JP7471764B2 - Containerized carbonated alcoholic beverage and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bottled carbonated alcoholic beverage and a method for producing the same.

Packed carbonated alcoholic beverages (also known as Ready To Drink, or RTD beverages) are known to be flavored products made by adding fruit juice, flavors, sweeteners, acidulants, etc. to a base alcoholic beverage (such as distilled alcoholic beverages such as shochu, spirits, and raw alcohol).

In response to the growing health consciousness of consumers, carbonated alcoholic beverages with reduced sugar content are also known. For example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2015-136352 A) discloses a carbonated alcoholic beverage that contains sweet substances, sour substances, and fruit flavors, but does not contain fruit juice or raw liquor containing fruit-derived components, and has a sweetness level of 1/100 ml or less, where sugar is taken as 1.00, an acidity converted to citric acid of 0.1 g/100 ml or less, and a sugar content of less than 0.5 g/100 ml.

JP 2015-136352 A

On the other hand, some bottled carbonated alcoholic beverages have a higher alcohol concentration and less sweetness to make them more compatible with food. To reduce sweetness, the amount of sweeteners such as sugar and fruit juice used is usually reduced. However, in beverages with a higher alcohol concentration, the bitterness derived from alcohol is more easily felt. In addition, beverages with reduced sweetness go well with food, but the feeling of satisfaction of drinking alcohol (hereinafter referred to as the feeling of drinking) is less likely to be felt.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a bottled carbonated alcoholic beverage that is less sweet and has a high alcohol concentration, in which the bitterness derived from alcohol is reduced and the drinking sensation is excellent.

The inventors of the present invention have conducted intensive research to solve the above problems, and as a result have found that the above problems can be solved by adding a citrus infusion distilled liquor to a bottled carbonated alcoholic beverage with little sweetness, thereby completing the present invention.
That is, the present invention includes the following:
[1] A bottled carbonated alcoholic beverage containing a citrus infused distilled liquor, having an alcohol content of 6 v/v% or more and a sweetness value of 2 or less.
[2] The carbonated alcoholic beverage according to [1], wherein the citrus-infused distilled liquor contains 0.5 to 10 ppm of linalool.
[3] The carbonated alcoholic beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein the content of the citrus infused distilled liquor in the carbonated alcoholic beverage is 0.01 v/v% or more.
[4] The carbonated alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the citrus-infused distilled spirit comprises an aromatic citrus-infused distilled spirit and/or a grapefruit-infused distilled spirit.
[5] The carbonated alcoholic beverage according to [4], wherein the citrus-infused distilled spirit includes both an aromatic citrus-infused distilled spirit and a grapefruit-infused distilled spirit.
[6] A carbonated alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the citrus infused distilled liquor is made partially from citrus peel.
[7] The carbonated alcoholic beverage described in [6] above, wherein the citrus fruit peel is fresh citrus fruit peel.
[8] The carbonated alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the citrus-infused distilled liquor is a distilled liquor produced by a process including reduced pressure distillation.
[9] A carbonated alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [8] above, which does not contain a high-intensity sweetener.
[10] The carbonated alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [9], containing 0.1 to 500 ppb of α-pinene.
[11] A method for producing a carbonated alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of 6 v/v% or more and a sweetness value of 2 or less,
A method for producing a bottled carbonated alcoholic beverage, comprising a step of mixing a citrus-infused distilled liquor with a liquid containing a base liquor.
[12] A process for immersing raw citrus peel in an alcohol-containing liquid and extracting components contained in the raw citrus peel;
After the extraction step, a step of distilling the alcohol-containing liquid under reduced pressure;
and obtaining the citrus infused distilled liquor using the distillate obtained in the reduced pressure distillation step.
[13] A method for enhancing the alcoholic sensation of a bottled carbonated alcoholic beverage, characterized in that a carbonated alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of 6 v/v% or more and a sweetness value of 2 or less is supplemented with a citrus-infused distilled liquor.

