Beer-flavored beverage

Abstract

To provide a beer-taste beverage that has a good flavor balance as a beverage, and achieves improvement in feelings of stimulation and carbonic acid as well as clear sharpness.SOLUTION: A beer-taste beverage has a malt ratio of less than 25 mass%, a bitterness value of 15.0 or more and 35.0 or less, and a carbohydrate content of 0.35 g / 100 mL or more and 1.1 g / 100 mL or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Due to the increasing health consciousness in recent years, the demand for beer - flavored beverages with a low sugar content (for example, sugar - free beer - flavored beverages) has been increasing. Therefore, methods for improving the flavor of beer - flavored beverages with a low sugar content have been studied. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a beer - like alcoholic beverage in which the amount of 4 - vinyl guaiacol (4VG) is 10 to 200 ppb (w / v) in concentration, the amount of 2 - acetyl - 1 - pyrroline (2AP) is less than 1 ppb (w / v) in concentration, the amount of sugar is 2.0 g / 100 ml or less in concentration, and the amount of alcohol is 4 to 10% (v / v) in concentration. Patent Document 2 discloses a beer - like foaming beverage in which the sugar content is 2.0 g / 100 mL or less and the ratio of the linalool content (μg / L) to the sugar content (g / 100 mL) is 0.1 to 25.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Beer-flavored beverages with low carbohydrate content (e.g., 1.1g / 100mL or less) and low malt usage ratio (less than 25% by mass) sometimes lacked sufficient stimulating sensation, carbonation, and a crisp finish. The inventors found that adjusting the bitterness value within a specific range in beer-flavored beverages with low malt ratio and carbohydrate content improved the stimulating sensation, carbonation, and crisp finish. However, adjusting the bitterness value in beer-flavored beverages with low malt ratio and carbohydrate content sometimes compromised the flavor balance of the beverage.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a beer-flavored beverage that has a good balance of flavor as a beverage, as well as improved stimulating sensation, carbonation, and a clean, crisp finish. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a beer-flavored beverage having a malt ratio of less than 25% by mass, a bitterness value of 15.0 or more and 35.0 or less, and a carbohydrate content of 0.35 g / 100 mL or more and 1.1 g / 100 mL or less.

[0007] The beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention has a good balance of flavor as a beverage because the malt ratio, bitterness value, and sugar content are all within specific ranges, and the sensation of stimulating sensation, carbonation, and crispness are improved.

[0008] The sugar content of the above-mentioned beer-flavored beverage may be between 0.60g / 100mL and 1.0g / 100mL. In this case, the effects of the present invention will be even more pronounced.

[0009] The bitterness value of the above-mentioned beer-flavored beverage may be between 18.0 and 35.0. In this case, the effects of the present invention will be even more pronounced.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, which includes adjusting the malt ratio to less than 25% by mass, adjusting the bitterness value to 15.0 or more and 35.0 or less, and adjusting the carbohydrate content to 0.35 g / 100 mL or more and 1.1 g / 100 mL or less.

[0011] According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, since the malt ratio, bitterness value, and sugar content are each adjusted to specific ranges, it is possible to produce a beer-flavored beverage that has a good balance of flavor as a beverage, as well as improved stimulating sensation, carbonation, and a crisp finish. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beer-flavored beverage that has a good balance of flavor as a beverage, as well as improved stimulating sensation, carbonation, and a clean, crisp finish. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0014] [Beer-flavored beverage] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment has a malt ratio of less than 25% by mass, a bitterness value of 15.0 to 35.0, and a carbohydrate content of 0.35 g / 100 mL to 1.1 g / 100 mL.

[0015] In this specification, "beer-flavored beverage" means a beverage having a beer-like flavor. 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.

[0016] Examples of beer-flavored alcoholic beverages include, but are not limited to, those classified as sparkling alcoholic beverages, other brewed alcoholic beverages, and liqueurs under the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 8 of 2020). The beer-flavored alcoholic beverages according to this embodiment are not limited to those exemplified above.

[0017] The alcohol content of beer-flavored alcoholic beverages is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 1v / v% or more, 2v / v% or more, 3v / v% or more, 4v / v% or more, or 5v / v% or more. Alternatively, the alcohol content of beer-flavored alcoholic beverages may be, for example, 20v / v% or less, 15v / v% or less, 10v / v% or less, 9v / v% or less, 8v / v% or less, 7v / v% or less, 6v / v% or less, 5v / v% or less, 4v / v% or less, or 3v / v% or less.

