Non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage and production method therefor

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a new non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage having good taste complexity and astringency. The present invention provides a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage having an acetoin concentration of at least 0.01 ppm. The present invention makes it possible to provide a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage that, by containing acetoin in a prescribed concentration range, has good taste complexity and astringency, and can advantageously meet various preferences and needs of consumers.

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 the problem of lacking sufficient flavor complexity and astringency 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 favorable complexity of flavor and astringency.

[0005] The present inventors have found that adding acetoin to a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage within a specific concentration range can improve the complexity of flavor and astringency of the beverage. The present invention is based on these findings.

[0006] The present invention provides the following: [1] A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage having an acetoin concentration of 0.1 ppm or more. [2] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to [1] above, having a linalool concentration of 0.01 ppm or more. [3] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to [1] or [2] above, having a citric acid concentration of 10 ppm or more. [4] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [3] above, having an acetoin concentration of 0.5 ppm to 100 ppm. [5] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [4] above, having a malt usage ratio of 50% or more. [6] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [5] above, having a genuine extract content of 2.0% by mass or more. [7] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [6] above, which is a dealcoholized beverage. [8] A method for producing a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, comprising the step of incorporating acetoin to a concentration of 0.1 ppm or more. [9] A method for improving the flavor of a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, comprising the step of incorporating acetoin to a concentration of 0.1 ppm or more in the production of the beverage.