The present invention provides a bottled carbonated alcoholic beverage that is less sweet and has a high alcohol concentration, with reduced alcohol-derived bitterness and an excellent drinking sensation.

The bottled carbonated alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment contains a citrus-infused distilled liquor, has an alcohol content of 6 v/v% or more, and a sweetness value of 2 or less.

(carbonated alcoholic beverages)
The beverage of the present invention is a beverage in which water or the like is added to a base alcoholic beverage, which is an alcohol source, to adjust the alcohol content, and carbon dioxide is added. As the base alcoholic beverage, a distilled alcoholic beverage is preferably used. As the distilled alcoholic beverage, raw material alcohol, whiskey, brandy, shochu, spirits, and combinations thereof can be mentioned. Among these, raw material alcoholic beverages and spirits are preferably used.
The raw material alcohol is preferably one obtained by fermenting blackstrap molasses and refining it to a high degree (for example, an alcohol content of 90 v/v % or more). Raw material alcohol is inexpensive, which allows for reduced production costs. In addition, raw material alcohol has a low content of aroma components compared to other base alcoholic beverages, making it easier to obtain beverages with a clean taste.

(Sweetness value)
The sweetness value is a parameter that indicates the sweetness of a beverage, and is calculated by converting the content of sweeteners contained in the beverage into sucrose from the viewpoint of sweetness. Specifically, the content of each sweetener when converted into sucrose (g/100 ml) is calculated by multiplying the concentration (g/100 ml) of each sweetener contained in the beverage by the "sweetness" of the sweetener. The total sucrose-converted content (g/100 ml) of all sweeteners contained in the beverage is then calculated as the "sweetness value" of the beverage.
Incidentally, "sweetness" is a parameter indicating the intensity of sweetness of each sweetener compared to sucrose, and in the present invention, the value of "Beverage Glossary, published on June 25, 1999, Beverage Japan Co., Ltd., Supplementary Material 11" is adopted as "sweetness". In addition, when there is a range of sweetness values, the median value is adopted.
For example, the sweetness of some typical sweeteners is as follows:
Glucose (sweetness level 0.65)
Fructose (sweetness level 1.5)
Sucralose (sweetness level 600)
Acesulfame potassium (sweetness level 200)
Aspartame (sweetness level 200)

In other words, the beverage of the present invention may contain a sweetener, but the amount contained is such that the sweetness value is 2 or less. By having a sweetness value of 2 or less, the beverage can have a refreshing aftertaste and can be made to go well with meals. The sweetness value is preferably 1 or less, more preferably 0.5 or less, and most preferably zero.

Examples of sweeteners include sugars and high-intensity sweeteners. Sugars refer to monosaccharides and disaccharides. Examples of monosaccharides include glucose, fructose, fructose-glucose liquid sugar, and/or isomerized sugar, and examples of disaccharides include sucrose, maltose, lactose, and isomerized lactose.

Also, preferably, the beverage of the present invention does not contain high-intensity sweeteners.
In the present invention, the term "high-intensity sweetener" refers to a sweetener having a sweetness 10 times or more that of sucrose. Examples of high-intensity sweeteners include sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, and stevia sweetener.
Furthermore, in the beverage of the present invention, in addition to not containing any high-intensity sweeteners, the sugar content is preferably 2.0 g/100 ml or less, more preferably 1.0 g/100 ml or less, and even more preferably zero.

(Citrus infused distilled spirits)
In addition to the base liquor described above, a citrus infused distilled liquor is added to the beverage of the present invention.
"Citrus infused distilled liquor" is a distilled liquor prepared by infusing citrus fruits in an alcohol-containing liquid, distilling the alcohol-containing liquid, and using the distilled liquid obtained. By adding citrus infused distilled liquor, the bitterness of the beverage can be reduced and the drinking sensation can be enhanced.

