Beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage and production method therefor

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage having favorable flavor development and balance of acidity. The present invention provides a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage having a γ-aminobutyric acid concentration of 3 ppm or more. According to the present invention, by including γ-aminobutyric acid, within a prescribed concentration range, in a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage can be provided with favorable flavor development and balance of acidity, which is advantageous in being able to meet diverse consumer preferences and needs.

Description

Beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage and method for producing same

[0001] The present invention relates to a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage and a method for producing the same.

[0002] In addition to the recent rise in health consciousness, the demand for beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages has been increasing year by year due to the diversification of drinking occasions and consumer preferences. In the field of beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages, various technologies have been developed to enable non-alcoholic beverages to have the distinctive taste and aroma of beer (Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, in light of the increasing level of consumer preferences, it can be said that there is still a need for improved flavor in beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 6786699 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-154317

[0004] Non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages have had problems such as insufficient flavor depth and acidity balance due to the fact that they are non-alcoholic and the special methods used to prepare them to be non-alcoholic, etc. In order to solve these problems, the present invention aims to provide a novel non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage that has a good flavor depth and acidity balance.

[0005] The present inventors have found that by adding γ-aminobutyric acid within a specific concentration range to a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, a broader flavor profile and a well-balanced sourness can be achieved. The present invention is based on these findings.

[0006] The present invention provides the following: [1] A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage having a γ-aminobutyric acid concentration of 3 ppm or more. [2] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to [1] above, having a caprylic acid concentration of 1 ppm or more. [3] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to [1] or [2] above, having a γ-aminobutyric acid concentration of 5 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less. [4] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to any of [1] to [3] above, having a malt usage ratio of 50% or more. [5] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to any of [1] to [4] above, having a genuine extract content of 2.0% by mass or more. [6] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to any of [1] to [5] above, which is a dealcoholized beverage. [7] A method for producing a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, comprising a step of incorporating γ-aminobutyric acid to a concentration of 3 ppm or more. [8] A method for improving the flavor of a beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage, comprising the step of adding γ-aminobutyric acid to the beverage at a concentration of 3 ppm or more during the production of the beverage.

[0007] According to the present invention, by incorporating γ-aminobutyric acid within a predetermined concentration range in a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, it is possible to provide a beverage with a broad flavor profile and a good balance of sourness, which is advantageous in that it can meet the diverse tastes and needs of consumers. Specific Description of the Invention

[0008] In the present invention, the term "beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage" refers to a beverage with a beer-like flavor, and is used to include both beverages that contain no alcohol at all, i.e., beverages with an ethanol concentration of 0.00 v / v%, and beverages with an ethanol concentration of more than 0.00 v / v% and less than 1 v / v%. Beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages include fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages and non-fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages. Fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages refer to beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages that have undergone a fermentation process using yeast, and include beverages produced by removing the alcoholic components generated during the fermentation process after the fermentation process (sometimes referred to as "de-alcoholized beverages" in this specification), as well as beverages produced by terminating the fermentation process when the ethanol concentration is less than 1 v / v%. Non-fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages refer to beverages produced without undergoing a fermentation process.

[0009] In the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the upper limit value (or less) of the alcohol (ethanol) concentration is 0.99% (v / v), 0.98% (v / v), 0.97% (v / v), 0.96% (v / v), 0.95% (v / v), 0.94% (v / v), 0.93% (v / v), 0.92% (v / v), 0.91% (v / v), 0.90% (v / v), 0.89% (v / v), 0.88% (v / v), 0.87% (v / v), 0.86% (v / v), 0.85% (v / v), 0.84% (v / v), 0.83% (v / v), 0.82% (v / v), 0.81% (v / v), 0.80% (v / v), 0.79% (v / v), 0.78% (v / v), 0.77% (v / v), 0.76% (v / v), 0.75% (v / v), 0.74% (v / v), 0.73% (v / v), 0.72% (v / v), 0.71% (v / v), 0.70% (v / v), 0.69% (v / v), 0.68% (v / v), 0.67% (v / v), 0.66% (v / v), 0.65% (v / v), 0.64% (v / v), 0.63% (v / v), 0.62% (v / v), 0.61% (v / v), 0.60% (v / v), 0.59% (v / v), 0.58% (v / v), 0.57% (v / v), 0.56% (v / v), 0.55% (v / v), 0.54% (v / v), 0.53% (v / v), 0.52% (v / v), 0.51% (v / v), 0.50% (v / v), 0.49% (v / v), 0.48% (v / v), 0.47% (v / v), 0.46% (v / v), 0.45% (v / v), 0.44% (v / v), 0.43% (v / v), 0.42% (v / v), 0.41% (v / v), 0.40% (v / v), 0.39% (v / v), 0.38% (v / v), 0.37% (v / v), 0.36% (v / v), 0.35% (v / v), 0.34% (v / v), 0.33% (v / v), 0.32% (v / v), 0.31% (v / v), 0.30% (v / v), 0.29% (v / v), 0.28% (v / v), 0.27% (v / v), 0.26% (v / v), 0.25% (v / v), 0.24% (v / v), 0.23% (v / v), 0.22% (v / v), 0.21% (v / v), 0.20% (v / v), 0.19% (v / v), 0.18% (v / v), 0.17% (v / v), 0.16% (v / v), 0.15% (v / v),0.14% (v / v), 0.13% (v / v), 0.12% (v / v), 0.11% (v / v), 0.10% (v / v), 0.09% (v / v), 0.08% (v / v), 0.07% (v / v), 0.0 6% (v / v), 0.05% (v / v), 0.04% (v / v), 0.03% (v / v), 0.02% (v / v), 0.01% (v / v), 0.009% (v / v), 0.008% (v / v), 0.00 The upper limit may be 0.001% (v / v), 0.002% (v / v), 0.003% (v / v), or 0.004% (v / v), and the lower limit (not less than or exceeding) may be 0.001% (v / v), 0.002% (v / v), 0.003% (v / v), or 0.004% (v / v). These upper and lower limits may also be combined in any manner.

