted to the above-described range. The L-glutamine content and L-glutamic acid content can be adjusted by the method described above. The alcohol content can be adjusted, for example, by the type and amount of raw materials (e.g., malt, adjuncts, enzymes, etc.) used, and the conditions of the manufacturing process (e.g., mashing process, fermentation process) (e.g., saccharification temperature, saccharification time, type of yeast, fermentation temperature, fermentation time). The alcohol content can also be adjusted, for example, by diluting the post-fermentation liquid, removing alcohol from the post-fermentation liquid, or adding alcohol to the post-fermentation liquid.

[0060] [Methods to improve the richness of beer-flavored beverages] A method for improving the richness of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment includes, for example, adjusting the L-glutamine content to 10 mg / L or more. In another embodiment, a method for improving the richness of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment includes, for example, adjusting the L-glutamine content to 5 mg / L or more and adjusting the alcohol content to more than 10 v / v%. The above-described embodiments can be applied without limitation as specific embodiments of the method according to this embodiment. [Examples]

[0061] The present invention will be described more specifically below based on examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0062] [Test Example 1: Manufacturing and Evaluation of Beer-Flavored Beverages] <Manufacturing of beer-flavored beverages> Malt and hops were used to prepare wort by conventional methods. Yeast was added to the prepared wort and fermented by conventional methods to produce a beer-flavored beverage of Test Example 1-1 with a raw wort extract concentration of 5.5% by weight and a malt usage ratio of 100% by weight.

[0063] Using the beer-flavored beverage of Test Example 1-1 as the base liquid, L-glutamine (Gln) was added to it in the amounts shown in Table 1 to produce the beer-flavored beverages of Test Examples 1-2 to 1-7.

[0064] Using the beer-flavored beverage of Test Example 1-1 as the base liquid, L-glutamine (Gln) and L-glutamic acid (Glu) were added to it in the amounts shown in Table 2 to produce the beer-flavored beverages of Test Examples 1-8 to 1-12.

[0065] <Measuring alcohol content> The alcohol content of the beer-flavored beverage was measured using the method described in "8.3.6 Beer, Alcohol (Alcoholizer Method)" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Japan Brewing Association, edited by the International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] of the Beer Brewers Association, revised and expanded in 2013).

[0066] <Measurement of original wort extract concentration> The original wort extract concentration of the beer - flavored beverage was measured by the method described in "8.5 Extract - related calculation method" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Japan Brewing Association, edited by the International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] of the Beer Brewing Cooperative, 2013 Supplement and Revision).

[0067] <Measurement of L - glutamine content and L - glutamic acid content> The L - glutamine content and L - glutamic acid content of the beer - flavored beverage were measured using a fully automatic amino acid analyzer (Hitachi High - Technologies Corporation's LA8080 high - speed amino acid analyzer).

[0068] <Sensory evaluation> For the beer - flavored beverages in Test Examples 1 - 1 to 1 - 12, sensory evaluation was carried out for the evaluation items of "thickness" and "roundness". The sensory evaluation was carried out by 5 selected panelists with discriminative ability. All evaluation items were evaluated on a 5 - point scale from 1 point to 5 points, and the average value was used as the evaluation score.

[0069] "Thickness" indicates the feeling recognized by the spread of the taste peculiar to beer and the body feeling, etc. The judgment criteria for "thickness" from 1 point to 5 points were set as follows and evaluated on a 5 - point scale from 1 point to 5 points. That is, the higher the score, the stronger the feeling of "thickness". 1 point: The spread of the taste peculiar to beer is small and the body feeling is low 2 point: The spread of the taste peculiar to beer is slightly small and the body feeling is slightly low 3 point: Both the spread of the taste peculiar to beer and the body feeling are medium 4 point: The spread of the taste peculiar to beer is slightly large and the body feeling is slightly high 5 point: The spread of the taste peculiar to beer is large and the body feeling is high For "thickness", the score of the beer - flavored beverage in Test Example 1 - 1 was fixed at 1 point, and the score of the beer - flavored beverage in Test Example 1 - 5 was fixed at 3 points. Based on these, other beer - flavored beverages were evaluated.

