Beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage and production method therefor

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage in which, despite the purine concentration being reduced, flavor deterioration, reduction in defined astringency unique to beer, and the intensity of sourness resulting from the reduction in the purine concentration are ameliorated. The present invention provides a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage having a purine concentration of 35,000 ppb or less, an aluminum concentration of 0.3 ppm or more, and a furfuryl acetate concentration of 3 ppb or more. According to the present invention, by setting the aluminum concentration to a prescribed value in a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage having a reduced purine concentration, it is possible to provide the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage which has not only a reduced purine concentration but also good flavor and in which the defined astringency unique to beer and the intensity of sourness are improved.

Description

Beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage and method for producing the same Reference to Related Application

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-55086, filed earlier on March 28, 2025, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage and a method for producing the same, and more particularly to a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage with reduced purine concentration and a method for producing the same.

[0003] It is said that beer, which is a fermented malt beverage, contains approximately 4 to 10 mg / 100 mL (40,000 to 100,000 ppb) of purine compounds. When ingested through diet, purine compounds are decomposed into uric acid, and are said to be one cause of increased serum uric acid levels. For this reason, for fermented malt beverages such as beer, products with reduced purine compounds that meet consumer demand for healthier options are desired.

[0004] Techniques for reducing the concentration of purine compounds in fermented malt beverages such as beer have been developed to date (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Furthermore, a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage that achieves a full-bodied taste while having reduced purine concentration is known (Patent Document 3).

[0005] International Publication No. 96 / 25483, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-290071, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-97414

[0006] The present inventors have found that in beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages with reduced purine concentration, the reduction in purine concentration not only weakens the overall flavor of the beverage, but also reduces the tight astringency characteristic of beer and increases sourness. An object of the present invention is to provide a novel beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage in which the reduction in the tight beer-like astringency and the increased sourness are improved, while the purine concentration is reduced.

[0007] The present invention provides the following: [1] A beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage having a purine concentration of 35,000 ppb or less, an aluminum concentration of 0.3 ppm or more, and a furfuryl acetate concentration of 3 ppb or more. [2] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage according to [1], wherein the aluminum concentration is 0.3 ppb or more and 10.0 ppb or less. [3] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein the furfuryl acetate concentration is 3 ppb or more and 15 ppb or less. [4] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the malt usage ratio is 50% or more and 100% or less. [5] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the alcohol concentration is 3 v / v% or more and 7 v / v% or less. [6] A method for producing a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage having a purine concentration of 35,000 ppb or less, comprising the steps of including an aluminum source so that the aluminum concentration is 0.3 ppm or more, and including furfuryl acetate so that the furfuryl acetate concentration is 3 ppb or more. [7] A method for improving the flavor of a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage having a purine concentration of 35,000 ppb or less, comprising the steps of including an aluminum source so that the aluminum concentration is 0.3 ppm or more, and including furfuryl acetate so that the furfuryl acetate concentration is 3 ppb or more, in the production of the beverage.

[0008] According to the present invention, in a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage with reduced purine concentration, by setting the aluminum concentration to a predetermined value, it is possible to provide a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage in which the characteristic bitterness and acidity of beer are reduced while the purine concentration is reduced.

[0009] In the present invention, "beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage" means a beverage having a beer-like flavor, fermented with yeast using a carbon source, a nitrogen source, and water as raw materials, and includes beer, low-malt beer, and other sparkling alcoholic beverages (alcoholic beverages other than beer and low-malt beer that have an alcohol concentration of less than 11 v / v% and are effervescent). A preferred embodiment of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage is a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage in which malt and / or ungerminated grains are used as at least part of the raw materials, and more preferably a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage in which malt is used as at least part of the raw materials.

[0010] In this invention, "low-malt beer" includes beverages containing distilled alcohol as an ingredient, as well as those that do not contain malt or hops. In this invention, "beer" can be defined as a beverage made by fermenting malt, hops, and water, or a beverage made by fermenting malt, hops, water, and certain auxiliary ingredients, and that satisfies the following two conditions (limited to those with an alcohol content of less than 20%) (see the Liquor Tax Act (Law No. 6 of 1953), which came into effect on October 1, 2024): • The malt ratio is 50% or more. • The weight of the fruit used (including dried, boiled, or concentrated fruit juice) and certain flavorings does not exceed 5% of the weight of the malt (including those not used).

[0011] When the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention uses malt as at least part of its raw materials, the malt usage ratio is, for example, more than 0%, 5% or less, 5% or more, 10% or less, 10% or more, 12.5% ​​or less, 12.5% ​​or more, 15% or less, 15% or more, 17.5% or less, 17.5% or more, 20% or less, 20% or more, 22.5% or less, 22.5% or more, 25% or less, and 25% or more. , 27.5% or less, 27.5% or more, 30% or less, 30% or more, 32.5% or less, 32.5% or more, 35% or less, 35% or more, 37.5% or less, 37.5% or more, 40% or less, 40% or more, 42.5% or less, 42.5% or more, 45% or less, 45% or more, 47.5% or less, 47.5% or more, 50% or less, 50% or more, 52.5% or less, 52.5% or more, 55% or less, 55 % or more, 57.5% or less, 57.5% or more, 60% or less, 60% or more, 62.5% or less, 62.5% or more, 65% or less, 65% or more, 67.5% or less, 67.5% or more, 70% or less, 70% or more, 72.5% or less, 72.5% or more, 75% or less, 75% or more, 77.5% or less, 77.5% or more, 80% or less, 80% or more, 82.5% or less, 82.5% or more, 85% or less The upper and lower limits can be any combination, "less than or equal to" can be "less than", and "greater than or equal to" can be "greater than". The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention may also not use malt as an ingredient, in which case the malt usage ratio is 0%. In the present invention, "malt usage ratio" means the ratio of the mass of malt to the mass of all ingredients excluding hops and brewing water.

