JP7680256B2 - Tea-flavored alcoholic beverage and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage and a method for producing the same.

Alcoholic beverages (hereinafter referred to as tea-flavored alcoholic beverages) containing extracts of tea leaves such as green tea, oolong tea, and black tea (i.e., tea) are known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Tea-flavored alcoholic beverages are perennially popular because, compared to fruit-flavored alcoholic beverages, they are not as sweet and go well with meals, and are healthy with fewer calories and sugars.
Such tea-flavored alcoholic beverages are usually produced using an alcohol raw material with a relatively weak flavor (for example, continuously distilled shochu or raw alcohol) so as not to interfere with the flavor of the tea.

JP 2017-184633 A JP 2012-147775 A

On the other hand, because tea-flavored alcoholic beverages are not sweet, the alcoholic stimulation can be easily felt, which is one of the reasons why people avoid tea-flavored alcoholic beverages.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage in which the irritating sensation of alcohol is suppressed, and a method for producing the same.

The present inventors have found that the above problems can be solved by the following means.
[1] A tea-flavored alcoholic beverage comprising a tea leaf extract and at least one alcoholic beverage selected from the group consisting of continuously distilled shochu, spirits, and raw material alcohol, and having an ethyl caproate concentration of 5 μg/L or more.
[2] Among the ethanol contained in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage, the ethanol concentration derived from the alcoholic beverage is X vol%, the ethanol concentration of the alcoholic beverage is Y vol%, and the ethyl caproate concentration is Z μg/l;
The beverage according to [1], which satisfies the following relational formula:
(Formula 1): XZ/Y<5μg/l,
[3] The beverage according to [1] or [2], further comprising pot still shochu.
[4] The beverage according to [3], wherein the concentration of ethyl caproate in the pot-distilled shochu is 10 mg/l or more.
[5] The beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the concentration of ethyl caproate is 100 μg/l or less.
[6] The beverage according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the isoamyl acetate concentration is 2.0 μg/l or more.
[7] A method for producing a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage, comprising the steps of mixing a tea leaf extract with at least one alcoholic beverage selected from the group consisting of continuously distilled shochu, spirits, and raw material alcohol to prepare a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage, and adjusting the ethyl caproate concentration of the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage to 10 μg/L or more.
[8] The production method described in [7], wherein the step of adjusting the ethyl caproate concentration to 10 μg/L or more includes a step of adding pot-distilled shochu to the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage.

The present invention provides a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage with reduced alcohol irritation, and a method for producing the same.

The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention. The tea-flavored alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment contains a tea leaf extract and at least one alcoholic beverage (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "alcoholic beverage") selected from the group consisting of continuously distilled shochu, spirits, and raw material alcohol, and has an ethyl caproate concentration of 5 μg/l or more. According to this embodiment, the inclusion of ethyl caproate at a concentration of 5 μg/l or more makes it possible to suppress the sense of alcohol irritation in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage.

The beverage according to this embodiment is described in detail below.

In this specification, "tea leaf extract" refers to a liquid obtained by extracting tea leaf components with water (hot water), which is commonly known as "tea."
The tea leaf extract is preferably made from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), but is not limited thereto. The tea leaves used in the tea leaf extract can be any type, regardless of the treatment method (heat treatment or not, fermentation or not, etc.). Preferred tea leaf extracts include green tea (matcha, sencha, roasted green tea, etc.), oolong tea, and black tea, with green tea being preferred.
The temperature of the water during extraction is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 50 to 90°C, preferably 50 to 80°C.
The amount of tea leaves used during extraction is, for example, 0.5 to 5 g, preferably 1.0 to 4.0 g, per 100 ml of water.
The content of tea leaf extract in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage can be, for example, 500 ml/L or more, 600 ml/L or more, 700 ml/L or more, or 750 ml/L or more, or can be 950 ml/L or less, 930 ml/L or less, 910 ml/L or less, or 900 ml/L or less.
The amount of tannins derived from the tea leaf extract in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage can be, for example, 10 mg/100 ml or more, 20 mg/100 ml or more, or 40 mg/100 ml or more, and can be, for example, 100 mg/100 ml or less, 90 mg/100 ml or less, or 80 mg/100 ml or less.

