JP7792992B2 - A distilled liquor made from juniper berries - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a distilled spirit made from juniper berries.

The use of juniper berries is essential in the production of gin, but the berries are usually used whole (complete juniper berries) without any processing. The whole berries are soaked in alcohol or exposed to steam to extract the components that contribute to the aroma and flavor. It is usually difficult to create a product with an excellent flavor using juniper berries alone, so various herbs (botanicals) such as coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon are used in combination.

A variety of techniques have been proposed to improve the flavor and aroma of gin. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique of using roasted juniper berries in place of all or part of the original juniper berries. Patent Document 1 states that by using roasted juniper berries, the resulting gin has a reduced bitter taste that sticks in the throat and a mellower aftertaste.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-165540

The inventors have discovered that by using coarsely ground juniper berries in the production of distilled spirits using juniper berries as a raw material, it is possible to suppress the bitterness in the distillate while controlling the fresh, herbal, and woody flavors to an appropriate intensity. The present invention is based on this finding.

The present invention therefore provides a method for producing a distilled spirit using juniper berries as a raw material, which suppresses the bitterness in the distillate while controlling the fresh, herbal, and woody flavors to an appropriate intensity; a distilled spirit obtained by this method; and an alcoholic beverage containing the distilled spirit.

The present invention includes the following inventions.
[1] A method for producing a distilled liquor using juniper berries as a raw material, comprising:
(a) coarsely grinding juniper berries;
(b) mixing the coarsely ground juniper berries with an aqueous ethanol solution; and (c) distilling the resulting mixture.
[2] The method according to [1], wherein in step (a), the juniper berries are coarsely ground so that 2 to 8 crushed pieces are obtained from one juniper berry.
[3] The method according to [1], wherein the mixture of coarsely ground juniper berries and the aqueous ethanol solution obtained in step (b) is soaked for 1 to 48 hours before step (c).
[4] The method according to [1] above, wherein the distilled liquor produced is gin.
[5] The method described in [1] above, wherein only juniper berries are used as botanicals.
[6] A distilled alcoholic beverage produced by the method according to any one of [1] to [5] above.
[7] A distilled liquor made from juniper berries,
It contains alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and limonene.
A distilled spirit having a ratio of the β-pinene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) of 0.05 to 0.1 and/or a ratio of the limonene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) of 0.08 to 0.28.
[8] The distilled liquor according to [7], having an alpha-pinene content of 10 ppm or more, a beta-pinene content of 2 ppm or more, and a limonene content of 3 ppm or more.
[9] The distilled spirit described in [7] above, which is gin.
[10] The distilled spirit described in [7], in which only juniper berries are used as botanicals.
[11] An alcoholic beverage containing the distilled liquor described in [6] above.
[12] An alcoholic beverage containing the distilled liquor according to any one of [7] to [10] above.
[13] A method for controlling fresh flavor, herbal flavor, and woody flavor while suppressing bitterness in a distilled liquor using juniper berries as a raw material, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) coarsely grinding juniper berries;
(b) mixing the coarsely ground juniper berries with an aqueous ethanol solution; and (c) distilling the resulting mixture.

The present invention provides a method for producing a distilled spirit using juniper berries as an ingredient, which suppresses the bitterness in the distillate while controlling the fresh, herbal, and woody flavors to an appropriate intensity; a distilled spirit obtained by this method; and an alcoholic beverage containing the distilled spirit.

Specific Description of the Invention

The distilled spirit of the present invention is made from coarsely ground juniper berries. In other words, the distilled spirit of the present invention uses botanicals as an ingredient and contains coarsely ground juniper berries as the botanicals.

Here, "distilled alcohol" refers to alcohol produced by distilling an alcohol-containing substance. Distilled alcohol is defined as a distilled alcoholic beverage under the Liquor Tax Act, and examples include various spirits such as gin, shochu, brandy, vodka, and whiskey, as well as raw alcohol, and may be one or a combination of two or more of these. However, of these, gin is the preferred distilled alcoholic beverage.

"Gin" is a clear, colorless distilled alcoholic beverage made by saccharifying, fermenting, and distilling grains such as barley, rye, and potatoes, and then adding flavoring components (botanical components) from herbs, roots, and bark, and further distilling the resulting liquid.