[0012] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention can use, for example, barley malt or wheat malt as malt, and may use one type of malt or a combination of multiple types of malt. In the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the ratio of barley malt (mass) to raw malt (mass) is, for example, 0%, 0% or more, 10% or more, 10% or less, 12.5% ​​or more, 12.5% ​​or less, 15% or more, 15% or less, 17.5% or more, 17.5% or less, 20% or more, 20% or less, 22.5% or more, 22.5% or less, 25% or more, 25% or less, 27.5% or more, 27.5% or less, 30% or more, 30% or less, 32.5% or more, 32.5% or less, 35% or more, 35% or less, 37.5% or more, 37.5% or less, 40% or more, 40% or less, 42.5% or more, 42.5% or less, 45% or more, 45% or less, 47.5% or more, 47.5% or less, 50% or more, 50% % or less, 52.5% or more, 52.5% or less, 55% or more, 55% or less, 57.5% or more, 57.5% or less, 60% or more, 60% or less, 62.5% or more, 62.5% Below, 65% or more, 65% or less, 67.5% or more, 67.5% or less, 70% or more, 70% or less, 72.5% or more, 72.5% or less, 75% or more, 75% or less, 77. The upper and lower limits can be 5% or more, 77.5% or less, 80% or more, 80% or less, 82.5% or more, 82.5% or less, 85% or more, 85% or less, 87.5% or more, 87.5% or less, 90% or more, 90% or less, 92.5% or more, 92.5% or less, 95% or more, 95% or less, 97.5% or more, 97.5% or less, 100% or less, or 100%. These upper and lower limits can be combined in any way, "or less" can be changed to "less than", and "or more" can be changed to "greater than".In the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the proportion of wheat malt (mass) to the total amount of raw malt (mass) is, for example, 0%, 0% or more, 10% or more, 10% or less, 12.5% ​​or more, 12.5% ​​or less, 15% or more, 15% or less, 17.5% or more, 17.5% or less, 20% or more, 20% or less, 22.5% or more, 22.5% or less, 25% or more, 25% or less, 27.5% or more, 27.5% or less, 30% or more, 30% or less, 32.5% or more, 32.5% or less, 35% or more, 35% or less, 37.5% or more, 37.5% or less, 40% or more, 40% or less, 42.5% or more, 42.5% or less, 45% or more, 45% or less, 47.5% or more, 47.5% or less, 50% or more, 5 0% or less, 52.5% or more, 52.5% or less, 55% or more, 55% or less, 57.5% or more, 57.5% or less, 60% or more, 60% or less, 62.5% or more, 62.5% Below, 65% or more, 65% or less, 67.5% or more, 67.5% or less, 70% or more, 70% or less, 72.5% or more, 72.5% or less, 75% or more, 75% or less, 77. It can be 5% or more, 77.5% or less, 80% or more, 80% or less, 82.5% or more, 82.5% or less, 85% or more, 85% or less, 87.5% or more, 87.5% or less, 90% or more, 90% or less, 92.5% or more, 92.5% or less, 95% or more, 95% or less, 97.5% or more, 97.5% or less, 100% or less, or 100%. In the above, "or more" can be changed to "greater than". These upper and lower limits can be combined in any way, "or less" can be changed to "less than", and "or more" can be changed to "greater than".

[0013] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention can use dark malt as part of the malt raw material. In the present invention, "dark malt" refers to malt that has been roasted at a relatively high temperature (for example, about 120°C or higher) during the production of malt from barley, resulting in a dark brown color. Non-limiting examples of dark malt include caramel malt and black malt. Generally, dark malt tends to be darker in color the higher the roasting temperature.

[0014] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention may also contain malts other than dark malt, such as light malt (base malt). Non-limiting examples of light malt include pale malt (barley malt), pilsner malt (barley malt), and wheat malt (wheat malt).

[0015] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention may preferably use dark malt as part of the malt ingredients, in which case the malt other than dark malt may include light malt.

[0016] In the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the ratio of dark malt (mass) to total malt raw materials (mass) is, for example, 0%, 0% or more, 1% or more, 1% or less, 2% or more, 2% or less, 3% or more, 3% or less, 4% or more, 4% or less, 5% or more, 5% or less, 6% or more, 6% or less, 7% or more, 7% or less, 8% or more, 8% or less, 9% or more, 9% or less, 10% or more, 10% or less, and 12.5%. or more, 12.5% ​​or less, 15% or more, 15% or less, 17.5% or more, 17.5% or less, 20% or more, 20% or less, 22.5% or more, 22.5% or less, 25% or more, 25% or less, 27.5% or more Above, 27.5% or less, 30% or more, 30% or less, 32.5% or more, 32.5% or less, 35% or more, 35% or less, 37.5% or more, 37.5% or less, 40% or more, 40% or less, 42.5% or more , 42.5% or less, 45% or more, 45% or less, 47.5% or more, 47.5% or less, 50% or more, 50% or less, 52.5% or more, 52.5% or less, 55% or more, 55% or less, 57.5% or more, 57.5% or less, 60% or more, 60% or less, 62.5% or more, 62.5% or less, 65% or more, 65% or less, 67.5% or more, 67.5% or less, 70% or more, 70% or less, 72.5% or more, 7 2.5% or less, 75% or more, 75% or less, 77.5% or more, 77.5% or less, 80% or more, 80% or less, 82.5% or more, 82.5% or less, 85% or more, 85% or less, 87.5% or more, 87.5% or less, 90% or more, 90% or less, 92.5% or more, 92.5% or less, 95% or more, 95% or less, 97.5% or more, 97.5% or less, 100% or less, or 100%. These upper and lower limits can be combined in any way, "or less" can be changed to "less than", and "or more" can be changed to "greater than".

[0017] In the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the ratio of pale malt (mass) to total malt raw materials (mass) is, for example, 0%, 0% or more, 1% or more, 1% or less, 2% or more, 2% or less, 3% or more, 3% or less, 4% or more, 4% or less, 5% or more, 5% or less, 6% or more, 6% or less, 7% or more, 7% or less, 8% or more, 8% or less, 9% or more, 9% or less, 10% or more, 10% or less, and 12.5%. or more, 12.5% ​​or less, 15% or more, 15% or less, 17.5% or more, 17.5% or less, 20% or more, 20% or less, 22.5% or more, 22.5% or less, 25% or more, 25% or less, 27.5% or more Above, 27.5% or less, 30% or more, 30% or less, 32.5% or more, 32.5% or less, 35% or more, 35% or less, 37.5% or more, 37.5% or less, 40% or more, 40% or less, 42.5% or more , 42.5% or less, 45% or more, 45% or less, 47.5% or more, 47.5% or less, 50% or more, 50% or less, 52.5% or more, 52.5% or less, 55% or more, 55% or less, 57.5% or more, 57.5% or less, 60% or more, 60% or less, 62.5% or more, 62.5% or less, 65% or more, 65% or less, 67.5% or more, 67.5% or less, 70% or more, 70% or less, 72.5% or more, 7 2.5% or less, 75% or more, 75% or less, 77.5% or more, 77.5% or less, 80% or more, 80% or less, 82.5% or more, 82.5% or less, 85% or more, 85% or less, 87.5% or more, 87.5% or less, 90% or more, 90% or less, 92.5% or more, 92.5% or less, 95% or more, 95% or less, 97.5% or more, 97.5% or less, 100% or less, or 100%. These upper and lower limits can be combined in any way, "or less" can be changed to "less than", and "or more" can be changed to "greater than".