[0010] In the present invention, the alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) of a beverage can be measured by gas chromatography (GC) with an FID detector. In this case, for more accurate concentration measurement, it is desirable to use a calibration curve created based on the measured values ​​of several control samples with known concentrations. It is preferable that these control samples with known concentrations are in the same range as the concentration to be measured. It is also preferable to use an internal standard, such as 2-propanol.

[0011] The beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention uses malt as at least a portion of its raw material, and preferably uses at least one or both of barley malt and wheat malt as the barley-derived raw material. In the present invention, the proportion of barley malt (by mass) in the raw material malt (by mass) can be, for example, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, or 100%, and the proportion of wheat malt (by mass) in the raw material malt (by mass) can be, for example, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, or 100%. It should be noted that the present invention can also use extracted malt (i.e., malt extract). In the above, "or more" can be interpreted as "exceeding."

[0012] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can achieve a good breadth of flavor and harmony of acidity regardless of the malt usage ratio. However, the malt usage ratio may be, for example, 10% or less, 10% or more, 15% or less, 15% or more, 20% or less, 20% or more, 21% or less, 21% or more, 22% or less, 22% or more, 23% or less, 23% or more, 24% or less, 24% or more, 25% or less, 25% or more, 30% or less, 30% or more, 31% or less, 31% or more, 32% or less, 32% or more, 33% or less, 33% or more, 34% or less, 34% or more, 35% or less, 35% or more, The malt content may be 40% or less, 40% or more, 45% or less, 45% or more, 50% or less, 50% or more, 55% or less, 55% or more, 60% or less, 60% or more, 65% or less, 65% or more, 66% or less, 66% or more, 67% or less, 67% or more, 68% or less, 68% or more, 69% or less, 69% or more, 70% or less, 70% or more, 75% or less, 75% or more, 80% or less, 80% or more, 85% or less, 85% or more, 90% or less, 90% or more, 95% or less, 95% or more, or 100% or less. "Less than" can mean "less than," and "more than" can mean "greater than." These upper and lower limits can be combined arbitrarily. In the present invention, the "malt usage ratio" refers to the ratio of the mass of malt to the mass of all raw materials excluding hops and water.

[0013] In the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention, in addition to malt, ungerminated barley (including extracts) and ungerminated wheat (including extracts) can be used as raw materials. The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention can use malt and ungerminated barley as at least a portion of the raw materials, and preferably barley malt and ungerminated barley as at least a portion of the raw materials.