[0007] According to the present invention, by incorporating acetoin within a specified concentration range in a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, it is possible to provide a beverage with a complex taste and a good astringent taste, which is advantageous in that it can meet the diverse preferences 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 complex flavor and a good astringent taste regardless of the malt content ratio. However, the malt content ratio can 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, 40% or more, 4 ... The range may be 0% 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-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is characterized in that the acetoin (CAS RN: 513-86-0) concentration is within a predetermined range. In the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the lower limit of the acetoin concentration (above or beyond) is 0.10 ppm, but the following concentrations are also available: 0.11 ppm, 0.12 ppm, 0.13 ppm, 0.14 ppm, 0.15 ppm, 0.16 ppm, 0.17 ppm, 0.18 ppm, 0.19 ppm, 0.20 ppm, 0.21 ppm, 0.22 ppm, 0.23 ppm, 0.24 ppm, 0.25 ppm, 0.26 ppm, 0.27 ppm, 0.28 ppm, 0.29 ppm, 0.30 ppm, 0.31 ppm, 0.32 ppm, 0.36 ppm, 0.37 ppm, 0.38 ppm, 0.39 ppm, 0.40 ppm, 0.41 ppm, 0.42 ppm, 0.43 ppm, 0.44 ppm, 0.45 ppm, 0.46 ppm, 0.47 ppm, 0.48 ppm, 0.49 ppm, 0.50 ppm, 0.51 ppm, 0.52 ppm, 0.53 ppm, 0.54 ppm, 0.55 ppm, 0.56 ppm, 0.57 ppm, 0.58 ppm, 0.59 ppm, 0.60 ppm, 0.61 ppm, 0.62 ppm, 0.63 ppm, 0.64 ppm, 0.65 ppm, 0.66 ppm, 0.67 ppm, 0.68 ppm, 0.69 ppm, 0.70 ppm, 0.71 ppm, 0. ppm, 0.33ppm, 0.34ppm, 0.35ppm, 0.36ppm, 0.37ppm, 0.38ppm, 0.39pp m, 0.40ppm, 0.41ppm, 0.42ppm, 0.43ppm, 0.44ppm, 0.45ppm, 0.46ppm, 0.47ppm, 0.48ppm, 0.49ppm, 0.50ppm, 0.51ppm, 0.52ppm, 0.53ppm, 0. 54ppm, 0.55ppm, 0.56ppm, 0.57ppm, 0.58ppm, 0.59ppm, 0.60ppm, 0.61p pm, 0.62ppm, 0.63ppm, 0.64ppm, 0.65ppm, 0.66ppm, 0.67ppm, 0.68ppm , 0.69ppm, 0.70ppm, 0.71ppm, 0.72ppm, 0.73ppm, 0.74ppm, 0.75ppm, 0 .76ppm, 0.77ppm, 0.78ppm, 0.79ppm, 0.80ppm, 0.81ppm, 0.82ppm, 0.8 3ppm, 0.84ppm, 0.85ppm, 0.86ppm, 0.87ppm, 0.88ppm, 0.89ppm, 0.90ppm m, 1.0ppm, 1.1ppm, 1.2ppm, 1.3ppm, 1.4ppm, 1.5ppm, 1.6ppm, 1.7ppm, 1.8ppm, 1.9ppm, 2.0ppm, 2.1ppm, 2.2ppm, 2.3ppm, 2.4ppm, 2.5ppm, 2. 6ppm, 2.7ppm, 2.8ppm, 2.9ppm, 3.0ppm, 3.1ppm, 3.2ppm, 3.3ppm, 3.4p pm, 3.5ppm, 3.6ppm, 3.7ppm, 3.8ppm, 3.9ppm, 4.0ppm, 4.1ppm, 4.2ppm,The upper limit of the acetoin concentration of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention (less than or equal to) 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, or 99 ppm. ppm, 86ppm, 85ppm, 84ppm, 83ppm, 82ppm, 81ppm, 80ppm, 79ppm, 78ppm, 77ppm, 76ppm, 75ppm, 74p pm, 73ppm, 72ppm, 71ppm, 70ppm, 69ppm, 68ppm, 67ppm, 66ppm, 65ppm, 64ppm, 63ppm, 62ppm, 61ppm , 60ppm, 59ppm, 58ppm, 57ppm, 56ppm, 55ppm, 54ppm, 53ppm, 52ppm, 51ppm, 50ppm, 49ppm, 48ppm, 47ppm, 46ppm, 45ppm, 44ppm, 43ppm, 42ppm, 41ppm, 40ppm, 39ppm, 38ppm, 37ppm, 36ppm, 35ppm, 34 ppm, 33 ppm, 32 ppm, 31 ppm, 30 ppm, 29 ppm, 28 ppm, 27 ppm, 26 ppm, 25 ppm, 24 ppm, 23 ppm, 22 ppm, 21 ppm, 20 ppm, 19 ppm, 18 ppm, 17 ppm, 16 ppm, 15 ppm, 14 ppm, 13 ppm, 12 ppm, 11 ppm or 10 ppm. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any desired manner, for example, 0.1 ppm to 100 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 100 ppm, 1 ppm to 100 ppm, 1.5 ppm to 100 ppm, 2 ppm to 100 ppm, 2.5 ppm to 100 ppm, 3 ppm to 100 ppm, 3.5 ppm to 100 ppm, 4 ppm to 100 ppm, 4.5 ppm to 100 ppm, 5 ppm to 100 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 90 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 90 ppm, 1 ppm to 90 ppm, 1.5 ppm to 90 ppm, 2 ppm to 90 ppm,2.5 ppm to 90 ppm, 3 ppm to 90 ppm, 3.5 ppm to 90 ppm, 4 ppm to 90 ppm, 4.5 ppm to 90 ppm, 5 ppm to 90 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 80 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 80 ppm, 1 ppm to 80 ppm, 1.5 ppm to 80 ppm, 2 ppm to 80 ppm, 2.5 ppm to 80 ppm, 3 ppm to 80 ppm, 3.5 ppm to 80 ppm, 4 ppm to 80 ppm, 4.5 ppm to 80 ppm, 5 ppm to 8 0 ppm or less, 0.1 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 0.5 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 1 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 1.5 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 2 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 2.5 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 3 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 3.5 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 4 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 4.5 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 5 ppm to 70 ppm or less, 0.1 ppm to 60 ppm or less, 0.5 ppm to 60 ppm or less, 1 ppm to 60 ppm or less, 1.5 ppm to 60 ppm or less, 2 ppm to 60 ppm or less, 2.5 ppm to 60 ppm, 3 ppm to 60 ppm, 3.5 ppm to 60 ppm, 4 ppm to 60 ppm, 4.5 ppm to 60 ppm, 5 ppm to 60 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 50 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 50 ppm, 1 ppm to 50 ppm, 1.5 ppm to 50 ppm, 2 ppm to 50 ppm, 2.5 ppm to 50 ppm, 3 ppm to 50 ppm, 3.5 ppm to 50 ppm, 4 ppm to 50 ppm, 4.5 ppm to 50 ppm, 5 ppm to 5 0 ppm or less, 0.1 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 0.5 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 1 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 1.5 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 2 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 2.5 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 3 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 3.5 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 4 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 4.5 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 5 ppm to 40 ppm or less, 0.1 ppm to 30 ppm or less, 0.5 ppm to 30 ppm or less, 1 ppm to 30 ppm or less, 1.5 ppm to 30 ppm or less, 2 ppm to 30 ppm or less,2.5 ppm to 30 ppm, 3 ppm to 30 ppm, 3.5 ppm to 30 ppm, 4 ppm to 30 ppm, 4.5 ppm to 30 ppm, 5 ppm to 30 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 20 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 20 ppm, 1 ppm to 20 ppm, 1.5 ppm to 20 ppm, 2 ppm to 20 ppm, 2.5 ppm to 20 ppm, 3 ppm to 20 ppm, 3.5 ppm to 20 ppm, 4 ppm or more and 20 ppm or less, 4.5 ppm or more and 20 ppm or less, 5 ppm or more and 20 ppm or less, 0.1 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 0.5 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 1 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 1.5 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 2 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 2.5 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 3 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 3.5 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 4 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 4.5 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, or 5 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less. In the present invention, the unit "ppm" is synonymous with "mg / L".