[0018] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention allows for the alcohol concentration to be set arbitrarily, but the lower limit of the alcohol concentration (greater than or equal to) is, for example, 1.0 v / v%, 1.1 v / v%, 1.2 v / v%, 1.3 v / v%, 1.4 v / v%, 1.5 v / v%, 1.6 v / v%, 1.7 v / v%, 1.8 v / v%, 1.9 v / v%, 2.0 v / v%, 2.1 v / v%, 2.2 v / v%, 2.3 v / v%, 2.4 v / v%, 2.5 v / v%, 2.6 v / v%, 2.7 v / v%, 2.8 v / v%, 2.9 v / v%, 3.0 The values ​​can be v / v%, 3.1v / v%, 3.2v / v%, 3.3v / v%, 3.4v / v%, 3.5v / v%, 3.6v / v%, 3.7v / v%, 3.8v / v%, 3.9v / v%, or 4.0v / v%, with upper limits (less than or equal to) being, for example, 11.0v / v%, 10.9v / v%, 10.8v / v%, 10.7v / v%, 10.6v / v%, 10.5v / v%, 10.4v / v%, 10.3v / v%, 10.2v / v%, 10.1v / v%, 10.0v / v%, 9.9v / v%, 9.8v / v%, 9.7v / v%, 9.6v / v%, 9.5v / v%, 9.4v / v%, 9.3v / v%, 9.2v / v%, 9.1v / v%, 9.0v / v% , 8.9v / v%, 8.8v / v%, 8.7v / v%, 8.6v / v%, 8.5v / v%, 8.4v / v%, 8.3v / v%, 8. 2v / v%, 8.1v / v%, 8.0v / v%, 7.9v / v%, 7.8v / v%, 7.7v / v%, 7.6v / v%, 7.5v / v%, 7.4v / v%, 7.3v / v%, 7.2v / v%, 7.1v / v%, 7.0v / v%, 6.9v / v%, 6.8v / v%, 6.7v / v%, 6.6v / v%, 6.5v / v%, 6.4v / v%, 6.3v / v%, 6.2v / v%, 6.1v / v%, 6. 0v / v%, 5.9v / v%, 5.8v / v%, 5.7v / v%, 5.6v / v%, 5.5v / v%, 5.4v / v%, 5.3v / v%, 5.2v / v%, 5.1v / v%, 5.0v / v%, 4.9v / v%, 4.8v / v%, 4.7v / v%, 4.6v / v%, 4.5v / v%, 4.4v / v%, 4.3v / v%, 4.2v / v%, 4.1v / v% or 4.0v / v%.These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, and the alcohol concentration of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be, for example, 1.0 v / v% or more and 10.0 v / v% or less, preferably 2.0 v / v% or more and 8.0 v / v% or less, and more preferably 3.0 v / v% or more and 7.0 v / v% or less.

[0019] Methods for measuring the alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) in beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages are widely known to those skilled in the art, and for example, the alcohol concentration can be measured by the method described in the "National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method."

[0020] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention has a reduced purine concentration, or a reduced concentration of any one of adenine, guanine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine, or a combination of some or all of these (in this specification, "purine concentration" refers to the total concentration obtained by adding up the concentrations of the four purine bases: adenine, guanine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine). The purine concentration of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is, for example, 35,000 ppb or less, 34,000 ppb or less, 33,000 ppb or less, 32,000 ppb or less, 31,000 ppb or less, 30,000 ppb or less, 29,000 ppb or less, 28,000 ppb or less, 27,000 ppb or less, 26,000 ppb or less, 25,000 ppb or less, 24,000 ppb or less, 23,000 ppb or less, 22,0 00 ppb or less, 21,000 ppb or less, 20,000 ppb or more, 20,000 ppb or less, 19,000 ppb or more, 19,000 ppb or less, 18,000 ppb or more, 18,000 ppb or less, 17,000 ppb or more, 17,000 ppb or less, 16,000 ppb or more, 16,000 ppb or less, 15,000 ppb or more, 15,000 ppb or less, 14,000 ppb or more, 14,000 ppb or less, 13,000 ppb or more, 13,000 ppb or less, 12,000 ppb or more, 12,000 ppb or less, 11,000 ppb or more, 11,000 ppb or less, 10,000 ppb or more, 10,000 ppb or less, 9,000 ppb or more, 9,000 ppb or less, 8,000 ppb or more, 8,000 ppb or less, 7,000 ppb or more, 7,000 ppb or less, 6,000 ppb or more, 6,000 ppb or less, 5,000 ppb or more, 5,000 ppb It can be 0 ppb or less, 4,500 ppb or more, 4,500 ppb or less, 4,400 ppb or more, 4,400 ppb or less, 4,300 ppb or more, 4,300 ppb or less, 4,200 ppb or more, 4,200 ppb or less, 4,100 ppb or more, 4,100 ppb or less, 4,000 ppb or more, 4,000 ppb or less, 3,500 ppb or more, 3,500 ppb or less, 3,000 ppb or more, or 3,000 ppb or less.These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, "less than or equal to" can be changed to "less than", and "greater than or equal to" can be changed to "greater than". Beverages with a purine concentration of less than 5,000 ppb correspond to "purine-free beverages". In this invention, "ppb" is synonymous with "μg / L".

[0021] The adenine concentration of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is, for example, 8,000 ppb or less, 7,500 ppb or less, 7,400 ppb or less, 7,300 ppb or less, 7,200 ppb or less, 7,100 ppb or less, 7,000 ppb or less, 6,000 ppb or less, 5,000 ppb or less, 4,000 ppb or less, 3,000 ppb or more, 3,000 ppb or less, 2, 500ppb or more, 2,500ppb or less, 2,400ppb or more, 2,400ppb or less, 2,300ppb or more, 2,300ppb or less, 2,200ppb or more, 2,200ppb Below, 2,100ppb or more, 2,100ppb or less, 2,000ppb or more, 2,000ppb or less, 1,500ppb or more, 1,500ppb or less, 1,000ppb or more, 1,00 0ppb or less, 900ppb or more, 900ppb or less, 800ppb or more, 800ppb or less, 700ppb or more, 700ppb or less, 600ppb or more, 600ppb or less, 500p pb or more, 500ppb or less, 400ppb or more, 400ppb or less, 350ppb or more, 350ppb or less, 340ppb or more, 340ppb or less, 330ppb or more, 330ppb or less The lower limit can be 320 ppb or more, 320 ppb or less, 310 ppb or more, 310 ppb or less, 300 ppb or more, 300 ppb or less, 200 ppb or more, 200 ppb or less, 100 ppb or more, 100 ppb or less, 50 ppb or more, 50 ppb or less, 40 ppb or more, 40 ppb or less, 30 ppb or more, 30 ppb or less, 20 ppb or more, or 20 ppb or less. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, "or less" can be changed to "less than", and "or more" can be changed to "greater than".

[0022] The guanine concentration of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is, for example, 20,000 ppb or less, 19,000 ppb or less, 18,000 ppb or less, 17,000 ppb or less, 16,000 ppb or less, 15,000 ppb or less, 14,000 ppb or less, 13,000 ppb or less, 12,000 ppb or less, 11,000 ppb or less, 10,000 ppb or less, 9,900 ppb or less, 9,800 ppb or less, and 9,700 ppb. Below, 9,600ppb or less, 9,500ppb or less, 9,400ppb or less, 9,300ppb or less, 9,200ppb or less, 9,100ppb or less, 9,000ppb or less, 8,000ppb or less, 7,000pp b or less, 6,000ppb or less, 5,000ppb or less, 4,000ppb or less, 3,000ppb or more, 3,000ppb or less, 2,000ppb or more, 2,000ppb or less, 1,900ppb or more, 1,900p pb or less, 1,800 ppb or more, 1,800 ppb or less, 1,700 ppb or more, 1,700 ppb or less, 1,600 ppb or more, 1,600 ppb or less, 1,500 ppb or more, 1,500 ppb or less, 1,400 ppb or more, 1,400ppb or less, 1,300ppb or more, 1,300ppb or less, 1,200ppb or more, 1,200ppb or less, 1,100ppb or more, 1,100ppb or less, 1,000ppb or more, 1,00 The limits can be 0 ppb or less, 900 ppb or more, 900 ppb or less, 800 ppb or more, 800 ppb or less, 700 ppb or more, 700 ppb or less, 600 ppb or more, 600 ppb or less, 500 ppb or more, 500 ppb or less, 400 ppb or more, 400 ppb or less, 300 ppb or more, 300 ppb or less, 200 ppb or more, 200 ppb or less, 100 ppb or more, 100 ppb or less, 50 ppb or more, or 50 ppb or less. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, "or less" can be changed to "less than", and "or more" can be changed to "greater than".