[0014] The beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is characterized in that the γ-aminobutyric acid (CAS RN: 56-12-2) concentration is within a predetermined concentration range. In the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the lower limit of the γ-aminobutyric acid concentration (not less than or exceeding) is 3.0 ppm, but the following ranges are also possible: 3.1 ppm, 3.2 ppm, 3.3 ppm, 3.4 ppm, 3.5 ppm, 3.6 ppm, 3.7 ppm, 3.8 ppm, 3.9 ppm, 4.0 ppm, 4.1 ppm, 4.2 ppm, 4.3 ppm, 4.4 ppm, 4.5 ppm, 4.6 ppm, 4.7 ppm, 4.8 ppm, 4.9 ppm, 5.0 ppm, , 5.1ppm, 5.2ppm, 5.3ppm, 5.4ppm, 5.5ppm, 5.6ppm, 5.7ppm, 5.8ppm, 5.9ppm, 6.0ppm, 6.1ppm, 6.2ppm, 6.3ppm, 6.4ppm, 6 .5ppm, 6.6ppm, 6.7ppm, 6.8ppm, 6.9ppm, 7.0ppm, 7.1ppm, 7.2ppm, 7.3ppm, 7.4ppm, 7.5ppm, 7.6ppm, 7.7ppm, 7.8ppm, 7.9 ppm, 8.0ppm, 8.1ppm, 8.2ppm, 8.3ppm, 8.4ppm, 8.5ppm, 8.6ppm, 8.7ppm, 8.8ppm, 8.9ppm, 9.0ppm, 9.1ppm, 9.2ppm, 9.3ppm m, 9.4ppm, 9.5ppm, 9.6ppm, 9.7ppm, 9.8ppm, 9.9ppm, 10ppm, 11ppm, 12ppm, 13ppm, 14ppm, 15ppm, 16ppm, 17ppm, 18ppm, 19 ppm, 20 ppm, 21 ppm, 22 ppm, 23 ppm, 24 ppm, 25 ppm, 26 ppm, 27 ppm, 28 ppm, 29 ppm, 30 ppm, 31 ppm, 32 ppm, 33 ppm, 34 ppm, 35 ppm, 36 ppm, 37 ppm, 38 ppm, 39 ppm, 40 ppm, 41 ppm, 42 ppm, 43 ppm, 44 ppm, 45 ppm, 46 ppm, 47 ppm, 48 ppm, 49 ppm or 50 ppm. Furthermore, the upper limit (or less than) of the γ-aminobutyric acid concentration of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved. Examples of the upper limit include 500 ppm, 495 ppm, 490 ppm, 485 ppm, 480 ppm, 475 ppm, 470 ppm,It can also be 465 ppm, 460 ppm, 455 ppm, 450 ppm, 445 ppm, 440 ppm, 435 ppm, 430 ppm, 425 ppm, 420 ppm, 415 ppm, 410 ppm, 405 ppm, 400 ppm, 395 ppm, 390 ppm, 385 ppm, 380 ppm, 375 ppm, 370 ppm, 365 ppm, 360 ppm, 355 ppm, 350 ppm, 345 ppm, 340 ppm, 335 ppm, 330 ppm, 325 ppm, 320 ppm, 315 ppm, 310 ppm, 305 ppm or 300 ppm. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any desired manner, for example, 3 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 4 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 5 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 6 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 7 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 8 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 9 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 15 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 0 ppm or less, 25 ppm to 500 ppm, 30 ppm to 500 ppm, 35 ppm to 500 ppm, 40 ppm to 500 ppm, 45 ppm to 500 ppm, 50 ppm to 500 ppm, 3 ppm to 450 ppm, 4 ppm to 450 ppm, 5 ppm to 450 ppm, 6 ppm to 450 ppm, 7 ppm to 450 ppm, 8 ppm or more 450 ppm or less, 9 ppm to 450 ppm, 10 ppm to 450 ppm, 15 ppm to 450 ppm, 20 ppm to 450 ppm, 25 ppm to 450 ppm, 30 ppm to 450 ppm, 35 ppm to 450 ppm, 40 ppm to 450 ppm, 45 ppm to 450 ppm, 50 ppm to 450 ppm, 3 ppm to 400 ppm, 4 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 5 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 6 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 7 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 8 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 9 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 15 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 25 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 35 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less,40ppm or more and 400ppm or less, 45ppm or more and 400ppm or less, 50ppm or more and 400ppm or less, 3ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 4ppm or more 350ppm or less, 5ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 6ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 7ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 8ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 9 ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 10ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 15ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 20ppm or more and 350ppm or less, and 25ppm or more 350ppm or less, 30ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 35ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 40ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 45ppm or more and 350ppm or less or less, 50 ppm to 350 ppm, 3 ppm to 300 ppm, 4 ppm to 300 ppm, 5 ppm to 300 ppm, 6 ppm to 300 ppm, 7 ppm to 300 ppm, 8 ppm to 300 ppm, 9 ppm to 300 ppm, 10 ppm to 300 ppm, 15 ppm to 300 ppm, 20 ppm to 300 ppm, 25 ppm to 300 ppm, 30 ppm to 300 ppm, 35 ppm to 300 ppm, 40 ppm to 300 ppm, 45 ppm to 300 ppm, or 50 ppm to 300 ppm. In the present invention, the unit "ppm" is synonymous with "mg / L".

[0015] The γ-aminobutyric acid concentration of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be, for example, 3 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 4 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 5 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 6 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 7 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 8 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 9 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 15 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 25 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 35 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 40 ppm or more 250ppm or less, 40ppm or more and 250ppm or less, 45ppm or more and 250ppm or less, 50ppm or more and 250ppm or less, 3ppm or more and 200ppm or less, 4ppm or more and 200ppm or less, 5ppm or more and 200ppm or less, 6ppm or more and 200ppm or less, 7ppm or more 200ppm or more, 8ppm to 200ppm, 9ppm to 200ppm, 10ppm to 200ppm, 15ppm to 200ppm, 20ppm to 200ppm, 25ppm to 200ppm, 30ppm to 200ppm, 35ppm or more and less than 200 ppm, 40 ppm or more and less than 200 ppm, 45 ppm or more and less than 200 ppm, 50 ppm or more and less than 200 ppm, 3 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 4 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 5 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 6 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 7 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 8 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 9 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 10 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 15 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 20 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 25 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 30 ppm or more and less than 150 ppm, 35 ppm or more and 150 ppm or less, 40 ppm or more and 150 ppm or less, 45 ppm or more and 150 ppm or less, 50 ppm or more and 150 ppm or less, 3 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 4 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 5 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 6 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 7 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 8 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 9 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 15 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 25 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less,35 ppm to 100 ppm, 40 ppm to 100 ppm, 45 ppm to 100 ppm, 50 ppm to 100 ppm, 3 ppm to 50 ppm, 4 ppm to 50 ppm, 5 ppm to 50 ppm, 6 ppm to 50 ppm, 7 ppm to 50 ppm, 8 ppm to 50 ppm, 9 ppm to 50 ppm, 10 ppm to 50 ppm, 15 ppm to 50 ppm, 20 ppm to 50 ppm, 25 ppm to 50 ppm, 30 ppm to 50 ppm, 3 ppm to 45 ppm or less, 4 ppm to 45 ppm, 5 ppm to 45 ppm, 6 ppm to 45 ppm, 7 ppm to 45 ppm, 8 ppm to 45 ppm, 9 ppm to 45 ppm, 10 ppm to 45 ppm, 15 ppm to 45 ppm, 20 ppm to 45 ppm, 25 ppm to 45 ppm, 30 ppm to 45 ppm, 3 ppm to 40 ppm, 4 ppm to 40 ppm, 5 ppm to 40 ppm, 6 ppm to 40 ppm, 7 ppm to 40 ppm, 8 ppm to 40 ppm, 9 ppm m to 40ppm, 10ppm to 40ppm, 15ppm to 40ppm, 20ppm to 40ppm, 3ppm to 35ppm, 4ppm to 35ppm, 5ppm to 35ppm, 6ppm to 35ppm, 7ppm to 35ppm Bottom, 8 ppm to 35 ppm, 9 ppm to 35 ppm, 10 ppm to 35 ppm, 15 ppm to 35 ppm, 20 ppm to 35 ppm, 3 ppm to 30 ppm, 4 ppm to 30 ppm, 5 ppm to 30 ppm, 6 ppm to 3 0 ppm or less, 7 ppm to 30 ppm, 8 ppm to 30 ppm, 9 ppm to 30 ppm, 10 ppm to 30 ppm, 15 ppm to 30 ppm, 100 ppm to 500 ppm, 150 ppm to 500 ppm, 200 ppm to 500 ppm, 250 ppm to 500 ppm, 300 ppm to 500 ppm, 100 ppm to 450 ppm, 150 ppm to 450 ppm, 200 ppm to 450 ppm, 250 ppm to 450 ppm, 300 ppm to 450 ppm,It can also be 100 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 150 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 200 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 250 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 300 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 100 ppm or more and 350 ppm or less, 150 ppm or more and 350 ppm or less, 200 ppm or more and 350 ppm or less, 250 ppm or more and 350 ppm or less, 300 ppm or more and 350 ppm or less, 100 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less, 150 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less, 200 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less, or 250 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less. In the above, "or more" can be "more than" and "or less" can be "less than".