Furthermore, when the distilled liquor of the present invention is served to consumers, restaurants, etc., it may be served neat or on the rocks, or it may be served as a beverage base (RTS: Ready To Serve) and then diluted with a mixer, or it may be served as a beverage after diluting the distilled liquor, which is the beverage base, with a mixer (RTD: Ready To Drink).

The distilled spirit of the present invention can be produced by a method comprising the steps of (a) coarsely grinding juniper berries, (b) mixing the coarsely ground juniper berries with an aqueous ethanol solution, and (c) distilling the resulting mixture.

Juniper berries are cones of the common juniper (Juniperus communis). In step (a), the juniper berries are coarsely ground. Here, "coarsely grinding" means dividing (splitting) the cone into two or more pieces, and is also called "cracking." However, in the present invention, "coarsely grinding" does not include crushing the cone. In the present invention, by appropriately dividing the juniper berry cone, the total cross-sectional area of the cone can be adjusted within an appropriate range, thereby making it possible to obtain the effects demonstrated in the examples. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the juniper berries are coarsely ground so that 2 to 8 crushed pieces are obtained from one juniper berry.

Next, in step (b), the coarsely ground juniper berries are mixed with an aqueous ethanol solution. The ethanol concentration of the aqueous ethanol solution is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10 v/v% or more, more preferably 20 v/v% or more, 30 v/v% or more, 35 v/v% or more, or 40 v/v% or more. The ethanol concentration of the aqueous ethanol solution is preferably 80 v/v% or less, more preferably 70 v/v% or less, 65 v/v% or less, 60 v/v% or less, or 50 v/v% or less. Suitable examples of such aqueous ethanol solutions include distillates obtained by saccharifying, fermenting, and distilling grains such as barley, rye, and potatoes.

The amount of coarsely ground juniper berries to be mixed with the aqueous ethanol solution can be selected depending on the intensity of the flavor desired to be imparted to the final distilled spirit. For example, if the distilled spirit of the present invention is to be used as a flavoring agent to be added to food and beverages, it is desirable to set the weight of coarsely ground juniper berries relative to the volume of the aqueous ethanol solution to be relatively large. On the other hand, if the distilled spirit of the present invention is to be consumed as is, it is desirable to set the weight of coarsely ground juniper berries relative to the volume of the aqueous ethanol solution to be relatively small. From this perspective, those skilled in the art can appropriately determine the weight of coarsely ground juniper berries relative to the volume of the aqueous ethanol solution; for example, it can be 0.5 to 30 g/L, preferably 1 to 25 g/L, and more preferably 2 to 22.5 g/L.

In addition to coarsely ground juniper berries, whole juniper berries that have not been coarsely ground may also be used. The ratio of coarsely ground juniper berries to whole juniper berries is not particularly limited and can be determined appropriately by one skilled in the art. For example, the ratio between the surface area of the juniper berry rind and the cross-sectional surface area exposed after coarse grinding is considered important in order to achieve the effects of the present invention. Therefore, whole juniper berries can be used as an ingredient that increases only the surface area of the rind without increasing the cross-sectional surface area. As an example, if one wishes to approximate the flavor and taste of a distilled spirit made using only whole juniper berries in a distilled spirit made using a specified amount of juniper berries ground to a specified degree of coarseness (crushing), whole juniper berries can be added instead of adjusting the degree of coarse grinding.

The mixture of coarsely ground juniper berries and aqueous ethanol obtained in step (b) is subjected to distillation in step (c), but it is preferable to subject the berries to a soaking treatment directly prior to step (c). The soaking treatment can be carried out under conditions typically used in the production of distilled spirits using botanicals, but is preferably carried out for 1 to 48 hours, more preferably 2 to 24 hours, and even more preferably 5 to 20 hours. Furthermore, the preferred temperature conditions are 2 to 40°C, more preferably 5 to 30°C, and even more preferably 10 to 25°C.

In step (c), the mixture of coarsely ground juniper berries and aqueous ethanol obtained in step (b) is distilled, thereby producing the distilled spirit of the present invention. This distillation can be carried out under conditions typically used in the production of distilled spirits using botanicals, and common methods such as the steeping method (immersion method) and the vapor infusion method (basket method) can be used, but the steeping method is preferred.