[0023] The xanthine concentration of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is, for example, 8,000 ppb or less, 7,000 ppb or less, 6,000 ppb or less, 5,000 ppb or less, 4,500 ppb or less, 4,400 ppb or more, 4,300 ppb or less, 4,200 ppb or less, 4,100 ppb or less, 4,000 ppb or less, 3,500 ppb or less, 3,400 ppb or less, 3,300 ppb or less, 3,200 ppb or less, 3,100 ppb or less, 3,000 ppb or more, 3,000 ppb or less, 2,500 ppb or more, 2,500 ppb or less, and 2,000 ppb. It can be pb or more, 2,000 ppb or less, 1,500 ppb or more, 1,500 ppb or less, 1,000 ppb or more, 1,000 ppb or less, 900 ppb or more, 900 ppb or less, 800 ppb or more, 800 ppb or less, 700 ppb or more, 700 ppb or less, 600 ppb or more, 600 ppb or less, 500 ppb or more, 500 ppb or less, 400 ppb or more, 400 ppb or less, 300 ppb or more, 300 ppb or less, 200 ppb or more, 200 ppb or less, 100 ppb or more, 100 ppb or less, 50 ppb or more, or 50 ppb or less. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way; "less than or equal to" can be changed to "less than," and "greater than or equal to" can be changed to "greater than."

[0024] The hypoxanthine concentration of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is, for example, 4,000 ppb or less, 3,600 ppb or more, 3,600 ppb or less, 3,000 ppb or more, 3,000 ppb or less, 2,900 ppb or more, 2,900 ppb or less, 2,800 ppb or more, 2,800 ppb or less, 2,700 ppb or more, 2,700 ppb or less, 2,600 ppb or more, 2,600 ppb or less, 2,500 ppb or more, 2,500ppb or less, 2,400ppb or more, 2,400ppb or less, 2,300ppb or more, 2,300ppb or less, 2,200ppb or more, 2,200ppb or less, 2,100ppb or more Above, 2,100ppb or less, 2,000ppb or more, 2,000ppb or less, 1,900ppb or more, 1,900ppb or less, 1,800ppb or more, 1,800ppb or less, 1,700ppb or more, 1,7 00 ppb or less, 1,600 ppb or more, 1,600 ppb or less, 1,500 ppb or more, 1,500 ppb or less, 1,400 ppb or more, 1,400 ppb or less, 1,300 ppb or more, 1,300 ppb or less, 1,200 ppb or more, 1,200 ppb or less, 1,100 ppb or more, 1,100 ppb or less, 1,000 ppb or more, 1,000 ppb or less, 900 ppb or more, 900 ppb or less, 800 pp The lower and upper limits can be any combination of these values, "less than or equal to" can be changed to "less than", and "greater than or equal to" can be changed to "greater than".

[0025] The concentrations of adenine, guanine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine can be measured by known methods. For example, they can be measured by detecting them using LC-MS / MS (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) after hydrolysis with perchloric acid (see Journal of Food Hygiene 55(2):110-116 (2014)). Furthermore, the purine concentration can be calculated as the total concentration obtained by adding up the concentrations of the four purine bases: adenine, guanine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine.

[0026] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention may have a reduced carbohydrate concentration. Specifically, the carbohydrate concentration of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be 2.0 g / 100 mL or less, 1.9 g / 100 mL or less, 1.8 g / 100 mL or less, 1.7 g / 100 mL or less, 1.6 g / 100 mL or less, 1.5 g / 100 mL or less, 1.4 g / 100 mL or less, 1.3 g / 100 mL or less, 1.2 g / 100 mL or less, 1.1 g / 100 mL or less, 1.0 g / 100 mL or more, or 1.0 g / 100 mL. The minimum and maximum values ​​can be any combination of these values, "less than or equal to" can be changed to "less than", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", "less than or equal to", or "less than or equal to", or "less than or equal to".

[0027] The carbohydrate concentration can be measured by known methods, and can be calculated by subtracting the amounts of water, protein, lipids, ash, and dietary fiber from the mass of the sample to be measured (see the Nutritional Labeling Standards (Partial Amendment of Consumer Affairs Agency Notification No. 9, December 16, 2009)).

[0028] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is characterized by having an aluminum concentration of a predetermined value. The lower limit (greater than or equal to) of the aluminum concentration of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be 0.3 ppm, and other values ​​include 0.4 ppm, 0.5 ppm, 0.6 ppm, 0.7 ppm, 0.8 ppm, 0.9 ppm, 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, It can also be 2.4 ppm, 2.5 ppm, 2.6 ppm, 2.7 ppm, 2.8 ppm, 2.9 ppm, 3.0 ppm, 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, or 5.0 ppm. Furthermore, the upper limit (less than or equal to) of the aluminum concentration in the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved, but for example, 10.0 ppm, 9.9 ppm, 9.8 ppm, 9.7 ppm, 9.6 ppm, 9.5 ppm, 9.4 ppm, 9.3 ppm, 9.2 ppm, 9.1 ppm, 9.0 ppm, 8.9 ppm, 8.8 ppm, 8.7 ppm, 8.6 ppm, 8.5 ppm, 8.4 ppm, 8.3 ppm, 8.2 ppm, 8.1 ppm, 8.0 ppm It can be 100 ppm, 7.9 ppm, 7.8 ppm, 7.7 ppm, 7.6 ppm, 7.5 ppm, 7.4 ppm, 7.3 ppm, 7.2 ppm, 7.1 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 way, for example: 0.3 ppm to 10.0 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 10.0 ppm, 1.0 ppm to 10.0 ppm, 2.0 ppm to 10.0 ppm, 3.0 ppm to 10.0 ppm, 4.0 ppm to 10.0 ppm, 5.0 ppm to 10.0 ppm, 0.3 ppm to 9.0 ppm. Below: 0.5 ppm to 9.0 ppm, 1.0 ppm to 9.0 ppm, 2.0 ppm to 9.0 ppm, 3.0 ppm to 9.0 ppm, 4.0 ppm to 9.0 ppm, 5.0 ppm to 9.0 ppm, 0.3 ppm to 8.0 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 8.0 ppm, 1.0 ppm to 8.0 ppm, 2.0 ppm to 8.0 ppm, 3.0 ppm or more 8.0 ppm or less, 4.0 ppm to 8.0 ppm, 5.0 ppm to 8.0 ppm, 0.3 ppm to 7.0 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 7.0 ppm, 1.0 ppm to 7.0 ppm, 2.0 ppm to 7.0 ppm, 3.0 ppm to 7.0 ppm, 4.0 ppm to 7.0 ppm, 5.0 ppm to 7.0 ppm, 0.3 ppm to 6.0 ppm, 0 The concentration can be 5 ppm to 6.0 ppm, 1.0 ppm to 6.0 ppm, 2.0 ppm to 6.0 ppm, 3.0 ppm to 6.0 ppm, 4.0 ppm to 6.0 ppm, 0.3 ppm to 5.0 ppm, 0.5 ppm to 5.0 ppm, 1.0 ppm to 5.0 ppm, 2.0 ppm to 5.0 ppm, or 3.0 ppm to 5.0 ppm. In this invention, "ppm" is synonymous with "mg / L".