[0070] "Roundness" refers to the sensation of not feeling any harshness or irritation when the mouth is pricked. "Roundness" was evaluated on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5, based on the following scoring criteria. In other words, a higher score indicates a stronger feeling of "roundness." 1 point: When it pricks the inside of your mouth, you feel a strong prickly sensation. Points 2: When it pricks the inside of the mouth, it feels somewhat prickly. 3 points: When it pricks the inside of the mouth, the prickliness feels less pronounced. 4 points: When it pricks the inside of your mouth, you feel a slight thorniness. 5 points: Does not feel prickly when it stings the inside of the mouth. For "roundness," the score for the beer-flavored beverage in Test Example 1-1 was fixed at 1 point, and the score for the beer-flavored beverage in Test Example 1-5 was fixed at 2.8 points. These were then used as a baseline to evaluate the other beer-flavored beverages.

[0071] The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0072] [Table 1]

[0073] [Table 2]

[0074] Beer-flavored beverages with low alcohol content tend to lack body, but the results from Test Examples 1-1 to 1-7 show that increasing the L-glutamine content enhances body. Furthermore, the results from Test Examples 1-1 to 1-7 also show that increasing the L-glutamine content enhances roundness.

[0075] The results from Test Examples 1-4 and 1-8 to 1-12 show that, in addition to increasing the L-glutamine content, increasing the L-glutamic acid content results in a more pronounced effect of increasing thickness.

[0076] 〔Test Example 2: Production and Evaluation of Beer-Taste Beverages〕 <Production of Beer-Taste Beverages> Using malt, liquid sugar and hops, wort was prepared by a conventional method. Yeast was added to the prepared wort and fermented by a conventional method to produce a beer-taste beverage of Test Example 2-1 with a malt usage ratio of 51% by mass.

[0077] Using the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 2-1 as the base liquid, L-glutamine (Gln) was added thereto to a content as described in Table 3 to produce beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 2-2 to Test Example 2-7.

[0078] Using the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 2-1 as the base liquid, L-glutamine (Gln) and L-glutamic acid (Glu) were added thereto to a content as described in Table 4 to produce beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 2-8 to Test Example 2-12.

[0079] <Measurement of Alcohol Content> The alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage was measured by the same method as in Test Example 1.

[0080] <Measurement of L-Glutamine Content and L-Glutamic Acid Content> The L-glutamine content and L-glutamic acid content of the beer-taste beverage were measured by the same method as in Test Example 1.

[0081] <Sensory Evaluation> For the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 2-1 to Test Example 2-12, sensory evaluation was carried out under the same conditions and procedures as in Test Example 1.

[0082] The results are shown in Table 3 and Table 4.

[0083]

Table 3

[0084]

Table 4

[0085] Beer-flavored beverages with a low malt content tend to lack body, but the results from Test Examples 2-1 to 2-7 show that increasing the L-glutamine content enhances body. Furthermore, the results from Test Examples 2-1 to 2-7 also show that increasing the L-glutamine content enhances roundness.

[0086] The results from Test Examples 2-4 and 2-8 to 2-12 show that, in addition to increasing the L-glutamine content, increasing the L-glutamic acid content results in a more pronounced effect of increasing thickness.

[0087] [Test Example 3: Manufacturing and Evaluation of Beer-Flavored Beverages] <Manufacturing of beer-flavored beverages> Wort was prepared using malt, liquid sugar, and hops by conventional methods. Top-fermenting yeast was added to the prepared wort and fermented by conventional methods to produce a beer-flavored beverage of Test Example 3-1 with a raw wort extract concentration of 28.9% by weight, a malt usage ratio of 51% by weight, and a bitterness value (BU) of 37.5.