[0016] In the present invention, the γ-aminobutyric acid concentration in a beverage can be measured by known methods (e.g., high performance liquid chromatography or the ninhydrin method in which amino acids are separated by column chromatography using a cation exchange resin, followed by color development with ninhydrin and absorbance measurement). Furthermore, as shown in the Examples below, the γ-aminobutyric acid concentration can also be measured using a commercially available instrument (e.g., Hitachi LA-8080 amino acid analyzer).

[0017] In the present invention, the γ-aminobutyric acid concentration can be adjusted by selecting the raw materials. Non-limiting examples of raw materials containing γ-aminobutyric acid and raw materials that produce γ-aminobutyric acid in the final product include barley malt, wheat malt, rice germ, and germinated brown rice. Extracts obtained by enzymatically treating these to increase the γ-aminobutyric acid content can also be used. In the present invention, the γ-aminobutyric acid concentration can also be adjusted by appropriately setting the production conditions. Non-limiting examples of such production conditions include brewing conditions, selection of yeast (including strain), adjustment of the amount of yeast used, adjustment of fermentation conditions, and selection and adjustment of the amount of filter aid used. Furthermore, the concentration can also be adjusted by adding γ-aminobutyric acid during any of the production processes.

[0018] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is characterized by having a well-balanced flavor and acidity despite being a non-alcoholic beverage. Beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages have had problems with insufficient flavor and acidity due to the fact that they are non-alcoholic and the special methods used to prepare them to be non-alcoholic. In particular, in dealcoholized beverages in which alcohol is removed after the fermentation process, components that contribute to the flavor and acidity may be lost during the production process. The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention has a well-balanced flavor and acidity, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems of beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages. Here, "flavor" refers to a flavor sensation that maintains a beer-like flavor. Furthermore, "acidity" refers to a flavor sensation that is perceived as gentle, without a prominent acidity, when sipped.

[0019] There are no limitations on the method for producing the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, so long as the γ-aminobutyric acid content is within the specified concentration range.

[0020] The fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can also be produced by, for example, producing a fermented malt beverage and then removing alcohol from the resulting fermented malt beverage, or by terminating fermentation in the fermentation step of producing the fermented malt beverage at a stage when the ethanol concentration is less than 1 v / v %. In this method, the γ-aminobutyric acid concentration can be adjusted at any stage in the production process, and can also be adjusted by adding γ-aminobutyric acid.

[0021] In the present invention, examples of methods for removing alcohol after the fermentation step include (i) a method of removing alcohol by distillation under reduced pressure or normal pressure, (ii) a method of removing alcohol by adsorbing volatile components into steam using centrifugal force, and (iii) a method of removing alcohol using a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, and can be selected from any of the above (i), (ii), and (iii), or any of the above (i) and (ii). In the present invention, the step of removing alcohol after the fermentation step (de-alcoholization step) can be carried out once or multiple times (e.g., two, three, or four times), and is preferably carried out once from the viewpoints of reducing the impact of heat load on quality (e.g., an increase in components unfavorable to the flavor, such as off-flavors) and suppressing cost increases due to the use of electricity and steam.

[0022] The fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be produced according to a typical production procedure for a fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage, except for adjusting the γ-aminobutyric acid concentration as described above. The fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be produced, for example, by preparing a brewing liquid from malt, hops, water, and other ingredients, removing solids from the brewing liquid by leaving it to stand, and then fermenting and filtering the brewing liquid. The other ingredients may be used as ingredients for the brewing liquid, or may be blended with the prepared brewing liquid.