The content of the citrus infused distilled liquor in the carbonated alcoholic beverage is, for example, 0.01 v/v% or more, preferably 0.01 to 20 v/v%, more preferably 0.01 to 5 v/v%, and even more preferably 0.02 to 2 v/v%. If the content of the citrus infused distilled liquor is too high, the citrus flavor becomes too strong, making it difficult to feel like one is drinking.
As the citrus infused distilled spirit, a liquid prepared so that the linalool concentration is 0.5 to 10 ppm is preferably used. The linalool concentration in the citrus infused distilled spirit is more preferably 1.0 to 8.0 ppm.
In addition, the citrus-infused distilled spirit is used in an amount such that the linalool concentration derived from the citrus-infused distilled spirit in the carbonated alcoholic beverage is, for example, 0.01 to 1000 ppb, preferably 0.05 to 500 ppb, more preferably 0.1 to 200 ppb.
As the citrus infused distilled liquor, an aromatic citrus infused distilled liquor and/or a grapefruit infused distilled liquor are preferably used, and it is particularly preferred to use an aromatic citrus infused distilled liquor and a grapefruit infused distilled liquor in combination. The combined use of an aromatic citrus infused distilled liquor and a grapefruit infused distilled liquor can further enhance the drinking sensation and reduce the bitterness compared to the use of each of them alone.
When the aromatic citrus-infused distilled spirit and the grapefruit-infused distilled spirit are used in combination, the volume ratio (aromatic citrus-infused distilled spirit:grapefruit-infused distilled spirit) is, for example, 1:10 to 10:1, more preferably 1:5 to 5:1, and even more preferably 1:2 to 2:1.
Citrus infused spirits are spirits infused with one or more types of citrus fruits that are known as sour fruits and have a strong sour taste and aroma and are not usually eaten raw. Specific examples of sour citrus fruits include lemon, lime, yuzu, sudachi, and kabosu.
As the fragrant citrus infused distilled liquor, for example, lemon-lime infused distilled liquor made from lemons and limes can be used.
As the fragrant citrus infused distilled liquor, for example, a liquid containing limonene at 0.05 to 5.0 ppm, preferably 0.1 to 2.0 ppm, is used. In addition, a preferred fragrant citrus infused distilled liquor contains citral at 0.5 to 20 ppm, more preferably 1.0 to 10 ppm. In addition, in a preferred fragrant citrus infused distilled liquor, the concentration ratio of limonene/linalool (ppm) is 0.01 to 2.0, more preferably 0.05 to 1.0. In addition, in a preferred fragrant citrus infused distilled liquor, the concentration ratio of citral/linalool (ppm) is 0.1 to 20, more preferably 0.3 to 10.
On the other hand, grapefruit-infused distilled spirit refers to a distilled spirit made from grapefruit, and for example, a liquid containing limonene at 1.0 to 200 ppm, preferably 20 to 100 ppm, is used. A preferred grapefruit-infused distilled spirit contains citral at 0.01 to 5.0 ppm, more preferably 0.10 to 3.00 ppm. A preferred grapefruit-infused distilled spirit has a limonene/linalool concentration ratio (ppm) of 1 to 100, more preferably 5 to 20. A preferred grapefruit-infused distilled spirit has a citral/linalool concentration ratio (ppm) of 0.01 to 1.0, more preferably 0.03 to 0.5.

For example, a citrus-infused distilled spirit can be obtained by the following method.
A: First, citrus fruits are immersed in an alcohol-containing liquid. As the citrus fruits, it is preferable to use fresh fruits, and more preferably fresh peels. The alcohol-containing liquid is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include whiskey, brandy, shochu, and spirits, and is preferably raw alcohol. The alcohol concentration of the alcohol-containing liquid is, for example, 20 to 100 v/v%, and preferably 40 to 100 v/v%.
A: Next, the alcohol-containing solution in which the fruit has been soaked is left for a predetermined period of time to extract the components contained in the fruit. For example, the components contained in the fruit can be extracted by leaving the solution at room temperature for about 10 to 30 hours.
C: Next, water is added to the alcohol-containing liquid as necessary to adjust the alcohol content. For example, the alcohol content is adjusted to 20 to 60 v/v%, preferably 30 to 50 v/v%. The alcohol-containing liquid is then distilled to obtain a distilled liquid. In this case, the distillation is preferably performed by vacuum distillation. The degree of vacuum during vacuum distillation is, for example, 100 to 750 mmHg, preferably 500 to 700 mmHg.
D: Water is then added to the distillate to adjust the concentration of ingredients such as linalool. This produces a citrus infused distilled spirit.