[0029] In the present invention, the aluminum concentration can be measured, for example, by atomic absorption spectrometry. Specifically, as shown in the examples below, it can be measured by subjecting a sample prepared by adding an internal standard substance (indium) to a commercially available aluminum standard solution for metal element measurement to an ICP emission spectrometer (for example, Agilent, ICP-OES720).

[0030] The "aluminum source" used in this invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a raw material containing aluminum, and includes aluminum and aluminum-containing compounds (in this specification, "aluminum-containing compounds" may be referred to as "aluminum compounds"), as well as naturally derived materials containing aluminum or aluminum compounds. An aluminum compound is a compound containing aluminum atoms and may be in any form, such as inorganic aluminum salts, organoaluminum salts, and hydrates thereof. The aluminum source may be used alone or in combination of multiple types. Among the aluminum sources used in this invention, an example of an aluminum compound is aluminum potassium sulfate (AlK(SO)). ４ ) ２ 12H ２ O) (alum) and aluminum ammonium sulfate (AlNH) ４ (SO ４ ) ２ 12H ２ Examples include (ammonium alum), and preferably aluminum potassium sulfate (alum). These aluminum compounds may be crystalline or dehydrated. In addition, natural materials among the aluminum sources used in the present invention include, for example, soybeans, kidney beans, peas and bean proteins extracted from these beans, as well as raw materials and auxiliary materials that are rich in aluminum as defined by the Liquor Tax Law, and preferably soybeans and their hydrolyzed products, which are soybean proteins.

[0031] In this invention, the aluminum concentration in the beverage can be adjusted by incorporating an aluminum source into the raw materials. The timing of incorporating or adding the aluminum source may be at any point in the beverage manufacturing process. For example, the aluminum source may be incorporated into at least one of the brewing water, brewing raw materials, and mixtures thereof to adjust the aluminum concentration to a predetermined level, and this may be combined with incorporating the aluminum source into the mash. Alternatively, the aluminum concentration may be adjusted by adding it to the wort fermentation liquid.

[0032] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is characterized by a reduction in the crispness of the beer-like astringency and an improvement in the intensity of the acidity, despite a reduction in purine concentration. Beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages with reduced purine concentration (particularly beer and low-malt beer) have had problems such as a weakening of the overall flavor of the beverage due to the reduction in purine concentration, as well as a reduction in the crispness of the beer-like astringency and an increase in acidity. The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention improves the deterioration of flavor, the reduction in the crispness of the beer-like astringency, and the intensity of the acidity caused by the reduction in purine concentration, and can solve the above problems of beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages with reduced purine concentration. Here, "crispness of the beer-like astringency" refers to a flavor sensation in which the astringency felt on the tongue when taken into the mouth is clearly felt without being blurred. "Acidity" refers to a flavor sensation in which sourness is felt when taken into the mouth.

[0033] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not limited in its manufacturing procedure, as long as the purine concentration is reduced to a predetermined level and aluminum is contained at a predetermined level. For example, it can be manufactured as follows: Fermentation yeast is added to wort prepared from brewing raw materials such as malt, hops, adjuncts, and brewing water, and fermentation is carried out. The resulting fermented liquid is stored at a low temperature, the yeast is removed by a filtration process, and if necessary, it is further diluted to produce a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage. The purine concentration in the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage can be reduced according to the known methods described below. Furthermore, to include a predetermined concentration of aluminum in the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage, as described above, aluminum can be added during the beverage manufacturing process, or the raw materials or manufacturing conditions can be appropriately set. In this way, a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage with a reduced purine concentration and a predetermined aluminum concentration can be manufactured.

[0034] The purine concentration in beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages can be reduced according to known methods. Non-limiting examples of methods for reducing the purine concentration in beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages include methods of reducing the purine content in the beverage by contacting the pre-fermentation liquid or fermentation liquid with an adsorbent such as activated carbon or zeolite (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-169658, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-290071, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-290072, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-112090, etc.), and raw materials other than malt that have low purine content (for example, Examples include a method for reducing the purine content in a beverage using soy protein and corn grits (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-117204, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-117205, etc.), and a method for reducing yeast-non-assimilable purines in the wort by performing an enzyme inactivation treatment to inactivate at least a portion of the enzyme group derived from malt, and then performing a purine nucleosidase treatment on the brewing liquid (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-64502).

[0035] The sugar concentration in beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages can be reduced according to known methods. Non-limiting examples of methods for reducing the sugar concentration in beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages include adding glucoamylase during the saccharification process, adding glucoamylase during the fermentation process (see Enzyme Utilization Technology System - From Basics and Analysis to Modification, High Functionality and Industrial Use - (supervised by Makoto Komiyama, NTS Corporation, 2010), etc.), reducing sugar by using liquid sugar containing a large amount of sugars that can be assimilated by yeast to enhance assimilation by yeast (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-131202), and performing wort filtration during the saccharification process (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-147780).

[0036] In the above manufacturing procedure, wort can be prepared according to conventional methods. For example, wort can be prepared by saccharifying a mixture of brewing ingredients and brewing water, filtering it to obtain wort, adding hops to the wort, boiling it, and then cooling the boiled wort. Alternatively, wort can be prepared by adding commercially available enzyme preparations during the saccharification process. For example, protease preparations can be used for protein degradation, α-amylase preparations, glucoamylase preparations, pullulanase preparations, etc., for carbohydrate degradation, and β-glucanase preparations, cellulose-degrading enzyme preparations, etc., for cellulose degradation, or a mixture of these preparations can be used.

[0037] In the production of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention, in addition to malt, the following ingredients are used: unsprouted grains (e.g., unsprouted barley (including extract), unsprouted wheat (including extract)); rice, corn, sorghum, potatoes, starch, sugars (e.g., liquid sugar), dietary fiber (including dietary fiber contained in liquid sugar), fruits (e.g., fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice), coriander or its seeds, spices or their raw materials (e.g., pepper, cinnamon, sansho pepper), herbs (e.g., chamomile, sage, basil), vegetables (e.g., sweet potato, pumpkin), buckwheat. Alternatively, auxiliary ingredients such as sesame seeds, sugar-containing substances (e.g., honey, brown sugar), salt, miso, flowers, tea, coffee, cocoa (including preparations thereof), and marine products (e.g., oysters, kelp, wakame seaweed, bonito flakes); nitrogen sources such as protein hydrolysates and yeast extracts; other grains (e.g., soybeans); and other additives such as flavorings, colorings, foaming and foam retention enhancers, water conditioners, and fermentation aids may be used as brewing ingredients. However, the above are examples, and ingredients other than those listed above may be used in the production of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention.

[0038] In the production of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention, aluminum can be incorporated into the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage at a predetermined concentration by using an aluminum-containing raw material as a brewing ingredient. When the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is beer, the present invention is advantageous in that it can incorporate aluminum into the beer at a predetermined concentration by selecting the brewing ingredients, thereby improving the flavor of the beer.

[0039] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention may use at least malt and hops as raw materials other than brewing water, and may also use sugars, rice, corn, starch, etc. as raw materials in some cases. It goes without saying that all-malt beer, among beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages, can be produced from malt, hops, and water.