[0015] The acetoin concentration of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be from 0.1 ppm to 9 ppm, from 0.1 ppm to 8 ppm, from 0.1 ppm to 7 ppm, from 0.1 ppm to 6 ppm, from 0.1 ppm to 5 ppm, from 0.1 ppm to 4 ppm, from 0.1 ppm to 3 ppm, from 0.1 ppm to 2 ppm, from 0.1 ppm to 1 ppm, from 10 ppm to 100 ppm, from 10 ppm to 95 ppm, from 10 ppm to 90 ppm, from 10 ppm to 8 5 ppm or less, 10 ppm to 80 ppm, 10 ppm to 75 ppm, 10 ppm to 70 ppm, 10 ppm to 65 ppm, 10 ppm to 60 ppm, 10 ppm to 55 ppm, 10 ppm to 50 ppm, 10 ppm to 45 ppm, 10 ppm to 40 ppm, 10 ppm to 35 ppm, 10 ppm to 30 ppm, 10 ppm to 25 ppm, 10 ppm to 20 ppm, 20 ppm to 100 ppm, 20 ppm 20 ppm or more and 95 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 90 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 85 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 80 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 75 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 70 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 65 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 60 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 55 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 50 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 45 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 40 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 35 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 30 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 25 ppm or less, It can also be 30 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 95 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 90 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 85 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 80 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 75 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 70 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 65 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 60 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 55 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 50 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 45 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 40 ppm or less, or 30 ppm or more and 35 ppm or less. In the above, "or more" can be interpreted as "more than" and "or less" can be interpreted as "less than."

[0016] In the present invention, the acetoin concentration of a beverage can be measured by GC / MS analysis. For example, as shown in the examples below, the aroma components in a beverage can be separated using a C18 solid-phase column, and the resulting analytical sample can be subjected to GC / MS to measure the acetoin concentration.

[0017] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is characterized by its excellent achievement of flavor complexity and astringency despite being a non-alcoholic beverage. Beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages have had the problem of insufficient flavor complexity and astringency 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 flavor complexity and astringency may be lost during the production process. The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention has excellent flavor complexity and astringency, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems of beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages. Here, "flavor complexity" refers to a flavor sensation in which richness and aroma spread in the mouth. Furthermore, "astringency" refers to a bitter flavor sensation that makes one want to purse their lips.

[0018] The method for producing the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not limited, as long as it contains acetoin within a predetermined concentration range.

[0019] The acetoin concentration of the fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be adjusted by selecting the raw materials. Non-limiting examples of raw materials containing acetoin and raw materials that produce acetoin in the final product include barley malt and wheat malt, but extracts obtained by enzymatically treating these to increase the acetoin content can also be used. The acetoin concentration of the fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention 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 acetoin at any stage of the production process.