[0023] The preparation of the mash can be carried out according to a conventional method, for example, by sequentially carrying out the following steps: (a) saccharifying a mixture of water and raw materials containing malt, followed by filtering to obtain wort, (b) adding hops to the obtained wort and then boiling it, and (c) cooling the boiled wort. In the saccharification step, malt with high endoprotease activity and / or an enzyme preparation having endoprotease activity can be used to promote proteolysis, and malt with low endoprotease activity can be used to inhibit proteolysis.

[0024] In the present invention, degradation treatment can be performed by adding protease, carbohydrate-degrading enzyme, or cellulolytic enzyme individually or in combination at any time before the completion of the fermentation process (for example, during mashing, fermentation, or both mashing and fermentation). Examples of protease include protease preparations, examples of carbohydrate-degrading enzymes include enzymes derived from brewing raw materials such as malt, and commercially available enzyme preparations (α-amylase, β-amylase, glucoamylase, α-glucosidase, pullulanase, isoamylase, etc.), and examples of cellulolytic enzymes include commercially available enzyme preparations (β-glucanase, xylanase, hemicellulase, etc.).

[0025] In the present invention, the saccharification temperature can be, for example, 30° C. to 100° C., 35° C. to 100° C., 40° C. to 100° C., or 60° C. to 80° C. The saccharification time can be appropriately set taking into account the saccharification temperature, and can be, for example, 30 minutes to 180 minutes, 50 minutes to 150 minutes, 60 minutes to 140 minutes, or 30 minutes to 100 minutes.

[0026] In the present invention, the boiling temperature can be, for example, 100° C. to 150° C., 100° C. to 140° C., 100° C. to 130° C., or 90° C. to 100° C. The boiling time can be appropriately set in consideration of the boiling temperature, and can be, for example, 10 minutes to 180 minutes, 20 minutes to 150 minutes, 30 minutes to 120 minutes, or 30 minutes to 90 minutes.

[0027] In the present invention, the fermentation conditions are not particularly limited, and the fermentation can be carried out according to a conventional method.

[0028] The non-fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be produced by removing solids from a brewing liquid by allowing it to stand, followed by filtration. In this method, the γ-aminobutyric acid concentration can be adjusted during the preparation stage of the brewing liquid, and γ-aminobutyric acid may be blended or added at any stage in the production process. The non-fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can also be produced by simply blending or mixing raw materials, without blending raw materials. In this method, γ-aminobutyric acid can be blended or added at any stage in the production process to adjust their concentration.

[0029] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention may further contain caprylic acid (CAS RN: 124-07-2). In the present invention, the caprylic acid concentration can be adjusted by selecting the raw materials. Non-limiting examples of raw materials containing caprylic acid include milk fat, coconut, fermented extract, and fermented flavoring. In the present invention, the caprylic acid concentration can also be adjusted by appropriately setting the production conditions. Non-limiting examples of such production conditions include brewing conditions, selection of yeast (including strain), adjustment of the amount of yeast used, adjustment of fermentation conditions, and selection and adjustment of the amount of filter aid used. In addition, the concentration can be adjusted by adding caprylic acid at any stage of the production process.

[0030] In the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the lower limit of the caprylic acid concentration (not less than or exceeding) is not limited, and may be, for example, 1.0 ppm, 1.1 ppm, 1.2 ppm, 1.3 ppm, 1.4 ppm, 1.5 ppm, 1.6 ppm, 1.7 ppm, 1.8 ppm, 1.9 ppm, 2.0 ppm, 2.1 ppm, 2.2 ppm, 2.3 ppm, 2.4 ppm, 2.5 ppm, 2.6 ppm, 2.7 ppm, 2.8 ppm, 2.9 ppm, 2.10 ppm, 2.11 ppm, 2.12 ppm, 2.13 ppm, 2.14 ppm, 2.15 ppm, 2.16 ppm, 2.17 ppm, 2.18 ppm, 2.19 ppm, 2.20 ppm, 2.21 ppm, 2.22 ppm, 2.23 ppm, 2.24 ppm, 2.25 ppm, 2.26 ppm, 2.27 ppm, 2.28 ppm, 2.29 ... .. 6ppm, 2.7ppm, 2.8ppm, 2.9ppm, 3.0ppm, 3.1ppm, 3.2ppm, 3.3ppm, 3.4ppm, 3.5ppm, 3.6ppm, 3.7ppm, 3.8ppm , 3.9ppm, 4.0ppm, 4.1ppm, 4.2ppm, 4.3ppm, 4.4ppm, 4.5ppm, 4.6ppm, 4.7ppm, 4.8ppm, 4.9ppm, 5.0ppm, 5.1p pm, 5.2ppm, 5.3ppm, 5.4ppm, 5.5ppm, 5.6ppm, 5.7ppm, 5.8ppm, 5.9ppm, 6.0ppm, 6.1ppm, 6.2ppm, 6.3ppm, 6. 4ppm, 6.5ppm, 6.6ppm, 6.7ppm, 6.8ppm, 6.9ppm, 7.0ppm, 7.1ppm, 7.2ppm, 7.3ppm, 7.4ppm, 7.5ppm, 7.6ppm, It can be 7.7 ppm, 7.8 ppm, 7.9 ppm, 8.0 ppm, 8.1 ppm, 8.2 ppm, 8.3 ppm, 8.4 ppm, 8.5 ppm, 8.6 ppm, 8.7 ppm, 8.8 ppm, 8.9 ppm, 9.0 ppm, 9.1 ppm, 9.2 ppm, 9.3 ppm, 9.4 ppm, 9.5 ppm, 9.6 ppm, 9.7 ppm, 9.8 ppm, 9.9 ppm or 10 ppm.Furthermore, the upper limit (or less than) of the caprylic acid concentration in the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved, but may be, for example, 100 ppm, 99 ppm, 98 ppm, 97 ppm, 96 ppm, 95 ppm, 94 ppm, 93 ppm, 92 ppm, 91 ppm, 90 ppm, 89 ppm, 88 ppm, 87 ppm, 86 ppm, 85 ppm, 84 ppm, 83 ppm, 82 ppm, or 81 ppm. , 80 ppm, 79 ppm, 78 ppm, 77 ppm, 76 ppm, 75 ppm, 74 ppm, 73 ppm, 72 ppm, 71 ppm, 70 ppm, 69 ppm, 68 ppm, 67 ppm, 66 ppm, 65 ppm, 64 ppm, 63 ppm, 62 ppm, 61 ppm, 60 ppm, 59 ppm, 58 ppm, 57 ppm, 56 ppm, 55 ppm, 54 ppm, 53 ppm, 52 ppm, 51 ppm or 50 ppm. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any desired manner, for example, 1 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 2 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 3 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 4 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 5 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 6 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 7 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 8 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 9 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, or 10 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less.