[0040] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention can have a furfuryl acetate (furfuryl acetate) (CAS RN: 623-17-6) concentration at a predetermined value. The lower limit (greater than or greater than) of the furfuryl acetate concentration in the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not limited to, but for example, 3.0 ppb, 3.1 ppb, 3.2 ppb, 3.3 ppb, 3.4 ppb, 3.5 ppb, 3.6 ppb, 3.7 ppb, 3.8 ppb, 3.9 ppb, 4.0 ppb, 4.1 ppb, 4.2 ppb, 4.3 ppb, 4.4 ppb, 4.5 ppb, 4.6 ppb, 4.7 ppb, 4.8 ppb, 4.9 ppb, 5.0 ppb, 5.1 ppb, 5.2 ppb, 5.3 ppb, 5.4 ppb, 5.5 ppb, 5.6 ppb. It can be pb, 5.7ppb, 5.8ppb, 5.9ppb, 6.0ppb, 6.1ppb, 6.2ppb, 6.3ppb, 6.4ppb, 6.5ppb, 6.6ppb, 6.7ppb, 6.8ppb, 6.9ppb, 7.0ppb, 7.1ppb, 7.2ppb, 7.3ppb, 7.4ppb, 7.5ppb, 7.6ppb, 7.7ppb, 7.8ppb, 7.9ppb, 8.0ppb, 8.1ppb, 8.2ppb, 8.3ppb, 8.4ppb, 8.5ppb, 8.6ppb, 8.7ppb, 8.8ppb, 8.9ppb, or 9.0ppb.The upper limit (less than or equal to) is not limited, but for example, 15.0 ppb, 14.9 ppb, 14.8 ppb, 14.7 ppb, 14.6 ppb, 14.5 ppb, 14.4 ppb, 14.3 ppb, 14.2 ppb, 14.1 ppb, 14.0 ppb, 13.9 ppb, 13.8 ppb, 13.7 ppb, 13.6 ppb, 13.5 ppb, 13.4 ppb, 13.3 ppb, 13.2 ppb, 13.1 ppb, 13.0 ppb, 12.9 ppb, 12.8 ppb, 12.7 ppb, 12.6 ppb, 12.5 ppb, 12.4 ppb, 12.3 ppb, 12.2 ppb, 12.1ppb, 12.0ppb, 11.9ppb, 11.8ppb, 11.7ppb, 11.6ppb, 11.5ppb, 11.4p pb, 11.3ppb, 11.2ppb, 11.1ppb, 11.0ppb, 10.9ppb, 10.8ppb, 10.7ppb, 10.6pp b. The values ​​can be 10.5 ppb, 10.4 ppb, 10.3 ppb, 10.2 ppb, 10.1 ppb, 10.0 ppb, 9.9 ppb, 9.8 ppb, 9.7 ppb, 9.6 ppb, 9.5 ppb, 9.4 ppb, 9.3 ppb, 9.2 ppb, 9.1 ppb, or 9.0 ppb.These lower limit values and upper limit values can be arbitrarily combined with each other. For example, the range may be not less than 3.0 ppb and not more than 15.0 ppb, not less than 4.0 ppb and not more than 15.0 ppb, not less than 5.0 ppb and not more than 15.0 ppb, not less than 6.0 ppb and not more than 15.0 ppb, not less than 7.0 ppb and not more than 15.0 ppb, not less than 8.0 ppb and not more than 15.0 ppb, not less than 9.0 ppb and not more than 15.0 ppb, not less than 3.0 ppb and not more than 14.0 ppb, not less than 4.0 ppb and not more than 14.0 ppb, not less than 5.0 ppb and not more than 14.0 ppb, not less than 6.0 ppb and not more than 14.0 ppb, not less than 7.0 ppb and not more than 14.0 ppb, not less than 8.0 ppb and not more than 14.0 ppb, not less than 9.0 ppb and not more than 14.0 ppb, not less than 3.0 ppb and not more than 13.0 ppb, not less than 4.0 ppb and not more than 13.0 ppb, not less than 5.0 ppb and not more than 13.0 ppb, not less than 6.0 ppb and not more than 13.0 ppb, not less than 7.0 ppb and not more than 13.0 ppb, not less than 8.0 ppb and not more than 13.0 ppb, not less than 9.0 ppb and not more than 13.0 ppb, not less than 3.0 ppb and not more than 12.0 ppb, not less than 4.0 ppb and not more than 12.0 ppb, not less than 5.0 ppb and not more than 12.0 ppb, not less than 6.0 ppb and not more than 12.0 ppb, not less than 7.0 ppb and not more than 12.0 ppb, not less than 8.0 ppb and not more than 12.0 ppb, not less than 9.0 ppb and not more than 12.0 ppb, not less than 3.0 ppb and not more than 11.0 ppb, not less than 4.0 ppb and not more than 11.0 ppb, not less than 5.0 ppb and not more than 11.0 ppb, not less than 6.0 ppb and not more than 11.0 ppb, not less than 7.0 ppb and not more than 11.0 ppb, not less than 8.0 ppb and not more than 11.0 ppb, not less than 9.0 ppb and not more than 11.0 ppb, not less than 3.0 ppb and not more than 10.0 ppb, not less than 4.0 ppb and not more than 10.0 ppb, not less than 5.0 ppb and not more than 10.0 ppb, not less than 6.0 ppb and not more than 10.0 ppb, not less than 7.0 ppb and not more than 10.0 ppb, not less than 8.0 ppb and not more than 10.0 ppb, not less than 3.0 ppb and not more than 9.0 ppb, not less than 4.0 ppb and not more than 9.0 ppb, not less than 5.0 ppb and not more than 9.0 ppb, not less than 6.0 ppb and not more than 9.0 ppb, or not less than 7.0 ppb and not more than 9.0 ppb.

[0041] In the beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the furfuryl acetate concentration can be measured, for example, by GC / MS analysis. Specifically, as shown in the Examples below, the furfuryl acetate concentration can be measured by separating aroma components in the beverage with a C18 solid-phase column and subjecting the obtained analytical sample to GC / MS.

[0042] In the present invention, in addition to adding furfuryl acetate during the beverage production process, it is possible to allow a beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage to contain furfuryl acetate by setting production conditions. Non-limiting examples of such production conditions include adjusting preparation conditions, increasing the usage amount of a raw material containing the substance, increasing the usage amount of a raw material that generates the substance in the final product, and adjusting the concentration of a substance that is converted into the substance by fermentation with yeast. In the present invention, in addition to adding furfuryl acetate during the beverage production process, it is possible to allow a beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage to contain furfuryl acetate by selecting raw materials. Specifically, by using a raw material containing a large amount of furfural and converting it into furfuryl acetate by fermentation with yeast, furfuryl acetate can be generated in the final product. Non-limiting examples of raw materials that can generate furfuryl acetate in the final product include corn cobs, rice hulls such as oat, sugarcane bagasse, and sawdust.

[0043] In producing the beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention, when furfuryl acetate is added, the furfuryl acetate only needs to be suitable for food production, and the form thereof is not particularly limited as long as it can be easily dissolved in an aqueous solvent.

[0044] In the present invention, the "bitterness value (BU)" refers to a value measured according to the method described in the section on bitterness value in "8.15" of the BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (2013 revised and enlarged edition). Specifically, after adding an acid to a sample beverage, extraction is performed with isooctane, the absorbance (at 275 nm) of the isooctane layer is measured, and the value can be obtained by multiplying the measured value by 50.