The "alcoholic beverage" is not particularly limited as long as it is at least one alcoholic beverage selected from the group consisting of continuously distilled shochu, spirits, and raw material alcohol. The definitions of "continuously distilled shochu," "spirits," and "raw material alcohol" follow the provisions of the Liquor Tax Act of Japan and related laws and regulations in effect on the filing date of this application. These alcoholic beverages are preferable because they have a relatively mild flavor and are unlikely to interfere with the flavor of the tea leaf extract.

The percentage of the ethanol concentration (vol%) derived from "alcoholic beverages" in the total ethanol concentration (vol%) of the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage can be, for example, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, or 95% or more. Within these ranges, a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage that has a strong tea flavor can be obtained.

Ethyl caproate is a component that constitutes the ginjo aroma. In this embodiment, by adding ethyl caproate at a concentration of 5 μg/l or more, it is possible to suppress the irritating sensation of alcohol.
The concentration of ethyl caproate is not particularly limited, and may be 5 μg/l or more. Increasing the concentration of ethyl caproate further reduces the alcohol irritation. In addition, increasing the concentration of ethyl caproate makes it difficult to feel the flavor of tea, resulting in a refreshing taste. The concentration of ethyl caproate can be, for example, 10 μg/l or more, and can be 200 μg/l or less, 75 μg/l or less, or 30 μg/l or less.

"Ethyl caproate" may be added as a single ingredient, or may be contained in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage by using an edible ingredient that contains ethyl caproate.
For example, a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage containing ethyl caproate can be obtained by using pot-distilled shochu containing ethyl caproate as a raw material, in addition to the above-mentioned "alcoholic beverages". In this case, the ethyl caproate concentration of the pot-distilled shochu used as the raw material can be, for example, 10 mg/L or more, 13 mg/L or more, or 15 mg/L or more, and can be, for example, 30 mg/L or less, 27 mg/L or less, or 25 mg/L or less, calculated based on an ethanol concentration of 25 vol%. Note that "based on an ethanol concentration of 25 vol%" refers to the component concentration when the concentration of pot-distilled shochu is adjusted so that the ethanol concentration is 25 vol%.
An example of pot-distilled shochu containing ethyl caproate is barley shochu.

The alcohol content (ethanol concentration) of the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 0.5 vol% or more, 1.0 vol% or more, or 2.0 vol% or more, and can be, for example, 15.0 vol% or less, 10.0 vol% or less, or 8.0 vol% or less.

In one embodiment, most of the ethyl caproate contained in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage is derived from a source other than the above-mentioned "alcoholic beverages."
Specifically, it is preferable that the ethanol concentration (X vol %) of the ethanol contained in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage that originates from the "alcoholic beverage," the ethanol concentration (Y vol %) of the alcoholic beverage, and the ethyl caproate concentration (Z μg/l) of the alcoholic beverage satisfy the relationship in Formula 1 below.
(Formula 1): XZ/Y<5μg/l

In one embodiment, the concentration of ethyl caproate derived from the above-mentioned "alcoholic beverages" in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage can be, for example, 5 μg/l or less, 3 μg/l or less, or 1.5 μg/l or less.

When the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage contains the above-mentioned "alcoholic beverages" and "pot-distilled shochu", a blended liquor made by blending the above-mentioned "alcoholic beverages" and "pot-distilled shochu" in advance may be used as the raw material. When a blended liquor made by blending "continuously distilled shochu" and "pot-distilled shochu" is used as the raw material, the raw material is displayed as "mixed continuous and pot-distilled shochu", "mixed shochu type A and type B", or "mixed white liquor (1)(2)", but if the proportion of "pot-distilled shochu" is less than 5% by pure alcohol amount, it is simply displayed as "continuously distilled shochu", "shochu type A", "white liquor (1)", etc.

In one embodiment, the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage preferably further contains isoamyl acetate. Similar to ethyl caproate, isoamyl acetate is a component that constitutes ginjo aroma. By including isoamyl acetate, the irritating sensation of alcohol can be further suppressed.
The isoamyl acetate concentration in a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage can be, for example, 2.0 μg/l or more, 2.5 μg/l or more, or 3.0 μg/l or more, and can be, for example, 15.0 μg/l or less, 10.0 μg/l or less, or 8.0 μg/l or less.