[0031] The caprylic acid concentration of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be, for example, from 1 ppm to 10 ppm, from 5 ppm to 10 ppm, from 1 ppm to 5 ppm, from 15 ppm to 100 ppm, from 20 ppm to 100 ppm, from 25 ppm to 100 ppm, from 30 ppm to 100 ppm, from 35 ppm to 100 ppm, from 40 ppm to 100 ppm, from 45 ppm to 100 ppm, from 50 ppm to 100 ppm, from 15 ppm to 90 ppm, from 20 ppm to 90 ppm, from 25 ppm to 90 ppm, from 30 ppm to 90 ppm, from 35 ppm to 90 ppm, from 40 ppm to 90 ppm, 0 ppm or less, 45 ppm to 90 ppm or less, 50 ppm to 90 ppm or less, 15 ppm to 80 ppm or less, 20 ppm to 80 ppm or less, 25 ppm to 80 ppm or less, 30 ppm to 80 ppm or less, 35 ppm to 80 ppm or less, 40 ppm to 80 ppm or less, 45 ppm to 80 ppm or less, 50 ppm to 80 ppm or less, 15 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 20 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 25 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 30 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 35 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 40 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 45 ppm to 70 ppm or less, or 50 ppm to 70 ppm or less. In the above, "more than or equal to" can be "greater than" and "less than or equal to" can be "less than."

[0032] In the present invention, the caprylic acid concentration was measured using gas chromatography (GC) equipped with an FID detector. For example, as shown in the Examples below, the concentration can be measured by extracting the aroma components in a beverage using a hydroxylated polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer solid-phase column and subjecting the resulting extract to GC / FID.

[0033] In the production of the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, in addition to malt and ungerminated wheat and barley, rice, corn, soybeans, koryang (Japanese radish), potatoes, starch, sugars (e.g., liquid sugar), fruits (e.g., fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice), coriander or its seeds, spices or raw materials thereof (e.g., pepper, cinnamon, cloves, Japanese pepper), herbs (e.g., chamomile, sage, basil, lemongrass), vegetables (e.g., sweet potato, pumpkin), buckwheat or sesame, carbohydrate-containing substances (e.g., honey, brown sugar), salt, miso, flowers, tea, coffee, cocoa (tea, coffee, and cocoa include preparations thereof), seafood (e.g., , oysters, kelp, wakame seaweed, bonito flakes), nitrogen sources such as protein hydrolysates and yeast extract, hops or hop processed products (e.g., hop extract), flavorings (e.g., commercially available beer flavors containing ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, etc., which are typical aroma components of beer), coloring components (e.g., colorings such as caramel color), foaming / foam retention improvers, sweeteners (e.g., high-intensity sweeteners), seasoning components (e.g., amino acids), acidulants (e.g., gluconic acid), bitter components (e.g., naringin), dietary fiber, herbs, antioxidants, water quality conditioners, and other additives can be used as raw materials.

[0034] When producing the fermented beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, for example, one or more of the above-mentioned ingredients can be used as raw materials for producing the fermented malt beverage in addition to malt and hops. In producing the fermented beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, one or more of the above-mentioned ingredients can be blended during the production process of the fermented malt beverage, or one or more of the above-mentioned ingredients can be blended before or after removal of alcohol after production of the fermented malt beverage.

[0035] When producing the non-fermented, beer-taste, non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, for example, one or more of the above-mentioned ingredients can be used in addition to malt and hops as raw materials for producing wort. In producing the non-fermented, beer-taste, non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, one or more of the above-mentioned ingredients can be blended during the wort production process, or one or more of the above-mentioned ingredients can be blended after wort production.