To give a more detailed example, 800 g of fresh lemon peel and 200 g of fresh lime peel are soaked in 2000 ml of 65 v/v % alcohol and extracted at room temperature for 24 hours. Water is added to the resulting alcohol extract to make the alcohol concentration 55 v/v %, and then the mixture is distilled under reduced pressure at a reduced pressure of 700 mmHg. This distillate is further diluted with water to make the alcohol concentration 45 v/v %. This allows the production of citrus infused distilled spirits.

(carbon dioxide volume)
The carbon dioxide pressure of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 2.0 to 3.5 gas volumes, preferably 2.3 to 3.0 gas volumes.

(Alcohol degree)
The alcohol content (ethanol concentration) of the beverage of the present invention is preferably 6 v/v% or more, more preferably 7 v/v% or more, and even more preferably 8 v/v% or more. The alcohol content is preferably 15 v/v% or less, more preferably 13 v/v% or less, and even more preferably 11 v/v% or less. By making the alcohol content 6 v/v% or more, it is possible to impart a satisfying drinking experience that is characteristic of alcohol. In addition, it is possible to reduce unpleasant odors and unpleasant flavors, and further to provide a refreshing aftertaste.

(Acidulant)
The beverage of the present invention may contain an acidulant. Specific examples of the acidulant include adipic acid, citric acid, trisodium citrate, glucono-delta-lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, sodium acetate, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, sodium DL-tartrate, L-sodium tartrate, carbon dioxide, lactic acid, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, DL-malic acid, sodium DL-malate, and phosphoric acid. These may be used in the form of a salt such as a potassium salt or a sodium salt, or in the form of a buffer solution. Preferably, the acidulant includes citric acid and/or sodium citrate.
More preferably, the beverage contains citric acid, for example, 0.3 to 3.0 (g/L), preferably 0.5 to 2.5 (g/L), more preferably 1.0 to 2.0 (g/L), and sodium citrate, for example, 0.01 to 2.0 (g/L), preferably 0.1 to 2.0 (g/L).

The acidity of the beverage is, for example, 0.01 to 2.0 (g/100 mL), preferably 0.03 to 1.0 (g/100 mL), and more preferably 0.05 to 0.5 (g/100 mL).
The acidity is expressed as the acidity converted into citric acid, and is calculated based on the method of measuring acidity stipulated in page 8 of the National Tax Agency Specified Analytical Method (National Tax Agency Ordinance No. 6 of 2007), for total acid (free acid).
In detail, the acidity can be measured by the following method.
Accurately measure 1 to 50 ml of the sample and dilute it with water. Titrate it with 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution, set the endpoint to 8.2 on the pH meter, and calculate using the following formula.
(Formula 1): Acidity (%) = A x f x 100/W x 0.0064 (in the case of citric acid acidity)
A: Titration amount (ml) of 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution
f: titer of 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution W: sample weight (g)
In addition, in the formula 1, "0.0064" is "the weight (g) of anhydrous citric acid equivalent to 1 ml of 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution."