[0018] Non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages are beer-flavored beverages that contain virtually no alcohol. The alcohol content of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages may be less than 1 v / v%, 0.5 v / v%, 0.1 v / v%, or less than 0.005 v / v% (0.00 v / v%).

[0019] The alcohol content of beer-flavored beverages can be measured, for example, based on the vibrating densimeter method described in the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (ordinance) "3. Sake 3-4. Alcohol Content".

[0020] The beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain wheat raw materials as raw materials. In this specification, wheat raw materials refer to wheat or wheat processed products. Examples of wheat include barley, wheat, rye, crow wheat, oats, buckwheat, and spelt. Examples of wheat processed products include wheat extract, malt, and malt extract. Wheat extract is obtained by extracting a wheat extract component containing sugar and nitrogen components from wheat. Malt is obtained by germinating wheat. As malt, colored malt (for example, caramel malt, crystal malt, black malt, chocolate malt, coffee malt, etc.) produced by performing drying or roasting during the production of malt at a relatively high temperature (for example, about 120°C) and charring may be used. Malt extract is obtained by extracting an extract component containing sugar and nitrogen components from malt.

[0021] The beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain hops as raw materials. Hops include, for example, dried hops, hop pellets, hop extracts, and also include hop processed products such as low - grade hops, hexahops, tetra hops, isomerized hop extracts, etc.

[0022] The beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment has a malt ratio (the ratio of malt in raw materials other than water and hops) of less than 25% by mass. The malt ratio may be 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, or 5% by mass or less. The malt ratio may be, for example, 1% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more.

[0023] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may contain saccharides as raw materials. The saccharides may be, for example, liquid sugar or powdered sugar. Examples of the saccharides include sucrose, maltose, fructose, lactose, and the like. When using saccharides, the usage ratio of the saccharides (the ratio in the raw materials other than water and hops) may be, for example, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more. Also, the usage ratio of the saccharides (the ratio in the raw materials other than water and hops) may be, for example, 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, 65% by mass or less, or 60% by mass or less.

[0024] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may contain water-soluble dietary fiber as a raw material. The water-soluble dietary fiber is a dietary fiber soluble in water. Dietary fiber is an indigestible component in food that is not digested by human digestive enzymes. Examples of the water-soluble dietary fiber may include indigestible dextrin, indigestible glucan, and other indigestible polysaccharides. The water-soluble dietary fiber may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When using water-soluble dietary fiber, the usage ratio of the water-soluble dietary fiber (the ratio in the raw materials other than water and hops) may be, for example, 1% by mass or more, 2% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 4% by mass or more, or 5% by mass or more. Also, the usage ratio of the water-soluble dietary fiber (the ratio in the raw materials other than water and hops) may be, for example, 10% by mass or less, 9% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, 7% by mass or less, or 6% by mass or less.

[0025] 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.

[0026] The carbohydrate content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment is 0.35 g / 100 mL or more and 1.1 g / 100 mL or less. The lower limit of the carbohydrate content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.40 g / 100 mL or more, 0.45 g / 100 mL or more, 0.50 g / 100 mL or more, 0.55 g / 100 mL or more, 0.60 g / 100 mL or more, 0.65 g / 100 mL or more, 0.70 g / 100 mL or more, or 0.75 g / 100 mL or more, from the viewpoint of further improving the effects of the present invention. The upper limit of the carbohydrate content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 1.0 g / 100 mL or less, 0.90 g / 100 mL or less, or 0.85 g / 100 mL or less, from the viewpoint of further improving the effects of the present invention. The carbohydrate content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.45 g / 100 mL to 1.0 g / 100 mL, 0.60 g / 100 mL to 0.90 g / 100 mL, 0.60 g / 100 mL to 1.0 g / 100 mL, or 0.75 g / 100 mL to 0.85 g / 100 mL, from the viewpoint of further enhancing the effects of the present invention. The carbohydrate content can be adjusted by the type and amount of raw materials used, etc.

[0027] In this specification, "carbohydrates" refers to carbohydrates as defined in the Food Nutrition Labeling Standards (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 176 of 2003). Specifically, carbohydrates refer to what remains in food after excluding protein, lipids, dietary fiber, ash, water, and alcohol. The carbohydrate content in beer-flavored beverages is calculated by subtracting the amounts of protein, lipids, dietary fiber, ash, water, and alcohol from the weight of the beer-flavored beverage. The amounts of protein, lipids, ash, and water are measured according to the methods specified in the Food Nutrition Labeling Standards. The amount of alcohol can be measured together with the amount of water. Specifically, the amount of protein is measured by the modified Dumas method for the determination of total nitrogen (protein), the amount of lipids is measured by ether extraction, chloroform-methanol mixture extraction, Gerber's method, acid hydrolysis, or Röse-Gottlieb method, the amount of dietary fiber is measured by high-performance liquid chromatography or Prosky method, the amount of ash is measured by magnesium acetate ashing, direct ashing, or sulfuric acid ashing, and the amount of water and alcohol can be measured by Karl Fischer method, drying aid method, reduced-pressure heating and drying method, atmospheric pressure heating and drying method, or plastic film method.