[0020] When the production of the fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention includes a step of removing alcoholic components generated during the fermentation process, acetoin can be added after alcohol removal (dealcoholization) to adjust the alcohol concentration within a predetermined range. In the present invention, methods for removing alcohol after the fermentation process include, for example, (i) a method of removing alcohol by distillation under reduced pressure or normal pressure, (ii) a method of removing alcohol by adsorbing volatile components to steam using centrifugal force, and (iii) a method of removing alcohol using a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane. This method can be selected from either (i), (ii), and (iii), or either (i) and (ii). In the present invention, the step of removing alcohol after the fermentation process (dealcoholization step) can be performed once or multiple times (e.g., twice, three times, or four times). It is preferable to perform the step once to reduce the impact of heat load on quality (e.g., an increase in off-flavors and other undesirable flavor components) and to suppress cost increases due to the use of electricity and steam.

[0021] 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 acetoin 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.).

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] In the present invention, the fermentation conditions are not particularly limited, and the fermentation can be carried out according to a conventional method.

[0027] The acetoin concentration of the non-fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be adjusted by selecting the raw materials. Non-limiting examples of raw materials containing acetoin and raw materials that produce acetoin in the final product are the same as those for the fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage. The acetoin concentration of the non-fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can also be adjusted by appropriately setting the production conditions. Non-limiting examples of such production conditions include adjusting the brewing conditions, including the blending of raw materials, and selecting and adjusting the amount of filter aid used. These conditions can be set in the same way as those for the fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage. Furthermore, the concentration can be adjusted by adding acetoin at any stage of the production process.

[0028] The beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention may further contain linalool (CAS RN: 78-70-6) and / or citric acid (CAS RN: 77-92-9).

[0029] The linalool concentration of the fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be adjusted by selecting the raw materials. Non-limiting examples of raw materials containing linalool and raw materials that produce linalool in the final product include hops, but extracts obtained by enzymatically treating these to increase the linalool content can also be used. The linalool concentration of the fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can also be adjusted by appropriately setting the production conditions. Non-limiting examples of such production conditions include brewing conditions, selection of yeast (including strains), adjustment of the amount of yeast used, adjustment of fermentation conditions, and selection and adjustment of the amount of filter aid used. These conditions can be set in the same way as the above-mentioned conditions for adjusting the acetoin concentration. Furthermore, the concentration can also be adjusted by adding linalool at any stage of the production process.

[0030] When the production of the fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention includes a step of removing alcoholic components produced during the fermentation process, the concentration can be adjusted to fall within a predetermined range by adding linalool after the alcohol removal (de-alcoholization).

[0031] The linalool concentration of the non-fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be adjusted by selecting the raw materials. Non-limiting examples of raw materials containing linalool and raw materials that produce linalool in the final product are the same as those of the fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage. The linalool concentration of the non-fermented, beer-flavored, non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can also be adjusted by appropriately setting the production conditions. Non-limiting examples of such production conditions include brewing conditions, selection of filter aids, and adjustment of the amount used. Furthermore, the concentration can also be adjusted by adding linalool at any stage of the production process.