Isoamyl acetate may be added as a single component, like ethyl caproate, or may be contained in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage by using an edible raw material containing isoamyl acetate. For example, a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage containing isoamyl acetate can be obtained by using a pot-distilled shochu containing isoamyl acetate as a raw material in addition to the above-mentioned "alcoholic beverages." The concentration of isoamyl acetate in the pot-distilled shochu used in this case can be, for example, 1.0 mg/l or more, 2.0 mg/l or more, or 3.0 mg/l or more, and can be, for example, 20.0 mg/l or less, 15.0 mg/l or less, or 10.0 mg/l or less, calculated based on an ethanol concentration of 25 vol%.

In addition to the above-mentioned components, the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment may contain other components as necessary, such as flavorings, acidulants, sweeteners, and colorings.
However, the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage is preferably a beverage with reduced sweetness. Therefore, even if a sweetener is used, the sweetness level is preferably 3.0/100 ml or less. The sweetness level is more preferably 1.0/100 ml or less, even more preferably 0.5/100 ml or less, even more preferably 0.1/100 ml or less, and most preferably zero (no sweetener used).
The "sweetness" of a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage is calculated by multiplying the "content (g/100 ml) of each sweetener in the beverage" by the "sweetness of each sweetener when sugar is taken as 1.00." The "sweetness of each sweetener when sugar is taken as 1.00" refers to the sweetness of each sweetener evaluated by a sensory test when the sweetness of sugar is taken as 1.00. The sweetness of a sweetener can be determined from values listed in "A Comprehensive Guide to Sweeteners" (published in May 1990) published by the Sugar Refining Association and "All about the High-Intensity Sweetener Sucralose" (published in May 2003) published by Korin Co., Ltd.

In addition, it is preferable that the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage does not contain sugar.

The tea-flavored alcoholic beverage may be a carbonated beverage or a non-carbonated beverage. Preferably, the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage is a non-carbonated beverage.

The method for producing the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment is not particularly limited. For example, a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage can be obtained by mixing tea leaf extract, the above-mentioned "alcoholic beverage," and other raw materials as necessary, and adjusting the ethyl caproate concentration to 5 μg/l or more. As described above, ethyl caproate may be contained in the beverage by adding a single component, or may be contained in the beverage by using pot-distilled shochu that contains ethyl caproate. The obtained beverage can be filled into a container and sealed to produce a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage.

In order to explain the present invention more specifically, examples carried out by the inventors are described below. However, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the following examples.

A tea leaf extract, continuous distilled shochu, and pot still shochu were prepared according to the methods described below.
(Preparation of tea leaf extract)
Commercially available tea leaves (sencha) were extracted with hot water at 80° C. (2.5 g of tea leaves per 100 ml of hot water) and cooled to room temperature to obtain a tea leaf extract.

(Preparation of continuous distilled shochu)
The raw material alcohol (ethanol concentration: 95%) was diluted with water to adjust the ethanol concentration to 35.0 vol. %, to give continuously distilled shochu.

The concentrations of ethyl caproate and isoamyl acetate in the continuously distilled shochu were measured, and both were below the detection limit (0.01 mg/l or less). The concentrations of ethyl caproate and isoamyl acetate were measured using the following method.

(Method for measuring ethyl caproate)
The ethyl caproate concentration was measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The target beverage was ice-cooled, degassed, and the sample was injected into the HPLC device and processed. The measurement conditions were as follows:
HPLC device: Agilent Technologies "LC1200" series UV detector: detection wavelength 340 nm
Column: "Inertsil ODS-4" manufactured by GL Sciences Inc.
Mobile phase = A: 0.2% trifluoroacetic acid aqueous solution, B: 0.2% trifluoroacetic acid dissolved in methanol Flow rate = 0.3 mL/min gradient Column temperature = 40°C
Sample injection volume = 40 μL

(Method for measuring isoamyl acetate)
The concentration of isoamyl acetate was measured by a headspace gas chromatograph equipped with an FID detector, by introducing the gas phase of a beer sample heated in a vial into a gas chromatograph equipped with an FID detector, reading the area of isoamyl acetate from the gas chromatogram, and calculating the amount of the component from the ratio to the area of the internal standard (n-butanol).