[0028] The bitterness value (BU) of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment is, for example, 15.0 or more and 35.0 or less. From the viewpoint of achieving a cleaner finish and a better balance of flavor as a beverage, the BU of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 15.0 or more, 16.0 or more, 17.0 or more, 18.0 or more, or 19.0 or more. From the viewpoint of achieving a cleaner finish and a better balance of flavor as a beverage, the BU of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 30.0 or less, 28.0 or less, 26.0 or less, 24.0 or less, or 22.0 or less.

[0029] 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. More specifically, for example, the bitterness value can be appropriately set within the above range by including iso-alpha acids in the beer-flavored beverage and adjusting their content.

[0030] 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 refers to a pressure of 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg / cm²) or higher. If it is to be foamy, the upper limit of the gas pressure is 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg / cm²). 2 It can be set to that extent.

[0031] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be provided in a container. Any airtight container is acceptable, and so-called metal containers (such as aluminum or steel cans or kegs) 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 containers 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.

[0032] [Method of manufacturing beer-flavored beverages] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be produced by a manufacturing method that includes, for example, adjusting the malt ratio of the beer-flavored beverage to less than 25% by mass, adjusting the bitterness value of the beer-flavored beverage to 15.0 or more and 35.0 or less, and adjusting the carbohydrate content in the beer-flavored beverage to 0.35 g / 100 mL or more and 1.1 g / 100 mL or less. This manufacturing method may, for example, involve mixing raw materials to produce the beer-flavored beverage (blending method), or it may involve fermentation with yeast or the like to produce the beer-flavored beverage (fermentation method).

[0033] A manufacturing method (by blending) according to one embodiment includes, for example, a blending step of blending water, a bittering agent (e.g., iso-alpha acid), sugars, and, if necessary, alcohol (e.g., distilled alcohol such as raw material alcohol, spirits and vodka, fermented liquid obtained by brewing) and / or various additives, 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 malt ratio, bitterness value, and sugar content within the above ranges.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] Other embodiments of the manufacturing method (fermentation method) include, for example, a preparation step and a fermentation step.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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).

[0044] The bitterness value can be adjusted, for example, by adding a bittering agent (e.g., iso-alpha acid) to the raw material liquid. In this specification, the raw material liquid refers to the liquid that forms the basis of the beer-flavored beverage. The raw material liquid includes liquids used or produced in each step (e.g., sugar-containing liquid, post-boiling liquid, purified liquid, pre-fermentation liquid, post-fermentation liquid). The bitterness value may also be adjusted, for example, by appropriately selecting types of raw materials that result in a higher or lower bitterness value.

[0045] The carbohydrate content can be adjusted, for example, by adding sugars to the raw material liquid. Alternatively, the carbohydrate content may be adjusted by appropriately selecting raw material types that result in a higher or lower carbohydrate content.

[0046] According to the method for producing beer-flavored beverages described above, a beer-flavored beverage is produced in which the flavor balance, stimulating sensation, carbonation, and crisp finish of the beverage are improved. Therefore, the present invention can also be considered as a method for improving the flavor balance, stimulating sensation, carbonation, and crisp finish of a beverage, which includes adjusting the malt ratio of the beer-flavored beverage to less than 25% by mass, adjusting the bitterness value of the beer-flavored beverage to 15.0 or more and 35.0 or less, and adjusting the sugar content in the beer-flavored beverage to 0.35 g / 100 mL or more and 1.1 g / 100 mL or less. In addition, since stimulating sensation, carbonation, and crisp finish are indicators of the drinkability of a beer-flavored beverage, the method according to this embodiment can also be considered as a method for improving the flavor balance of the beverage and providing a drinkability. The above-described embodiments can be applied without limitation as specific embodiments of the method. [Examples]

[0047] The present invention will be described more specifically below based on examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0048] [Test Example 1: Manufacturing and Evaluation of Beer-Flavored Beverages] (Manufacturing of beer-flavored beverages) To 350 ml of commercially available beer-flavored beverage, the amounts of 100-fold diluted iso-alpha acid and granulated sugar (manufactured by Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd., sucrose content 99.8% or more) shown in Tables 1 and 2 were added to obtain the beer-flavored beverages of the examples and comparative examples. The malt ratio of the beer-flavored beverage was less than 25% by mass, and the alcohol content was 5 v / v%. The 100-fold diluted iso-alpha acid was prepared using ISOHOP (manufactured by Barth Haas, iso-alpha acid content 30% ± 0.5) as an iso-alpha acid standard solution.