[0032] In the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the lower limit of the linalool concentration (above or above) is not limited, and may be, for example, 0.01 ppm, 0.02 ppm, 0.03 ppm, 0.04 ppm, 0.05 ppm, 0.06 ppm, 0.07 ppm, 0.08 ppm, 0.09 ppm, 0.10 ppm, 0.11 ppm, 0.12 ppm, 0.13 ppm, 0.14 ppm, 0.15 ppm, 0.16 ppm, 0.17 ppm, 0.18 ppm, 0.19 ppm, 0.20 ppm, 0.21 ppm, 0.22 ppm, 0.23 ppm, 0.24 ppm, 0.25 ppm, 0.26 ppm, 0.27 ppm, 0.28 ppm, 0.29 ppm, 0.30 ppm, 0.31 ppm, 0.32 ppm, 0.33 ppm, 0.34 ppm, 0.35 ppm, 0.36 ppm, 0.37 ppm, 0.38 ppm, 0.39 ppm, 0.40 ppm, 0.41 ppm, 0.42 ppm, 0.43 ppm, 0.44 ppm, 0.45 ppm, 0.46 ppm, 0.47 ppm, 0.48 ppm, 0.49 ppm, 0.50 ppm, 0.51 ppm, 0.52 ppm, 0.53 ppm, 0.54 ppm, 0.55 ppm, 0.56 ppm, 0.57 ppm, 0.58 ppm, 0.59 ppm, 0.60 ppm, 0.61 ppm, 0.62 ppm, 0.63 ppm, 0.64 ppm, 0.65 ppm, 0.66 ppm, .. 20ppm, 0.21ppm, 0.22ppm, 0.23ppm, 0.24ppm, 0.25ppm, 0.26ppm, 0.27ppm, 0.28ppm, 0.29ppm, 0.30ppm, 0.31ppm, 0.32ppm, 0.33ppm , 0.34ppm, 0.35ppm, 0.36ppm, 0.37ppm, 0.38ppm, 0.39ppm, 0.40ppm, 0.41ppm, 0.42ppm, 0.43ppm, 0.44ppm, 0.45ppm, 0.46ppm, 0.47 ppm, 0.48ppm, 0.49ppm, 0.50ppm, 0.51ppm, 0.52ppm, 0.53ppm, 0.54ppm, 0.55ppm, 0.56ppm, 0.57ppm, 0.58ppm, 0.59ppm, 0.60ppm, 0 .61ppm, 0.62ppm, 0.63ppm, 0.64ppm, 0.65ppm, 0.66ppm, 0.67ppm, 0.68ppm, 0.69ppm, 0.70ppm, 0.71ppm, 0.72ppm, 0.73ppm, 0.74ppm , 0.75 ppm, 0.76 ppm, 0.77 ppm, 0.78 ppm, 0.79 ppm, 0.80 ppm, 0.81 ppm, 0.82 ppm, 0.83 ppm, 0.84 ppm, 0.85 ppm, 0.86 ppm, 0.87 ppm, 0.88 ppm, 0.89 ppm, 0.90 ppm, 0.91 ppm, 0.92 ppm, 0.93 ppm, 0.94 ppm, 0.95 ppm, 0.96 ppm, 0.97 ppm, 0.98 ppm, 0.99 ppm or 1.0 ppm. Furthermore, the upper limit (or less than) of the linalool 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 exhibited. For example,9.4ppm, 9.3ppm, 9.2ppm, 9.1ppm, 9.0ppm, 8.9ppm, 8.8ppm, 8.7ppm, 8.6ppm, 8.5ppm, 8.4ppm, 8.3p pm, 8.2ppm, 8.1ppm, 8.0ppm, 7.9ppm, 7.8ppm, 7.7ppm, 7.6ppm, 7.5ppm, 7.4ppm, 7.3ppm, 7.2ppm, 7. It can be 1 ppm, 7.0 ppm, 6.9 ppm, 6.8 ppm, 6.7 ppm, 6.6 ppm, 6.5 ppm, 6.4 ppm, 6.3 ppm, 6.2 ppm, 6.1 ppm, 6.0 ppm, 5.9 ppm, 5.8 ppm, 5.7 ppm, 5.6 ppm, 5.5 ppm, 5.4 ppm, 5.3 ppm, 5.2 ppm, 5.1 ppm or 5.0 ppm. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any desired manner, for example, 0.01 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 0.05 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 0.1 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 0.2 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 0.3 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 0.4 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 0.5 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, 0.6 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less ... below, 0.7 ppm to 10 ppm, 0.8 ppm to 10 ppm, 0.9 ppm to 10 ppm, 1 ppm to 10 ppm, 0.01 ppm to 9 ppm, 0.05 ppm to 9 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 9 ppm, 0.2 ppm to 9 ppm, 0.3 ppm to 9 ppm, 0.4 ppm to 9 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 9 ppm m or less, 0.6 ppm to 9 ppm, 0.7 ppm to 9 ppm, 0.8 ppm to 9 ppm, 0.9 ppm to 9 ppm, 1 ppm to 9 ppm, 0.01 ppm m to 8 ppm, 0.05 ppm to 8 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 8 ppm, 0.2 ppm to 8 ppm, 0.3 ppm to 8 ppm, 0.4 ppm to 8 ppm below, 0.5 ppm to 8 ppm, 0.6 ppm to 8 ppm, 0.7 ppm to 8 ppm, 0.8 ppm to 8 ppm, 0.9 ppm to 8 ppm, 1 ppm to 8 ppm, 0.01 ppm to 7 ppm, 0.05 ppm to 7 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 7 ppm, 0.2 ppm to 7 ppm, 0.3 ppm to 7 ppm,0.4 ppm to 7 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 7 ppm, 0.6 ppm to 7 ppm, 0.7 ppm to 7 ppm, 0.8 ppm to 7 ppm, 0.9 ppm to 7 ppm, 1 ppm to 7 ppm, 0.01 ppm to 6 ppm, 0.05 ppm to 6 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 6 ppm, 0.2 ppm to 6 ppm, 0.3 ppm to 6 ppm, 0.4 ppm to 6 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 6 ppm, 0.6 ppm to 6 ppm, 0.7 ppm to 6 ppm or less, 0.8 ppm to 6 ppm, 0.9 ppm to 6 ppm, 1 ppm to 6 ppm, 0.01 ppm to 5 ppm, 0.05 ppm to 5 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 5 ppm, 0.2 ppm to 5 ppm, 0.3 ppm to 5 ppm, 0.4 ppm to 5 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 5 ppm, 0.6 ppm to 5 ppm, 0.7 ppm to 5 ppm, 0.8 ppm to 5 ppm, 0.9 ppm to 5 ppm, or 1 ppm to 5 ppm.