(Preparation of pot-distilled shochu)
A commercially available pot-distilled shochu (barley shochu, ethanol concentration 25.0 vol%) was prepared. The ethyl caproate concentration and the isoamyl acetate concentration were measured by the above-mentioned method. As a result, the ethyl caproate concentration was 20.0 mg/l and the isoamyl acetate concentration was 6.0 mg/l.

(Experimental Example 1)
Beverages according to Examples 1 to 9 were obtained according to the compositions shown in Table 1. Specifically, tea leaf extract and continuously distilled shochu were mixed to obtain the beverage according to Example 1 having an ethanol concentration of 4.0 vol%. Furthermore, different amounts of ethyl caproate were added to the beverage according to Example 1 to obtain the beverages according to Examples 2 to 9. The amount of tannin derived from the tea leaf extract in each beverage was about 60 mg/100 ml.
In the table, the ethyl caproate in Examples 2 to 4 is shown by a numerical range. This value takes into consideration that the concentration of ethyl caproate derived from continuously distilled shochu is less than 1.14 μg/L. For example, in Example 2, 3.0 μg/L of ethyl caproate was added to the beverage in Example 1, so it is shown as "3.0-4.14." On the other hand, the concentrations of ethyl caproate in Examples 5 to 9 are actually measured values. The same applies to ethyl caproate and isoamyl acetate in Tables 2 to 4 described below.

A sensory evaluation was carried out by five panelists for the beverages of Examples 1 to 9, and the alcohol stimulation sensation and tea flavor were evaluated. The average values were used as the results. The evaluation criteria were as follows, based on the criteria of Example 10 described later.
(Alcohol irritation)
7: Very strong feeling (same as example 10)
6: Strong 5: Slightly strong 4: Can be felt 3: Weak 2: Slightly felt 1: Not felt (tea flavor)
5: Very strong feeling (same as example 10)
4: Strongly felt 3: Felt 2: Weakly felt 1: Not felt

The results are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the beverages of Examples 3 to 9 had a reduced alcohol irritation compared to the beverages of Examples 1 and 2. This demonstrated that the alcohol irritation in tea-flavored alcoholic beverages can be reduced by including ethyl caproate at a concentration of 5.0 μg/l or more.
It was also found that the higher the ethyl caproate concentration, the less the tea flavor was perceived, resulting in a refreshing taste. In the beverages of Examples 3 to 7, in which the ethyl caproate concentration was 30 μg/l or less, a moderate tea flavor was maintained.

(Experimental Example 2)
Beverages according to Examples 10 to 18 were obtained according to the compositions shown in Table 2. Specifically, tea leaf extract and continuously distilled shochu were mixed to obtain the beverage according to Example 10 having an ethanol concentration of 7.0 vol%. Furthermore, different amounts of ethyl caproate were added to the beverage according to Example 10 to obtain the beverages according to Examples 11 to 18.

For the beverages of Examples 10 to 18, a sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.
As shown in Table 2, the beverages of Examples 12 to 18 had a reduced alcohol irritation compared to the beverages of Examples 10 to 11. Therefore, it was found that even when the ethanol concentration was 7.0 vol%, the alcohol irritation in a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage could be reduced by including ethyl caproate at a concentration of 5.0 μg/l or more. Experimental Example 2 also showed that the higher the ethyl caproate concentration, the less the tea flavor was felt, resulting in a refreshing taste. The beverages of Examples 12 to 16, in which the ethyl caproate concentration was 30 μg/l or less, maintained a moderate tea flavor.

(Experimental Example 3)
Beverages according to Examples 19 to 25 were obtained according to the compositions shown in Table 3. Specifically, tea leaf extract and continuously distilled shochu were mixed to obtain the beverage according to Example 19 having an ethanol concentration of 4.0 vol%. Furthermore, different amounts of pot still shochu were added to the beverage according to Example 19 to obtain the beverages according to Examples 20 to 25.