(α-pinene)
The beverage of the present invention preferably contains α-pinene. The inclusion of α-pinene can enhance the feeling of drinking. The α-pinene content is, for example, 0.1 to 500 ppb, preferably 1.0 to 300 ppb, and more preferably 4 to 200 ppb. α-pinene can be added to the beverage alone or by adding a distilled liquor such as gin that contains a large amount of α-pinene.
Preferably, the beverage of the present invention contains 0.1 to 500 ppb, preferably 1.0 to 300 ppb, more preferably 4 to 200 ppb, of α-pinene derived from an extract obtained from a raw material selected from cypress, pine, and juniper berry, or from a distilled liquor (e.g., gin) containing said extract.

(Fruit juice)
The beverage of the present invention is preferably a low-fruit juice or no-fruit juice beverage. Preferably, the content of fruit juice in the beverage is 5 (w/v%) or less, more preferably 3 (w/v%) or less, and most preferably, the beverage of the present invention is no-fruit juice. By being a low-fruit juice or no-fruit juice beverage, the aftertaste of the beverage can be made refreshing and it can be made to go well with meals.

(Fragrance)
The beverage of the present invention may contain a flavoring. A suitable example of the flavoring is lemon flavor. The content of the flavoring is 0.1 to 2.0 (g/L), preferably 0.3 to 1.0 (g/L).

(Production method)
The beverage according to the present invention can be obtained, for example, by the following method.
First, a citrus infused distilled liquor is prepared by the method already described.
Next, the base liquor is diluted with water to a predetermined alcohol content. Furthermore, a predetermined amount of citrus infused distilled liquor and other additives are added and mixed uniformly so that the sweetness value is 2 or less. Carbon dioxide is then added by carbonation, and the gas volume is adjusted. The mixture is then filled into a container and sealed. This allows the beverage of the present invention to be obtained. Carbon dioxide may be added by using carbonated water instead of water.

(Example)
The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to the examples shown below.

[Preparation of lemon-lime infused distilled spirit (fragrant citrus infused distilled spirit)]
800g of fresh lemon peel and 200g of fresh lime peel were immersed in 2000ml of 65% alcohol. Extraction was performed for 24 hours at room temperature, and water was added to the obtained alcohol extract to make the alcohol concentration 55v/v%, and then the mixture was distilled under reduced pressure at a reduced pressure of 700mmHg. The distillate was further diluted with water to make the alcohol concentration 45v/v%. This resulted in a lemon-lime-infused distilled spirit. Analysis of the components contained in the obtained lemon-lime-infused distilled spirit revealed that limonene was 0.68ppm, linalool was 3.81ppm, and citral was 6.13ppm.

[Preparation of grapefruit-infused distilled spirits]
A grapefruit infused spirit was prepared in the same manner as the lemon-lime infused spirit, except that instead of the fresh lemon peel and fresh lime peel, fresh grapefruit peel was used. The components contained in the resulting grapefruit infused spirit were analyzed, and the contents were 60.14 ppm limonene, 4.64 ppm linalool, and 0.55 ppm citral.

[Test Example 1]
According to the recipe shown in Table 1, raw material alcohol (alcohol content 95 v/v%), acidulant (anhydrous citric acid, trisodium citrate), lemon flavor, lemon-lime infused distilled liquor, and grapefruit infused distilled liquor were mixed and water was added. Carbonation was then added at a predetermined gas pressure to obtain carbonated alcoholic beverages according to Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1 to 3. Note that the alcohol concentration of each beverage was 9 v/v%, and the carbon dioxide gas pressure was 2.5 gas volumes. Furthermore, no sweetener was added, and the sweetness value was zero. Furthermore, there was no fruit juice. Furthermore, the acidity was 0.17 g/100 ml.
The resulting carbonated alcoholic beverages were subjected to a sensory evaluation by a panel of six experts. The sensory evaluation consisted of evaluations of drinking sensation and bitterness on the following five-point scale.
-2: Weak,
-1: slightly weak 0: normal +1: slightly strong +2: strong

The overall flavor was also evaluated on the following 5-point scale.
-2: Bad,
-1: slightly bad 0: normal +1: slightly good +2: good

The results are shown in Table 1. For each item, the results were the average value of the six expert panels.
As shown in Table 1, the beverages of Examples 1 to 3 to which the lemon-lime infused spirit and the grapefruit infused spirit were added had a stronger feeling of drinking and a reduced bitterness compared to the beverage of Comparative Example 1. In addition, the ethanol odor was weakened, and the overall evaluation of the flavor was improved.