[0033] The linalool concentration of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be, for example, from 0.01 ppm to 4.5 ppm, from 0.01 ppm to 4 ppm, from 0.01 ppm to 3.5 ppm, from 0.01 ppm to 3 ppm, from 0.01 ppm to 2.5 ppm, from 0.01 ppm to 2 ppm, from 0.01 ppm to 1.5 ppm, from 0.01 ppm to 1 ppm, or from 0.01 ppm to 1 ppm. It can also be 0.9 ppm or less, 0.01 ppm or more and 0.8 ppm or less, 0.01 ppm or more and 0.7 ppm or less, 0.01 ppm or more and 0.6 ppm or less, 0.01 ppm or more and 0.5 ppm or less, 0.01 ppm or more and 0.4 ppm or less, 0.01 ppm or more and 0.3 ppm or less, 0.01 ppm or more and 0.2 ppm or less, 0.01 ppm or more and 0.1 ppm or less, or 5 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less. In the above, "0.5 ppm or more" can be interpreted as "greater than" and "0.5 ppm or less" can be interpreted as "less than".

[0034] In the present invention, the citric acid concentration can be adjusted by blending or adding it in any of the production processes. The form of citric acid may be any form that is easily soluble in an aqueous solvent, such as liquid, powder, or solid. The concentration can also be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of raw materials containing citric acid or raw materials that produce citric acid.