The alcohol concentration of the distilled liquor of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10 v/v% or more, and more preferably 20 v/v% or more, 30 v/v% or more, 35 v/v% or more, or 40 v/v% or more. The alcohol concentration of the distilled liquor is preferably 80 v/v% or less, and more preferably 70 v/v% or less, 65 v/v% or less, 60 v/v% or less, or 50 v/v% or less. The alcohol concentration (alcohol content) of the distilled liquor of the present invention can be measured, for example, according to the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (instruction) 3 Sake 3-4 Alcohol Content (Vibration Density Meter Method).

One of the advantages of the present invention is that the effects demonstrated in the examples can be obtained without using any material other than juniper berries as botanicals. Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, juniper berries alone are used as the botanical in the production of the distilled spirits of the present invention. Furthermore, in the present invention, citrus fruits, herbs, etc. may be used in combination as additional botanicals, so long as the effects can be obtained by using juniper berries as the botanical. Therefore, according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, juniper berries are used in combination with an additional botanical selected from the group consisting of citrus fruits and herbs as the botanical in the production of the distilled spirits of the present invention.

In the present invention, it has been revealed that the distilled spirits produced as described above and exhibiting the effects described in the examples have a different component composition compared to conventional distilled spirits of the same type. Therefore, the distilled spirits according to the second aspect of the present invention have any of the following characteristics. Note that, in this specification, "ppm" is synonymous with "mg/L."
(1) A distilled liquor made from juniper berries, containing alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and limonene.
the ratio of the β-pinene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) is 0.05 to 0.1, preferably 0.06 to 0.09, and more preferably 0.07 to 0.08;
A distilled spirit, in which the ratio of the limonene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) is 0.08 to 0.28, preferably 0.09 to 0.20, and more preferably 0.10 to 0.15.
(2) A distilled liquor made from juniper berries, containing alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and limonene.
The α-pinene content is 10 ppm or more, preferably 20 ppm or more, more preferably 25 to 30 ppm;
The β-pinene content is 2 ppm or more, preferably 5 ppm or more, more preferably 6 to 7 ppm,
A distilled liquor having a limonene content of 3 ppm or more, preferably 7 ppm or more, and more preferably 8 to 10 ppm.
(3) A distilled liquor made from juniper berries, containing alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and limonene.
the ratio of the β-pinene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) is 0.05 to 0.1, preferably 0.06 to 0.09, and more preferably 0.07 to 0.08;
A distilled spirit having a ratio of the limonene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) of 0.08 to 0.28, preferably 0.09 to 0.20, and more preferably 0.10 to 0.15, and an α-pinene content of 10 ppm or more, preferably 20 ppm or more, and more preferably 30 ppm.
(4) A distilled liquor made from juniper berries, containing alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and limonene.
the ratio of the β-pinene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) is 0.05 to 0.1, preferably 0.06 to 0.09, and more preferably 0.07 to 0.08;
A distilled spirit having a ratio of the limonene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) of 0.08 to 0.28, preferably 0.09 to 0.20, and more preferably 0.10 to 0.15, and a β-pinene content of 2 ppm or more, preferably 5 ppm or more, and more preferably 6 to 7 ppm.
(5) A distilled liquor made from juniper berries, containing alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and limonene.
the ratio of the β-pinene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) is 0.05 to 0.1, preferably 0.06 to 0.09, and more preferably 0.07 to 0.08;
A distilled spirit having a ratio of the limonene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) of 0.08 to 0.28, preferably 0.09 to 0.20, and more preferably 0.10 to 0.15, and a limonene content of 3.0 ppm or more, preferably 7 ppm or more, and more preferably 8 to 10 ppm.
(6) A distilled liquor made from juniper berries, containing alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and limonene.
the ratio of the β-pinene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) is 0.05 to 0.1, preferably 0.06 to 0.09, and more preferably 0.07 to 0.08;
the ratio of the limonene content (ppm) to the α-pinene content (ppm) is 0.08 to 0.28, preferably 0.09 to 0.20, more preferably 0.10 to 0.15, and the α-pinene content is 10 ppm or more, preferably 20 ppm or more, more preferably 25 to 30 ppm;
The β-pinene content is 2 ppm or more, preferably 5 ppm or more, more preferably 6 to 7 ppm,
A distilled liquor having a limonene content of 3 ppm or more, preferably 7 ppm or more, and more preferably 8 to 10 ppm.