For the beverages of Examples 19 to 25, a sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3.
As shown in Table 3, the beverages of Examples 21 to 25 had a reduced alcohol irritation compared to the beverages of Examples 19 to 20. Therefore, it was found that the alcohol irritation in a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage can be reduced by adding pot-distilled shochu, even when ethyl caproate is contained at a concentration of 5.0 μg/l or more.
Furthermore, in the beverages of Examples 21 to 25, in which the ethyl caproate concentration was 30 μg/l or less, a suitable tea flavor was maintained.

(Experimental Example 4)
Beverages according to Examples 26 to 32 were obtained according to the compositions shown in Table 4. Specifically, tea leaf extract and continuously distilled shochu were mixed to obtain the beverage according to Example 26 having an ethanol concentration of 7.0 vol%. Furthermore, different amounts of pot still shochu were added to the beverage according to Example 26 to obtain the beverages according to Examples 27 to 32.

For the beverages of Examples 26 to 32, a sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. The results are shown in Table 4.
As shown in Table 4, the beverages of Examples 28 to 32 had a reduced alcohol irritation compared to the beverages of Examples 26 to 27. It was therefore found that when the ethanol concentration was 7.0 vol%, the alcohol irritation in a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage could be reduced by using pot-distilled shochu in an amount such that the ethyl caproate concentration was 5.0 μg/l or more.
Furthermore, in the beverages of Examples 28 to 32, in which the ethyl caproate concentration was 30 μg/l or less, a suitable tea flavor was maintained.

Claims (8)

A tea leaf extract;
At least one alcoholic beverage selected from the group consisting of continuously distilled shochu, spirits, and raw material alcohol;
Single distillation shochu and
Including,
A tea-flavored alcoholic beverage having an ethyl caproate concentration of 5 μg/L or more and 100 μg/L or less ,
The beverage, wherein the pot-distilled shochu has an ethyl caproate concentration of 10 mg/l or more . A tea leaf extract;
At least one alcoholic beverage selected from the group consisting of continuously distilled shochu, spirits, and raw material alcohol;
Single distillation shochu and
Including,
A tea-flavored alcoholic beverage having an ethyl caproate concentration of 5 μg/l or more,
The concentration of ethyl caproate in the pot-distilled shochu is 10 mg/L or more;
the ethanol concentration derived from the alcoholic beverage is X vol % among the ethanol contained in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage;
The beverage has an ethanol concentration of Y vol%,
The alcoholic beverage has an ethyl caproate concentration of Z μg/l;
The following relationship is satisfied:
(Formula 1): XZ/Y<5μg/l
Beverage . 3. The beverage of claim 2 , wherein the ethyl caproate concentration is less than or equal to 100 μg/l. 4. The beverage according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of isoamyl acetate is 2.0 μg/l or more. A step of mixing a tea leaf extract, at least one alcoholic beverage selected from the group consisting of continuous distillation shochu, spirits, and raw material alcohol, and pot still shochu to prepare a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage;
and adjusting the ethyl caproate concentration of the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage to 5 μg/L or more and 100 μg/L or less ,
The method for producing said pot-distilled shochu has an ethyl caproate concentration of 10 mg/L or more . A step of mixing a tea leaf extract, at least one alcoholic beverage selected from the group consisting of continuous distillation shochu, spirits, and raw material alcohol, and pot still shochu to prepare a tea-flavored alcoholic beverage;
and adjusting the ethyl caproate concentration of the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage to 5 μg/L or more,
The concentration of ethyl caproate in the pot-distilled shochu is 10 mg/L or more;
the ethanol concentration derived from the alcoholic beverage is X vol % among the ethanol contained in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage;
The beverage has an ethanol concentration of Y vol%,
The alcoholic beverage has an ethyl caproate concentration of Z μg/l;
The following relationship is satisfied:
(Formula 1): XZ/Y<5μg/l
Manufacturing method. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of adjusting the ethyl caproate concentration in the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage to 5 μg/L or more includes adjusting the ethyl caproate concentration to 100 μg/L or less. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7 , wherein the step of adjusting the ethyl caproate concentration to 5 µg/L or more comprises a step of adding pot-distilled shochu to the tea-flavored alcoholic beverage.