[0035] In the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the lower limit of the citric acid concentration (above or beyond) is not limited, but may be, for example, 10 ppm, 11 ppm, 12 ppm, 13 ppm, 14 ppm, 15 ppm, 16 ppm, 17 ppm, 18 ppm, 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, 50 ppm, 51 ppm, 52 ppm, 53 ppm, 54 ppm, 55 ppm, 56 ppm, 57 ppm, 58 ppm, 59 ppm, 60 ppm, 61 ppm, 62 ppm, 63 ppm, 64 ppm, 65 ppm, 66 ppm, 67 ppm, 68 ppm, 69 ppm, 70 ppm, 71 ppm, 72 ppm, 73 ppm, 74 ppm, 75 ppm, 76 ppm, 77 ppm, 78 ppm, 79 ppm, 80 ppm, 81 ppm, 82 ppm, 83 ppm, 84 ppm, 85 ppm, 86 ppm, 87 ppm, 88 ppm, 89 ppm, 90 ppm, 91 ppm, 92 ppm, 93 ppm, 94 ppm, 95 ppm, 96 ppm, 97 ppm, 98 ppm, 99 ppm, 100 ppm, 101 ppm, 1 5ppm, 26ppm, 27ppm, 28ppm, 29ppm, 30ppm, 31ppm, 32ppm, 33ppm, 34ppm, 35ppm, 36ppm, 37ppm, 3 8ppm, 39ppm, 40ppm, 41ppm, 42ppm, 43ppm, 44ppm, 45ppm, 46ppm, 47ppm, 48ppm, 49ppm, 50ppm, 5 1ppm, 52ppm, 53ppm, 54ppm, 55ppm, 56ppm, 57ppm, 58ppm, 59ppm, 60ppm, 61ppm, 62ppm, 63ppm, 64ppm, 65ppm, 66ppm, 67ppm, 68ppm, 69ppm, 70ppm, 71ppm, 72ppm, 73ppm, 74ppm, 75ppm, 76ppm, It can be 77 ppm, 78 ppm, 79 ppm, 80 ppm, 81 ppm, 82 ppm, 83 ppm, 84 ppm, 85 ppm, 86 ppm, 87 ppm, 88 ppm, 89 ppm, 90 ppm, 91 ppm, 92 ppm, 93 ppm, 94 ppm, 95 ppm, 96 ppm, 97 ppm, 98 ppm, 99 ppm or 100 ppm. Furthermore, the upper limit (or less than) of the citric 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 such upper limits include 1000 ppm, 950 ppm, 900 ppm, 850 ppm, 800 ppm, 750 ppm, 700 ppm, 650 ppm, 600 ppm, 550 ppm, and 500 ppm. These lower and upper limits can be arbitrarily combined, for example, 10 ppm or more and 1000 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 900 ppm or less,10 ppm or more and 800 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 700 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 600 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 1000 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 900 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 800 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 700 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 600 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 1000 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more 900 ppm or less, 30 ppm to 800 ppm, 30 ppm to 700 ppm, 30 ppm to 600 ppm, 30 ppm to 500 ppm, 30 ppm to 400 ppm, 30 ppm to 300 ppm, 40 ppm to 1000 ppm, 40 ppm to 900 ppm, 40 ppm to 800 ppm, 40 ppm to 700 ppm, 40 ppm to 600 ppm, 40 ppm to 500 ppm, 40 ppm to 400 ppm, 40 ppm to 300 ppm, 50 ppm to 1000 ppm , 50 ppm or more and 900 ppm or less, 50 ppm or more and 800 ppm or less, 50 ppm or more and 700 ppm or less, 50 ppm or more and 600 ppm or less, 50 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 50 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 50 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less, 60 ppm or more and 1000 ppm or less, 60 ppm or more and 900 ppm or less, 60 ppm or more and 800 ppm or less, 60 ppm or more and 700 ppm or less, 60 ppm or more and 600 ppm or less, 60 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 60 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 60 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less, 70 ppm or more and 1 000 ppm or less, 70 ppm to 900 ppm, 70 ppm to 800 ppm, 70 ppm to 700 ppm, 70 ppm to 600 ppm, 70 ppm to 500 ppm, 70 ppm to 400 ppm, 70 ppm to 300 ppm, 80 ppm to 1000 ppm, 80 ppm to 900 ppm, 80 ppm to 800 ppm, 80 ppm to 700 ppm, 80 ppm to 600 ppm, 80 ppm to 500 ppm, 80 ppm to 400 ppm, 80 ppm to 300 ppm,The concentration can be 90 ppm or more and 1000 ppm or less, 90 ppm or more and 900 ppm or less, 90 ppm or more and 800 ppm or less, 90 ppm or more and 700 ppm or less, 90 ppm or more and 600 ppm or less, 90 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 90 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, 90 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less, 100 ppm or more and 1000 ppm or less, 100 ppm or more and 900 ppm or less, 100 ppm or more and 800 ppm or less, 100 ppm or more and 700 ppm or less, 100 ppm or more and 600 ppm or less, 100 ppm or more and 500 ppm or less, 100 ppm or more and 400 ppm or less, or 100 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less.

[0036] The citric acid concentration of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be, for example, 10 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 200 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 150 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 90 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 80 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 70 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 60 ppm or less, 10 ppm or more and 50 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 200 ppm or less, 0 ppm or more and 150 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 90 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 80 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 70 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 60 ppm or less, 20 ppm or more and 50 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 250 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 200 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 150 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 90 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more and 80 ppm or less, 30 ppm or more 70ppm or less, 30ppm or more and 60ppm or less, 30ppm or more and 50ppm or less, 40ppm or more and 250ppm or less, 40ppm or more and 200ppm or less, 40ppm or more and 150ppm or less, 40ppm or more and 100ppm or less, 4 0ppm to 90ppm, 40ppm to 80ppm, 40ppm to 70ppm, 40ppm to 60ppm, 40ppm to 50ppm, 50ppm to 250ppm, 50ppm to 200ppm or less, 50 ppm to 150 ppm, 50 ppm to 100 ppm, 50 ppm to 90 ppm, 50 ppm to 80 ppm, 50 ppm to 70 ppm, 50 ppm to 60 ppm, 300 ppm to 1000 ppm, 300 ppm to 900 ppm, 300 ppm to 800 ppm, 300 ppm to 700 ppm, 300 ppm to 600 ppm, or 300 ppm to 500 ppm. In the above, "or more" can be interpreted as "greater than" and "or less" can be interpreted as "less than."