[0049] The carbohydrate content in beer-flavored beverages was measured using the following method. First, the water content, alcohol content, protein content, and ash content of commercially available beer-flavored beverages were measured. The total weight of water and alcohol was measured by atmospheric pressure heating and drying. The protein content was measured by the modified Dumas method for the determination of total nitrogen (protein). The ash content was measured by the direct ashing method. Assuming the lipid content of commercially available beer-flavored beverages to be 0 g / 100 mL, the carbohydrate content (g / 100 mL) of the measured sample was calculated by subtracting the water content, alcohol content, protein content, ash content, and dietary fiber content from the weight of the commercially available beer-flavored beverage and adding the weight of added carbohydrates (granulated sugar in Test Example 1). The carbohydrate content is calculated using the following formula. "Carbohydrate g / 100ml" = 100 - "Drying loss g / 100ml" - ("Protein g / 100ml" + "Fat g / 100ml" + "Dietary fiber g / 100ml" + "Ash g / 100ml")

[0050] The granulated sugar used in this embodiment has a sucrose purity of 99.8% or higher, and is considered to be comparable to the case where pure sucrose is added in terms of both content and impact on flavor.

[0051] The bitterness value of beer-flavored beverages was measured using 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 enlarged in 2013).

[0052] (Sensory evaluation) Sensory evaluations were conducted on the obtained beer-flavored beverages based on the following evaluation criteria: "stimulation and carbonation," "crispness," and "flavor balance as a beverage." The sensory evaluations were performed by three selected panelists with discriminatory abilities. Each evaluation criterion was rated on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5, and the average score was used as the evaluation score.

[0053] "Stimulation and carbonation" (stimulation on the tongue and as it passes through the throat, and the resulting carbonation) indicates that a higher score indicates a stronger sensation of stimulation and carbonation. "Crisp finish" (no sticky aftertaste, and no lingering bitterness or sweetness) indicates that a higher score indicates a stronger sensation of crispness. "Flavor balance as a beverage" (no single element such as bitterness or sweetness stands out excessively) indicates that a higher score indicates a better flavor balance as a beverage. The scores for "Stimulation and carbonation," "Crisp finish," and "Flavor balance as a beverage" for Sample 1 and Sample 6 beer-flavored beverages were fixed at 1 point, 1 point, and 2 points, respectively, and other beer-flavored beverages were evaluated using these as a baseline. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0054] [Table 1]

[0055] [Table 2]

[0056] As shown in Tables 1 and 2, beer-flavored beverages with malt ratio, bitterness value, and sugar content within a specific range exhibited improved stimulating sensation, carbonation, and a crisp finish, as well as a good balance of flavor as a beverage.

[0057] [Test Example 2: Effects of different types of sugars] Except for using maltose, fructose, or lactose as added sugars to a 350ml commercially available beer-flavored beverage, samples 11-15 shown in Table 3 were manufactured in the same manner as sample 3 in Test Example 1, and sensory evaluation was conducted in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The scores for "stimulation and carbonation," "crispness," and "flavor balance as a beverage" of sample 11 were fixed at 1, 1, and 2 points, respectively, and the other beer-flavored beverages were evaluated using these scores as a baseline.

[0058] The sweetness level of maltose is 0.32. The sweetness level of fructose is 1.73. The sweetness level of lactose is 0.16. [Table 3]

[0059] Even when using sugars with different levels of sweetness, beer-flavored beverages with malt ratio, bitterness value, and sugar content within a specific range showed improved stimulating sensation, carbonation, and a clean, crisp finish, while also exhibiting a good balance of flavor as a beverage.

Claims

1. A fermented beer-flavored beverage having a malt ratio of less than 25% by mass, a bitterness value of 15.0 to 35.0, and a carbohydrate content of 0.60 g / 100 mL to 1.0 g / 100 mL.

2. A fermented beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, wherein the bitterness value is 18.0 or more and 35.0 or less.

3. A method for producing a fermented beer-flavored beverage, comprising adjusting the malt ratio to less than 25% by mass, adjusting the bitterness value to 15.0 or more and 35.0 or less, and adjusting the carbohydrate content to 0.60 g / 100 mL or more and 1.0 g / 100 mL or less.

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