[0045] The upper limit of the bitterness value (BU) of the beverage of the present invention can be 60, 50, 40, 30, 25, 22, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, or 10, and the lower limit can be 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, or 2. The range of the bitterness value (BU) of the beverage of the present invention can be, for example, 2 to 60, and from the viewpoint of obtaining a beer-tasting fermented alcoholic beverage with a more preferable flavor, it can be, for example, 3 to 30, preferably 4 to 25, 5 to 22, or 5 to 20.

[0046] In the present invention, there are no particular limitations on the method for adjusting the bitterness value (BU), but a preferred method is to adjust the amount of hops and / or hop products used and / or the boiling time in the production of a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage. Generally, increasing the amount of hops and / or hop products used and / or the boiling time increases the concentration of iso-α acids, etc., in the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage produced, resulting in a higher BU of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage. Conversely, decreasing the amount of hops and / or hop products used and / or the boiling time decreases the concentration of iso-α acids, etc., in the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage produced, resulting in a lower BU of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage. Examples of the hops used include fresh hops, hop pellets that have been pre-crushed and processed into pellets, hop pellets that contain a large amount of lupulin by sieving the lupulin particles beforehand during processing, and hop extract obtained by extracting the bitter substances and essential oils of lupulin. Furthermore, hop products such as low hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and isomerized hop extracts (isolated hop extracts) can be used.

[0047] The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention can have a pH of 2.0 to 7.0, preferably 2.3 to 5.0, more preferably 3.0 to 4.7, and most preferably 3.5 to 4.5. The pH of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be adjusted using a pH adjusting agent. The pH of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage can be measured using a commercially available pH meter (for example, HORIBA Scientific Benchtop pH Meter, HORIBA Advanced Technology Co., Ltd.).

[0048] The beverage provided by the present invention may be subjected to a carbon dioxide addition process, and further, after processes such as filling and sterilization, it can be provided as a packaged beverage. Sterilization may be performed before or after filling. In addition, if the pH of the beverage is adjusted to less than 4, the filling process can be performed directly without the sterilization process to produce a packaged beverage.

[0049] The container used for the beverage according to the present invention may be any container that is normally used for filling beverages, such as metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles, cups), paper containers, bottles, pouches, etc., but preferably metal cans / barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles), or bottles.

[0050] In another aspect of the present invention, a method for producing a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage having a purine concentration of 35,000 ppb or less is provided, comprising the steps of including an aluminum source so that the aluminum concentration is 0.3 ppm or more, and furfuryl acetate so that the furfuryl acetate concentration is 3 ppb or more. According to the production method of the present invention, the flavor of the produced beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage is improved. Here, "improved flavor" or "flavor enhancement" of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage means that the beer-like astringency and acidity are reduced in the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage. In addition to the above, the production method of the present invention can be carried out in accordance with the description of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention.

[0051] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for improving the flavor of a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage having a purine concentration of 35,000 ppb or less is provided, the method comprising the steps of including an aluminum source in the production of the beverage such that the aluminum concentration is 0.3 ppm or more, and furfuryl acetate in such that the furfuryl acetate concentration is 3 ppb or more. The flavor improvement method can improve the flavor of a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage with a reduced purine concentration. In addition to the above, the flavor improvement method of the present invention can be carried out in accordance with the description of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage and its production method of the present invention.

[0052] The present invention will be described more specifically based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0053] Alcohol Concentration Measurement: The alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) was measured using the method described in the "National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method."

[0054] Purine concentration was measured using a method that detects adenine, guanine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine concentrations after hydrolysis with perchloric acid using LC-MS / MS (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) (see Journal of Food Hygiene 55(2):110-116 (2014)). Purine concentration was calculated as the total concentration obtained by adding up the concentrations of each of the four purine bases: adenine, guanine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine.

[0055] The carbohydrate concentration, based on the nutritional labeling standards, was measured by subtracting the amounts of water, protein, lipids, ash, and dietary fiber from the mass of the sample beverage, in accordance with the method described in the known Fifth Revised Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan Analysis Manual.

[0056] Measurement of Aluminum Concentration The aluminum concentration was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Specifically, a sample prepared by adding an internal standard substance (indium) to an aluminum standard solution for metal element measurement (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., product code: 016-15471) was subjected to measurement using an ICP emission spectrometer (Agilent, ICP-OES720). A calibration curve was created from the relative ratio of the emission intensity at the absorption wavelength of aluminum (396.152 nm) to the emission intensity at the absorption wavelength of indium (325.609 nm). Then, the sample containing the internal standard solution was measured, and the aluminum concentration in the sample was calculated from the calibration curve.

[0057] Measurement of Furfuryl Acetate Concentration The furfuryl acetate concentration was measured by GC / MS analysis. Specifically, aroma components in beverage samples were separated using a C18 solid-phase column, and the resulting analytical samples were subjected to GC / MS. Quantitative analysis was performed by the internal standard method, using borneol as the internal standard substance, added to the analytical sample to a concentration of 50 ppb. The GC / MS analysis conditions are shown in Table 1.

[0058]

[0059] Example 1: Production and Evaluation of Beer-Flavored Fermented Alcoholic Beverages In Example 1, test samples of beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages were prepared, and evaluation tests were conducted on each sample.

[0060] (1) Method A. Preparation of test samples (i) Test plots 1-1 to 1-14 Barley malt, wheat malt, and dark malt were used as the main raw materials (malt usage ratio 52%). Enzyme preparations were used for saccharification, and the temperature and time of saccharification were adjusted, and the mixture was filtered to obtain wort. Specifically, 52 parts by mass of the above malt, a β-glucanase enzyme preparation, and an enzyme preparation mainly composed of glucoamylase were added to 100 parts by mass of 50°C water and held for 30 minutes, then the temperature was raised to 64°C and held for 70 minutes. After that, the temperature was raised to 78°C and held for 5 minutes, and then filtered to obtain wort. Following the above wort preparation process, 48 ​​parts by mass of hops and liquid sugar mainly composed of assimilated sugars were added to the obtained wort and boiled at 100°C for 90 minutes, then the wort was allowed to stand, the trebe was separated, and then it was cooled to obtain pre-fermentation liquid. Then, bottom-fermenting yeast was added to the pre-fermentation liquid, and primary and secondary fermentation were carried out according to the conventional method. Next, the fermented liquid after post-fermentation was stored at a lower temperature and filtered to produce a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage. Water, raw material alcohol (95%), and furfuryl acetate were added to this beverage to prepare base beverage A1 (test section 1-1 in Table 3-1), base beverage A2 (test section 1-11 in Table 3-2), and base beverage A3 (test section 1-13 in Table 3-3). Test samples for test sections 1-2 to 1-6 were prepared by adding aluminum potassium sulfate (alum) to base beverage A1. Test samples for test sections 1-7 and 1-9 were prepared by adding furfuryl acetate to base beverage A1, and test samples for test sections 1-8 and 1-10 were prepared by adding aluminum potassium sulfate (alum) and furfuryl acetate to base beverage A1, respectively. The test samples for test groups 1-12 were prepared by adding potassium aluminum sulfate (alum) to base beverage A2, and the test samples for test group 1-14 were prepared by adding potassium aluminum sulfate (alum) to base beverage A3.