[0036] The true extract content of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not limited, but the lower limit (not less than or exceeding) can be, for example, 2.0 mass%, 2.1 mass%, 2.2 mass%, 2.3 mass%, 2.4 mass%, 2.5 mass%, 2.6 mass%, 2.7 mass%, 2.8 mass%, 2.9 mass%, or 3.0 mass%, and the upper limit (not more than or less than) can be 8.0 mass%, 7.9 mass%, 7.8 mass%, 7.7 mass%, 7.6 mass%, or 8.7 mass%. mass%, 7.5 mass%, 7.4 mass%, 7.3 mass%, 7.2 mass%, 7.1 mass%, 7.0 mass%, 6.9 mass%, 6.8 mass%, 6.7 mass%, 6.6 mass%, 6.5 mass%, 6.4 mass%, 6.3 mass%, 6.2 mass% %, 6.1% by weight, 6.0% by weight, 5.9% by weight, 5.8% by weight, 5.7% by weight, 5.6% by weight, 5.5% by weight, 5.4% by weight, 5.3% by weight, 5.2% by weight, 5.1% by weight or 5.0% by weight. These lower and upper limits can be combined arbitrarily, and examples thereof include 2.0% by mass or more and 8.0% by mass or less, 2.0% by mass or more and 7.5% by mass or less, 2.0% by mass or more and 7.0% by mass or less, 2.0% by mass or more and 6.5% by mass or less, 2.0% by mass or more and 6.0% by mass or less, 2.0% by mass or more and 5.5% by mass or less, 2.0% by mass or more and 5.0% by mass or less, 2.5% by mass or more and 8.0% by mass or less, 2.5% by mass or more and 7.5% by mass or less, and 2.5% by mass or more and 7.0% by mass or less. The true extract of the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be measured, for example, by the "BCOJ Beer Analysis Method 8.4.3 Alcolyzer Method."

[0037] The pH (measured at 25°C) of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not limited, but the lower limit (greater than or equal to) can be 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, or 3.8, and the upper limit (less than or equal to) can be 4.6, 4.5, 4.4, 4.35, or 4.3. These lower and upper limits can be combined arbitrarily, for example, 3.5 to 4.6, 3.5 to 4.5, 3.5 to 4.4, or 3.5 to less than 4.4. The pH of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be adjusted using a pH adjuster. The pH of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage can be measured using a commercially available pH meter (e.g., a benchtop pH meter, manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.).

[0038] The EBC color score of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not limited, but the lower limit (not less than or exceeding) can be 4.0 EBC, 4.5 EBC, 5.0 EBC, 5.5 EBC, or 6.0 EBC, and the upper limit (not more than or less than) can be 10.0 EBC, 9.9 EBC, 9.8 EBC, 9.7 EBC, 9.6 EBC, 9.5 EBC, 9.4 EBC, 9.3 EBC, or 10.0 EBC. The EBC color index can be 8.9 EBC, 8.8 EBC, 8.7 EBC, 8.6 EBC, 8.5 EBC, 8.4 EBC, 8.3 EBC, 8.2 EBC, 8.1 EBC, 8.0 EBC, 7.9 EBC, 7.8 EBC, 7.7 EBC, 7.6 EBC, 7.5 EBC, 7.4 EBC, 7.3 EBC, 7.2 EBC, 7.1 EBC, or 7.0 EBC. These lower and upper limits can be combined arbitrarily. The EBC color index of the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be measured using "Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method 4.3.8, compiled by the International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Brewers Association of Japan, Brewery Society of Japan."

[0039] The bitterness value (BU) of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not limited, but the lower limit (not less than or exceeding) can be 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, or 6.0, and the upper limit (not more than or less than) can be 23.0, 22.9, 22.8, 22.7, 22.6, 22.5, 22.4, 22.3, 22.2, 22.1, 22.0, 21.9, 21.8, 21.7, 21.8, 21.9 ... .6, 21.5, 21.4, 21.3, 21.2, 21.1, 21.0, 20.9, 20.8, 20.7, 20.6, 20.5, 20.4, 20.3, 20.2, 20.1, 20.0, 19.9, 19.8, 19.7, 19.6, 19.5, 19.4, 19.3, 19.2, 19.1, 19.0, 18.9, 18.8, 18.7, 18.6, 18.5, 18.4, 18.3, 18.2, 18.1 or 18.0. These lower and upper limits can be arbitrarily combined, for example, 2.0 to 23.0, 3.0 to 23.0, 3.5 to 22.0, 4.0 to 22.0, or 5.0 to 21.0. In the present invention, "bitterness value (BU)" refers to a value measured according to the bitterness value method described in "8.15" of the BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (revised and expanded in 2013). Specifically, the bitterness value can be determined by adding an acid to a sample beverage, extracting it with isooctane, measuring the absorbance (275 nm) of the isooctane layer, and multiplying this measured value by 50.

[0040] The beverage provided by the present invention can be provided as a bottled beverage after optionally being subjected to a step of adding carbon dioxide gas, and further undergoing steps such as a filling step and a sterilization step. Sterilization may be carried out either before or after filling into a container.

[0041] The beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be provided as a carbonated beverage. The carbon dioxide pressure (gas pressure at 20°C) of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not limited, but the lower limit (greater than or equal to) can be 0.05 MPa, 0.06 MPa, 0.07 MPa, 0.08 MPa, 0.09 MPa, or 0.1 MPa, and the upper limit (less than or equal to) can be 0.4 MPa, 0.39 MPa, 0.38 MPa, 0.37 MPa, 0.36 MPa, or 0.35 MPa. These upper and lower limits can be combined in any manner, and can be, for example, 0.05 MPa to 0.4 MPa, 0.07 MPa to 0.38 MPa, or 0.1 MPa to 0.35 MPa.