The concentrations of alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, limonene, and the like in a liquid can be measured, for example, by gas chromatography analysis. Specifically, a sample is placed in a vial, and the aroma component sample in the vial is drawn up with a syringe and subjected to gas chromatography for quantitative analysis. An example of an analyzer used for such measurements is the gas chromatograph "Agilent 8890GC" (Agilent Technologies). Further details of the gas chromatography analysis method are described in the Examples.

The alcoholic beverage of the present invention is a beverage (a beverage containing a distilled alcoholic beverage) that uses the distilled alcoholic beverage described above (including both the distilled alcoholic beverage produced by the above-described production method and the distilled alcoholic beverage according to the second aspect of the present invention).

Here, an alcoholic beverage is a beverage that contains alcohol, and is not limited to a specific type of beverage. One example of a type of beverage is a chuhai-flavored beverage. A chuhai-flavored beverage is a beverage that tastes like chuhai, that is, a beverage that has been designed with a flavor that allows you to experience the flavor of chuhai. Note that the flavor of chuhai also includes the flavors of sours and cocktails.

According to one embodiment, the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is obtained by mixing the above-mentioned distilled liquor (particularly gin) with a mixer. Examples of mixers include water, carbonated water, tonic water, hot water, ice, fruit juice, fruit juice drinks, milk, and tea, and one or more of these can be used in combination. However, carbonated water is preferably used as the mixer. The dilution ratio using the mixer (= (volume of mixer + volume of distilled liquor) / volume of distilled liquor) is, for example, 1.2 times or more, 1.5 times or more, 2 times or more, or 3 times or more, and 10 times or less, 8 times or less, 7 times or less, 6 times or less, or 5 times or less. When a refreshing flavor is desired in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, it is preferable that the alcoholic beverage of the present invention be composed only of a distilled liquor and a mixer (e.g., one of water, carbonated water, and tonic water, particularly carbonated water).

The alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains the distilled liquor described above and therefore has a specified alcohol concentration. For example, the alcohol concentration of the alcoholic beverage is preferably 3 v/v% or more, and more preferably 5 v/v% or more, 7 v/v% or more, 8 v/v% or more, or 9 v/v% or more. Furthermore, the alcohol concentration of the alcoholic beverage is preferably 20 v/v% or less, and more preferably 18 v/v% or less, 15 v/v% or less, 13 v/v% or less, or 12 v/v% or less.

The alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be one into which carbon dioxide has been injected, i.e., a carbonated beverage. The carbon dioxide pressure can be adjusted as desired, for example, within the range of 0.05 to 0.24 MPa (gas pressure at 20°C). In one embodiment, the alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be an alcoholic beverage with an adjusted sugar concentration, for example, a sugar concentration of less than 0.5 g/100 mL, which corresponds to "zero sugar" as defined by the Food Labeling Standards of the Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan.

The alcoholic beverage of the present invention may contain other ingredients used in the production of beverages. Examples of such other ingredients include acidulants (e.g., citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, phytic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, adipic acid, acetic acid, or salts thereof), colorings, and food additives (e.g., foaming and foam retention enhancers, bittering agents, preservatives, antioxidants, thickening stabilizers, emulsifiers, dietary fiber, pH adjusters, etc.).

The distilled spirits and alcoholic beverages of the present invention are preferably provided as packaged beverages. Containers used for the distilled spirits and alcoholic beverages of the present invention may be any container typically used for filling beverages, such as metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles, cups), paper containers, bottles, and pouch containers, with metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles), or bottles being preferred.

Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling fresh flavor, herbal flavor, and woody flavor while suppressing bitterness in a distilled liquor made from juniper berries, the method comprising the following steps in the production process of the distilled liquor:
(a) coarsely grinding juniper berries;
(b) mixing the coarsely ground juniper berries with an aqueous ethanol solution; and (c) distilling the resulting mixture.