[Test Example 2]
Next, the lemon-lime infused distilled liquor and grapefruit distilled liquor were used alone to study the effects. Specifically, carbonated alcoholic beverages according to Examples 4 and 5 were prepared according to the recipes shown in Table 2. Then, sensory evaluation was performed according to the same criteria as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.
As shown in Table 2, when the lemon-lime infused distilled liquor or the grapefruit infused distilled liquor was used alone, the feeling of drinking was stronger, the bitterness was reduced, and the overall evaluation of the flavor was higher than in Comparative Example 1. However, compared to the combined use (Example 1), the balance of the taste was poor, and the overall evaluation of the flavor was lower than in the combined use. In other words, it can be understood that the combined use of the lemon-lime infused distilled liquor and the grapefruit infused distilled liquor further strengthens the feeling of drinking and reduces the bitterness compared to the combined use.

[Test Example 3]
Next, the effect of adding α-pinene was examined. According to the recipes shown in Table 3, a number of carbonated alcoholic beverages with different α-pinene contents were obtained. The α-pinene was added to the beverages by adding gin. Sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The evaluation criteria were a 5-point scale, with the result of the beverage (control) to which α-pinene was not added being zero, and the average value of the six expert panelists was used as the result.
The results are shown in Table 3.
As shown in Table 3, the addition of α-pinene tended to enhance the feeling of drinking. Furthermore, the bitterness was reduced in Examples 6 and 7. On the other hand, the bitterness was slightly increased in Example 8. That is, when the α-pinene content was in the range of 4 to 200 ppb, the feeling of drinking was enhanced while the bitterness was reduced, and a good flavor was obtained.

Claims (6)

A method for producing a bottled carbonated alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of 6 v/v% or more, a sweetness value of 2 or less, and containing 0.3 to 3.0 (g/L) of citric acid,
preparing a citrus-steeped spirit, including an acidic citrus-steeped spirit and/or a grapefruit-steeped spirit;
The method includes a step of mixing the citrus infused distilled spirit with a liquid containing a base spirit,
The step of preparing the citrus infused distilled spirit comprises:
A step of soaking raw citrus peel in an alcohol-containing liquid for 10 to 30 hours to extract components contained in the raw citrus peel;
After the extraction step, the alcohol-containing liquid is distilled under reduced pressure at a reduced pressure of 100 to 750 mmHg ;
obtaining the citrus infused distilled spirit using the distillate obtained in the reduced pressure distillation;
Equipped with
The citrus infused spirit contains limonene, 0.5 to 10 ppm of linalool and citral;
The linalool concentration derived from the citrus infused distilled spirit in the carbonated alcoholic beverage is 0.1 to 200 ppb;
The carbonated alcoholic beverage contains 4 to 200 ppb of α-pinene.
A method for producing a bottled carbonated alcoholic beverage. The method according to claim 1, wherein the citrus infused distilled spirit contains 1.0 to 8.0 ppm of linalool. The citrus infused spirit includes both an acidic citrus infused spirit and a grapefruit infused spirit,
The step of preparing the citrus infused distilled spirit comprises:
A step of preparing the fragrant citrus infused distilled liquor using a fragrant citrus as the citrus;
and preparing the grapefruit-infused distilled liquor using grapefruit as the citrus fruit.
The method according to claim 1 or 2. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the carbonated alcoholic beverage does not contain a high-intensity sweetener. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the carbonated alcoholic beverage contains 4 to 140 ppb of α-pinene. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the carbonated alcoholic beverage contains gin and the α-pinene is derived from the gin.