[0042] The container used for the beverage of the present invention may be any container that is normally used for filling beverages, such as a metal can, a barrel, a plastic bottle (e.g., a PET bottle or cup), a paper container, a bottle, or a pouch container, but metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., a PET bottle), or a bottle are preferred.

[0043] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage with an improved flavor, the method comprising the step of incorporating γ-aminobutyric acid at a concentration of 3 ppm or more. In the present invention, "improved flavor" or "flavor improvement" of a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage means achieving a good balance of flavor and acidity in a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage. The above-mentioned production method of the present invention is a method for producing a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage with a good balance of flavor and acidity. The above-mentioned production method of the present invention can be carried out according to the description of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention.

[0044] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flavor improver for a beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage, which comprises γ-aminobutyric acid as an active ingredient. The flavor improver of the present invention can be produced in accordance with the description of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage and the method for producing the same of the present invention.

[0045] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for improving the flavor of a beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage. The flavor improving method of the present invention can be carried out by adding γ-aminobutyric acid to a concentration of 3 ppm or more during the production of a beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage. The flavor improving method of the present invention can be carried out according to the description of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage and its production method of the present invention.

[0046] The present invention will be described in more detail based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0047] Measurement of alcohol concentration: The alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) was measured using a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with an FID detector (Agilent). A calibration curve was prepared based on the concentrations of the target samples ranging from 0.000 to 0.05% v / v.

[0048] Measurement of γ-aminobutyric acid concentration The γ-aminobutyric acid concentration was measured using a high-speed amino acid analyzer LA8080 (Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation) with the filtrate obtained by filtering the sample through a 0.45 μm filter as the analytical sample solution. A calibration curve was created using standards for the measurement.

[0049] Measurement of Caprylic Acid Concentration: Caprylic acid concentration was measured using gas chromatography (GC) with an FID detector. Specifically, aroma components in the beverage sample were extracted using a hydroxylated polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer solid-phase column, and the resulting extract was subjected to GC / FID. Trans-2-hexanoic acid and methyl caprylate were used as internal standards. The GC analysis conditions are shown in Table 1.

[0050]

[0051] Example 1: Production and evaluation of beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages In Example 1, evaluation tests were carried out on each test sample of the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage (test plots 1 to 15).

[0052] (1) Method: Barley malt, enzymes, and warm water were placed in a brewing tank for producing a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, and saccharification was carried out at a temperature of 67°C to 78°C. The saccharified liquid was filtered and transferred to a boiling kiln, where hops were added and the mixture was boiled. Subsequently, the mixture was filtered to remove malt residue, yielding a wort. Hops were added to the resulting wort, and the mixture was boiled, followed by solid-liquid separation and cooling to yield a clear wort. Yeast was added, and the fermentation temperature and fermentation time were adjusted. The resulting fermented liquid was filtered to produce a fermented malt beverage. Next, the fermented liquid was sprayed into a degassing tank to remove carbon dioxide, and then heated to around 50°C. The alcohol was then removed by contact with steam heated to around 50°C in a vacuum column at around 60 mbar, and carbon dioxide was added to obtain a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage (malt usage ratio 100%) with an alcohol concentration of less than 0.005 v / v% (Test Group 1). Test plots 2 to 15 were obtained by adding γ-aminobutyric acid and / or caprylic acid to the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of Test plot 1 to adjust the concentrations shown in Table 2.

[0053] B. Evaluation Test Six trained panelists conducted an evaluation test on test plots 1 to 15. Specifically, two evaluation items, "flavor breadth" and "sourness harmony," were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in increments of 0.5, and the average of the evaluation scores of the six panelists was calculated. Here, "flavor breadth" refers to a flavor sensation in which the beer-like taste persists. "Sourness harmony" refers to a flavor sensation in which the sourness is not prominent when the beer is put in the mouth and is felt to be gentle. The specific rating criteria are as shown below, and test plots 2 to 15 were evaluated based on the rating of test plot 1. <Criteria for each rating> 1: Approximately the same as test plot 1 2: A slight improvement can be recognized by consecutive comparisons with test plot 1 3: An improvement can be recognized by consecutive comparisons with test plot 1 4: An improvement can be recognized without comparing with test plot 1 5: A significant improvement can be recognized without comparing with test plot 1

[0054] (2) Results The results are shown in Table 2. The results of Test Plots 2 to 7 showed that the addition of γ-aminobutyric acid improved the breadth of flavor and the harmony of sourness. Furthermore, the results of Test Plots 8 to 10 and Test Plots 12 to 14 showed that the addition of a combination of γ-aminobutyric acid and caprylic acid improved the breadth of flavor and the harmony of sourness compared to the addition of γ-aminobutyric acid alone (Test Plots 3 and 5).

[0055]

Claims

1. A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage having a gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration of 3 ppm or more.

2. A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to claim 1, wherein the caprylic acid concentration is 1 ppm or more.

3. A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the concentration of γ-aminobutyric acid is 5 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less.

4. A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, in which the malt content is 50% or more.

5. A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, in which the true extract is 2.0% by mass or more.

6. A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which is a dealcoholized beverage.

7. A method for producing a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, comprising a step of incorporating γ-aminobutyric acid to a concentration of 3 ppm or more.

8. A method for improving the flavor of a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, comprising the step of adding γ-aminobutyric acid to the beverage at a concentration of 3 ppm or more during the production of the beverage.

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