According to the above method, it is possible to appropriately control the balance of the intensities of three flavors: fresh, herbal, and woody, while suppressing the harshness of the distilled spirit. Here, "fresh," "herbal," and "woody" are descriptors used by those skilled in the art of flavor, and are found in various reference sources, such as "Perfume and Flavor Chemicals," Vols. I and II; Steffen Arctander Allured Pub. Co. (1994) and "Perfumes: Art, Science and Technology"; Muller, P. M. and Lamparsky, D. , Blackie Academic and Professional (1994).

The present invention will be specifically explained based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Example 1: Investigation of the effect of coarsely grinding juniper berries in the production of gin In this example, the effect of coarsely grinding juniper berries used in the production of gin was investigated.

(1) Sample Preparation Distillate samples were produced using juniper berries as the raw material. The juniper berries were coarsely ground under the following conditions. Unprocessed and processed juniper berries were immersed in the raw alcohol for 1 hour and then distilled.
Test area 1: No juniper berries processed. Test area 2: Juniper berries roughly chopped into two parts (crushed).
Test area 3: Juniper berries coarsely ground into 8 pieces (crushed)
Test 4: Juniper berries were crushed until completely pulverized.

11.25 g of unprocessed juniper berries were placed in 500 mL of raw material alcohol adjusted to 60% alcohol content for test area 1 and soaked at room temperature for 1 hour. After soaking, distillation was carried out using a glass still while blowing in steam. 470 mL of the distillate after distillation was collected and analyzed and subjected to sensory evaluation.

For the raw material processing of Test Plots 2 to 4, the juniper berries were coarsely ground (broken into 2 or 8 pieces) and cut using a utility knife. For Test Plot 4, the berries were finely ground using a Multiquick 7 MR 730cc (Brown). 11.25 g of unprocessed juniper berries were placed in 500 mL of raw material alcohol adjusted to 60% alcohol content and immersed at room temperature for 1 hour. After immersion, distillation was carried out using a glass still while blowing in steam. 470 mL of the resulting distillate was collected and analyzed and subjected to sensory evaluation.

Reference wards 1 to 4
Commercially available products use only juniper berries as a raw material, but are subjected to the usual soaking treatment. 470 mL of each of the reference areas 1, 2, and 3 was collected and analyzed and subjected to sensory evaluation.
Reference Area 1: XORIGUER GIN
Reference Area 2: AKAYANE DRAFT GIN Juniper Berry Only (Akayane Craft Gin Juniper Berry Only)
Reference Area 3: JIN TALOG SINGLE BOTANICAL JUNIPER ORGANIC GIN
Reference Area 4: JUST JUNIPER GIN (TRIPLE THREE DISTILLERY)

(2) Sensory Evaluation of Samples The sensory evaluation of the samples was carried out by nine panelists who were trained to the extent that they could give the same score to the same sample. The evaluation items and evaluation criteria were as follows:

<Sensory evaluation items>
Evaluation items: fresh, herbal, woody, bitter, astringent, fresh/astringent, 3 aroma elements (fresh, herbal, woody)/astringent Evaluation criteria: The 9-point scale was set with test plot 3 being rated as "5" to ensure panelists' recognition was consistent. In addition, each test plot was rated on a scale of 1 to 9 points according to the following definitions, and the average score was calculated (n=9).
1: None 3: Weak but detectable 5: Strong 9: Too strong to drink

The results of the sensory evaluation are shown in the table below.

The results shown in the table above confirm that coarse grinding (dividing into 2 or 8 parts) improves the total amount of desirable aromas (fresh, herbal, woody), including freshness, while reducing the bitterness compared to fine grinding.

(3) Analysis of Components in Samples The concentrations of α-pinene, β-pinene, and limonene in each sample were measured by gas chromatography (GC). Specifically, the measurements were carried out under the following conditions:
The measurement samples were diluted to 1 mL of distillate: 15 mL of ethanol and 2 mL of commercial product: 15 mL of ethanol for GC/FID (flame ionization detector) measurements, and to 5 mL of distillate: 10 mL of ethanol and 10 mL of commercial product: 5 mL of ethanol for GC/MS (gas chromatography mass spectrometry) measurements.