[0088] Using the beer-flavored beverage of Test Example 3-1 as the base liquid, L-glutamine (Gln) was added to it in the amounts shown in Table 5 to produce the beer-flavored beverages of Test Examples 3-2 to 3-4.

[0089] Using the beer-flavored beverage of Test Example 3-1 as the base liquid, L-glutamine (Gln) and L-glutamic acid (Glu) were added to it in the amounts shown in Table 6 to produce the beer-flavored beverages of Test Examples 3-5 and 3-6.

[0090] <Measuring alcohol content> The alcohol content of the beer-flavored beverage was measured according to the procedure for measuring alcohol content using a vibrating densimeter combining a steam distillation apparatus and gravimetric method, which corresponds to measurement method number 15, among the methods deemed reasonable and accurate by the National Tax Agency after going through the procedures for adopting a measurement method different from the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method.

[0091] <Measurement of original wort extract concentration> The wort extract concentration of the beer-flavored beverage was measured using the same method as in Test Example 1.

[0092] <Measurement of glutamine content and L-glutamic acid content> The L-glutamine and L-glutamic acid content of the beer-flavored beverage was measured using the same method as in Test Example 1.

[0093] <Sensory evaluation> Sensory evaluation was conducted on the beer-flavored beverages of Test Examples 3-1 to 3-6 under the same conditions and procedures as in Test Example 1.

[0094] The results are shown in Tables 5 and 6.

[0095] [Table 5]

[0096] [Table 6]

[0097] The results from Test Examples 3-1 to 3-4 show that even at high alcohol content, increasing the L-glutamine content enhances thickness. Furthermore, the results from Test Examples 3-1 to 3-4 also show that increasing the L-glutamine content enhances roundness.

[0098] The results from Test Examples 3-2 and 3-5 to 3-6 show that, in addition to increasing the L-glutamine content, increasing the L-glutamic acid content results in a more pronounced effect of increasing thickness.

Claims

1. A beer-flavored beverage having a malt content of 30% by mass or more, an L-glutamine content of 30 mg / L to 500 mg / L, an L-glutamic acid content of 77 mg / L to 1000 mg / L, and an alcohol content of 4.0 v / v% or less.

2. A beer-flavored beverage having a malt content of 30% by mass or more, an L-glutamine content of 30 mg / L to 500 mg / L, an L-glutamic acid content of 77 mg / L to 1000 mg / L, and an alcohol content of over 4.0 v / v% and 10.0 v / v% or less.

3. A beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the L-glutamic acid content is 77 mg / L or more and 200 mg / L or less.

4. A beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the L-glutamine content is 30 mg / L or more and 200 mg / L or less.

5. A method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, comprising adjusting the L-glutamine content to 30 mg / L or more and 500 mg / L or less, adjusting the L-glutamic acid content to 77 mg / L or more and 1000 mg / L or less, adjusting the malt usage ratio to 30% by mass or more, and adjusting the alcohol content to 4.0 v / v% or less.

6. A method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, comprising adjusting the L-glutamine content to 30 mg / L or more and 500 mg / L or less, adjusting the L-glutamic acid content to 77 mg / L or more and 1000 mg / L or less, adjusting the malt usage ratio to 30% by mass or more, and adjusting the alcohol content to more than 4.0 v / v% and 10.0 v / v% or less.

7. A method for improving the richness of a beer-flavored beverage, comprising adjusting the L-glutamine content to 30 mg / L or more and 500 mg / L or less, adjusting the L-glutamic acid content to 77 mg / L or more and 1000 mg / L or less, adjusting the malt usage ratio to 30% by mass or more, and adjusting the alcohol content to 4.0 v / v% or less.

8. A method for improving the richness of a beer-flavored beverage, comprising adjusting the L-glutamine content to 30 mg / L or more and 500 mg / L or less, adjusting the L-glutamic acid content to 77 mg / L or more and 1000 mg / L or less, adjusting the malt usage ratio to 30% by mass or more, and adjusting the alcohol content to more than 4.0 v / v% and 10.0 v / v% or less.

Images