[0061] (ii) Test plots 2-1 to 2-3 Barley malt and dark malt were used as the main raw materials (malt usage ratio 60%). Enzyme preparations were used for saccharification, and the temperature and time of saccharification were adjusted, and the mixture was filtered to obtain wort. Specifically, 60 parts by mass of the above malt, a β-glucanase enzyme preparation, and an enzyme preparation mainly composed of glucoamylase were added to 100 parts by mass of 50°C water and held for 30 minutes, then the temperature was raised to 64°C and held for 70 minutes. After that, the temperature was raised to 78°C and held for 5 minutes, and then filtered to obtain wort. Hops and 40 parts by mass of liquid sugar mainly composed of assimilated sugars were added to the obtained wort and boiled at 100°C for 90 minutes, then the wort was allowed to stand, the trebe was separated, and then it was cooled to obtain pre-fermentation liquid. Then, bottom-fermenting yeast was added to the pre-fermentation liquid, and primary and secondary fermentation were carried out according to the conventional method. Next, the fermented liquid after post-fermentation was stored at a lower temperature and filtered to produce a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage. Water, raw material alcohol (95%), and aluminum potassium sulfate (alum) were added to this beverage to prepare base beverage B (test section 2-1 in Table 4). Test samples for test sections 2-2 and 2-3 were prepared by adding furfuryl acetate to base beverage B.

[0062] (iii) Test plots 3-1 to 3-10 Barley malt and dark malt were used as the main raw materials (malt usage ratio 100%). For saccharification, an enzyme preparation was used, and the temperature and time of saccharification were adjusted, and the mixture was filtered to obtain wort. Specifically, 100 parts by mass of the above malt, a β-glucanase enzyme preparation, and an enzyme preparation mainly composed of glucoamylase were added to 100 parts by mass of 50°C water and held for 30 minutes, then the temperature was raised to 64°C and held for 70 minutes. After that, the temperature was raised to 78°C and held for 5 minutes, and then filtered to obtain wort. Hops were added to the obtained wort and boiled at 100°C for 90 minutes, then the wort was allowed to stand, the treble was separated, and then it was cooled to obtain pre-fermentation liquid. Then, bottom-fermenting yeast was added to the pre-fermentation liquid, and primary and secondary fermentation were carried out according to the conventional method. Subsequently, the fermented liquid after secondary fermentation was stored by maintaining it at a lower temperature, filtered, and a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage was produced. Water, raw material alcohol (95%), and furfuryl acetate were added to this beverage to prepare base beverage C1 (test section 3-1 in Table 5-1), base beverage C2 (test section 3-7 in Table 5-2), and base beverage C3 (test section 3-9 in Table 5-2). The test sample for test section 3-2 was prepared by adding aluminum potassium sulfate (alum) to base beverage C1, the test samples for test sections 3-3 and 3-5 were prepared by adding furfuryl acetate to base beverage C1, and the test samples for test sections 3-4 and 3-6 were prepared by adding aluminum potassium sulfate (alum) and furfuryl acetate to base beverage C1. The test sample for test section 3-8 was prepared by adding aluminum potassium sulfate (alum) to base beverage C2, and the test sample for test section 3-10 was prepared by adding aluminum potassium sulfate (alum) to base beverage C3.

[0063] For each test section of the evaluation test, five trained panelists conducted the evaluation test. Specifically, three evaluation items—"firm astringency characteristic of beer," "acidity," and "flavor balance"—were evaluated on a scale of 1.0 (minimum value) to 5.0 (maximum value) in increments of 0.5, based on the evaluation criteria shown in Table 2. The average of the scores from the five panelists was calculated. Here, "firm astringency characteristic of beer" refers to a flavor sensation where the astringency felt on the tongue when the beer is taken into the mouth is clearly felt without being diluted. "Acidity" refers to a flavor sensation where the beer is perceived as sour when it is taken into the mouth. "Flavor balance" refers to a flavor where the firm astringency characteristic of beer and the acidity are in harmony, and each element that makes up the natural flavor of beer does not stand out, resulting in a well-balanced beer-like flavor. Furthermore, the specific scoring criteria are as follows. As a comparison example for each alcohol concentration, the scores for each evaluation item in Test Group 1-1 (alcohol concentration 5.0 v / v%), Test Group 1-11 (alcohol concentration 6.5 v / v%), and Test Group 1-13 (alcohol concentration 3.0 v / v%) were set to 2.0 to unify the evaluation criteria among the panelists, and evaluations were conducted while comparing beverages with the same alcohol concentration. Samples with a score of 3.0 or higher were judged to have a favorable effect on the evaluation item, and samples with a score of 3.5 or higher were judged to have a more favorable effect on the evaluation item.

[0064]

[0065] (2) Results The results are shown in Tables 3-1 to 3-3, Table 4, Table 5-1 and Table 5-2. From the results in Tables 3-1 to 3-3, it was shown that in beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages with a malt usage ratio of 52%, regardless of the alcohol concentration, increasing the aluminum concentration resulted in a firmer, more beer-like astringency and a better balance of flavors, as well as a reduced perception of acidity. Furthermore, in test sections 1-3, 1-8 and 1-10 (all with an aluminum concentration of 1.0 ppm), the highest scores for all evaluation items were obtained when the furfuryl acetate concentration was 9 ppb.

[0066] The results in Table 4 show that, in a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage with a malt content of 60%, compared to test group 1-1, increasing the aluminum concentration resulted in a firmer, more beer-like astringency and a better flavor balance, as well as a reduced perception of acidity. Furthermore, in test groups 2-1 to 2-3 (all with an aluminum concentration of 1.0 ppm), the highest scores for firm, beer-like astringency and flavor balance were achieved when the furfuryl acetate concentration was 9 ppb.

[0067] The results in Tables 5-1 and 5-2 show that, in beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverages with a 100% malt content, increasing the aluminum concentration improves the beer-like astringency and flavor balance, regardless of the alcohol concentration, and also reduces the perceived acidity. Furthermore, in test groups 3-2, 3-4, and 3-6 (all with an aluminum concentration of 1.0 ppm), the highest scores for all evaluation items were obtained when the furfuryl acetate concentration was 9 ppb.

[0068]

[0069]

[0070]

Claims

1. A beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage having a purine concentration of 35,000 ppb or less, an aluminum concentration of 0.3 ppm or more, and a furfuryl acetate concentration of 3 ppb or more.

2. The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage according to claim 1, wherein the aluminum concentration is 0.3 ppm or more and 10.0 ppm or less.

3. The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the furfuryl acetate concentration is 3 ppb or more and 15 ppb or less.

4. A beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the malt usage ratio is 50% or more and 100% or less.

5. The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the alcohol concentration is 3 v / v% or more and 7 v / v% or less.

6. A method for producing a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage having a purine concentration of 35,000 ppb or less, comprising the steps of including an aluminum source so that the aluminum concentration is 0.3 ppm or more, and including furfuryl acetate so that the furfuryl acetate concentration is 3 ppb or more.

7. A method for improving the flavor of a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage having a purine concentration of 35,000 ppb or less, comprising the steps of: including an aluminum source in the production of the beverage such that the aluminum concentration is 0.3 ppm or more, and including furfuryl acetate such that the furfuryl acetate concentration is 3 ppb or more.

Images