<Analysis conditions for α-pinene GC/FID method>
Instrument: Agilent 8890GC PAL RSI120 Sampler Column: Agilent J&W DB-5 60 m, 0.32 mm id, 0.25 μm Film
1 μL of liquid
Split ratio 15:1
Inlet: 250℃
Oven temperature: 60°C, 0 min - 5°C/min → 100°C - 3°C/min → 142°C - 12°C/min → 240°C, 10 min Carrier gas: pure nitrogen 0.93 mL/min Detector: FID 250°C
Retention time and concentration of standard spiked sample α-pinene: 12.675 min, 4.1 mg/L
Methyl myristate: 32.48 min (internal standard), 2.0 mg/L

<GC/MS analysis conditions for β-pinene, limonene, etc.>
Instrument: Agilent 8890GC/5977B MSD MPS Sampler Column: Agilent J&W DB-Heavy Wax 60 m, 0.25 mm id, 0.25 μm Film.
Liquid injection 1μL
Split ratio 15:1
Inlet 260℃
Oven temperature: 40°C, 3 minutes → 15°C/minute → 200°C - 4°C/minute → 250°C, 8 minutes Carrier gas: Helium Transfer line temperature: 250°C
MS ion source temperature: 230°C
Quadrupole temperature: 150℃
Retention time and concentration of standard substance added sample β-pinene 8.198 minutes, 2.12 mg/L
Limonene 9.341 min, 3.23 mg/L
Methyl myristate 17.07 min (internal standard), 2.06 mg/L
Target ion:
β-pinene: m / z = 93
Limonene: m / z = 68
Methyl myristate: m/z=87
Qualifying ion:
β-pinene: m / z = 69
Limonene: m / z = 93
Methyl myristate: m/z=74

<Quantitative method>
The analytical samples were analyzed in pairs, one containing the standard substance and the internal standard substance, and the other containing only the internal standard.
The content of each component was calculated by dividing the chromatographic area of the target substance by the chromatographic area of the internal standard substance, and the difference between the two measurements was used to calculate a value equivalent to 1 ppm. This was then divided by the value for the group to which only the internal standard had been added, and multiplied by the dilution factor to obtain the concentration in the original sample solution. Such measurements were repeated three times to calculate the values, and the average value for which the coefficient of variation CV (standard deviation/average value × 100) was less than 10 (%) was divided by the original alcohol concentration and multiplied by 100 to obtain the quantitative value of each component in terms of pure alcohol.

The alcohol content of each sample was also measured in accordance with the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (instruction) 3 Sake 3-4 Alcohol Content (Vibration Density Meter Method).

The results are shown in the table below.

The results shown in the table above indicate that a fresh aroma can be achieved by maintaining the following concentrations of alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and limonene in the distillate: alpha-pinene: 10 ppm or more, beta-pinene: 2 ppm or more, and limonene: 3 ppm or more (ppm per 100% alcohol by volume). (Here, the concentration of each aroma component per 100% alcohol by volume is calculated by measuring each aroma component and the alcohol content of the distilled spirit separately and converting them into values per 100% alcohol by volume.) It was also confirmed that by adjusting the degree of crushing of juniper berries, it is possible to control the intensity of fresh, herbal, and woody aromas in the distillate while suppressing its bitterness.

Claims (6)

A method for producing a distilled spirit using juniper berries as a raw material, comprising:
(a) coarsely grinding juniper berries;
(b) mixing the coarsely ground juniper berries with an aqueous ethanol solution; and (c) distilling the resulting mixture;
In step (a), juniper berries are coarsely ground to obtain 2 to 8 crushed pieces per juniper berry;
The mixture of coarsely ground juniper berries and aqueous ethanol solution obtained in step (b) is soaked for 1 to 24 hours before step (c).
method. The method of claim 1, wherein the distilled spirit produced is gin. The method of claim 1, wherein only juniper berries are used as the botanical. A distilled alcoholic beverage produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . An alcoholic beverage containing the distilled liquor according to claim 4 . A method for controlling fresh flavor, herbal flavor, and woody flavor while suppressing bitterness in a distilled liquor using juniper berries as a raw material, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) coarsely grinding juniper berries;
(b) mixing the coarsely ground juniper berries with an aqueous ethanol solution; and (c) distilling the resulting mixture;
In step (a), juniper berries are coarsely ground to obtain 2 to 8 crushed pieces per juniper berry;
The mixture of coarsely ground juniper berries and aqueous ethanol solution obtained in step (b) is soaked for 1 to 24 hours before step (c).
method.