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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."

[0041] 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.).

[0042] 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."

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a flavor-improved non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, the method comprising the step of adding acetoin to the beverage at a concentration of 0.1 ppm to 100 ppm. In the present invention, "improved flavor" or "improved flavor" of a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage means achieving a complex flavor and astringent taste in the 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 that achieves a complex flavor and astringent taste. 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.

[0048] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flavor improver for a beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage, which comprises acetoin as an active ingredient. The flavor improver of the present invention can be produced according to the description of the beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage and the method for producing the same of the present invention.

[0049] 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 acetoin to a concentration of 0.1 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.

[0050] The present invention will be described in more detail based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0051] 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.

[0052] Measurement of acetoin concentration The acetoin concentration was measured by GC / MS analysis. Specifically, the sample was purged in a headspace vial and the entire amount was forcibly evaporated (full evaporation). The analytical sample was introduced into a GC-MS (Agilent Technologies) by the FEDHS method using an MPS-robotic pro (Gestell). Quantitation was performed by the standard addition calibration curve method. The GC / MS analysis conditions are as shown in Table 1.

[0053]

[0054] Measurement of linalool concentration Linalool concentration was measured by GC / MS analysis. Specifically, the aroma components in the beverage sample were separated using a C18 solid-phase column, and the analytical sample obtained from the effluent was subjected to GC / MS by solvent liquid-liquid extraction. Quantitation was performed using an internal standard method, and borneol was used as the internal standard substance, added to the analytical sample to be 25 ppb. The GC / MS analysis conditions are as shown in Table 2.

[0055]

[0056] Measurement of citric acid concentration The citric acid concentration was measured by the BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (Beer Brewers Association, 8.24.2 Capillary Electrophoresis). Specifically, a CE7100 (Agilent) was used as the analytical instrument.

[0057] 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 22).

[0058] (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 22 were obtained by adding acetoin and linalool or citric acid to the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of test plot 1 to adjust the concentrations shown in Table 3.

[0059] B. Evaluation Test Six trained panelists conducted an evaluation test on test plots 1 to 22. Specifically, the two evaluation items, "complexity of flavor" and "astringent flavor," were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in increments of 0.5, and the average evaluation scores of the six panelists were calculated. Here, "complexity of flavor" refers to the sensation of flavor in which richness and aroma spread in the mouth. "Astringent flavor" refers to the sensation of astringent flavor that makes you want to purse your lips. The specific rating criteria are as shown below, and test plots 2 to 22 were evaluated based on the rating of test plot 1. <Criteria for each rating> 1: Approximately the same as test plot 1 2: Slight improvement can be recognized by consecutive comparison with test plot 1 3: Improvement can be recognized by consecutive comparison with test plot 1 4: Improvement can be recognized without comparison with test plot 1 5: Significant improvement can be recognized without comparison with test plot 1

[0060] (2) Results The results are shown in Table 3. The results of test plots 2 to 6 showed that when acetoin was added (single addition), the complexity of the taste and the astringent taste were improved. Furthermore, the results of test plots 7 to 9 showed that when acetoin and linalool were added in combination, the complexity of the taste and the astringent taste were improved compared to when acetoin was added alone (test plot 2). Furthermore, the results of test plots 15 and 16 showed that when acetoin and citric acid were added in combination, the complexity of the taste and the astringent taste were improved compared to when acetoin was added alone (test plot 2).

[0061]

Claims

1. A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage with an acetoin concentration of 0.1 ppm or more.

2. A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to claim 1, having a linalool concentration of 0.01 ppm or more.

3. A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the citric acid concentration is 10 ppm or more.

4. A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, having an acetoin concentration of 0.5 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less.

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

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

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

8. A method for producing a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, which includes a step of incorporating acetoin at a concentration of 0.1 ppm or more.

9. A method for improving the flavor of a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, comprising a step of adding acetoin to the beverage at a concentration of 0.1 ppm or more during the production of the beverage.

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