JP2024093855A - Beverage, production method of beverage, and flavor improvement method of beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a beverage which is reduced in irritating feeling derived from acidity and improved in fruit juice feeling, a production method of a beverage, and a flavor improvement method of a beverage.SOLUTION: A beverage of the invention has an acidity of 0.1 w/v% or more, a content of neryl acetate of 10 ppb or more, and a content of decanal of 5 ppb or more. A production method of the beverage comprises a step for setting the acidity to 0.1 w/v% or more, the content of neryl acetate to 10 ppb or more, and the content of decanal to 5 ppb or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to beverages, methods for producing beverages, and methods for improving the flavor of beverages.

With regard to beverages, various inventions have been created to date that focus on flavor.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage containing Monk Fruit extract, and states that the beverage contains 0.05 to 10 ppm of Monk Fruit extract.

JP 2021-83412 A

The invention described in Patent Document 1 contains a specified amount of Monk Fruit extract with the aim of enhancing the citrus flavor.

On the other hand, the present inventors have focused on beverages that have a sour taste and conducted detailed investigations into the flavor thereof.
The present inventors then considered that by reducing the "spicy feeling caused by sourness" in sour alcoholic beverages, it might be possible to provide alcoholic beverages that consumers find easier to drink.
The inventors also wanted to enhance the "fruit juice feel" by taking advantage of the sourness of a sour beverage.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a beverage that reduces the prickly feeling caused by sourness and enhances the fruit juice feel, a method for producing the beverage, and a method for improving the flavor of the beverage.

The above problems can be solved by the following measures.
(1) A beverage having an acidity of 0.1 w/v% or more, a neryl acetate content of 10 ppb or more, and a decanal content of 5 ppb or more.
(2) The beverage according to (1) above, wherein the neryl acetate content is 40 to 1,500 ppb and the decanal content is 10 to 600 ppb.
(3) The beverage described in 1 or 2 above, which is an alcoholic beverage.
(4) A beverage described in any one of 1 to 3, having a sweetness level of less than 15.0.
(5) A beverage described in any one of 1 to 4, which is a citrus-flavored beverage.
(6) A method for producing a beverage, comprising the steps of adjusting the acidity to 0.1 w/v% or more, the neryl acetate content to 10 ppb, and the decanal content to 5 ppb or more.
(7) A method for improving the flavor of a beverage having an acidity of 0.1 w/v% or more, which reduces the prickly feeling caused by the sourness and enhances the juicy feeling, the method comprising the steps of adjusting the neryl acetate content of the beverage to 10 ppb or more and the decanal content to 5 ppb or more.

The beverage according to the present invention has a reduced prickly feeling caused by sourness and an enhanced fruit juice feel.
The method for producing a beverage according to the present invention can produce a beverage that has a reduced prickly feeling caused by sourness and has an enhanced fruit juice feel.
The method for enhancing the flavor of a beverage according to the present invention can reduce the prickly feeling caused by sourness and enhance the juicy feeling in a beverage having an acidity of a predetermined value or higher.

The following describes the beverage, the method for producing the beverage, and the method for improving the flavor of the beverage according to the present invention (the present embodiment).

[Beverages]
The beverage according to this embodiment has an acidity equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and contains neryl acetate and decanal.
Here, the beverage according to this embodiment is not limited to a specific type of beverage, but may include beverages whose acidity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and thus whose sourness is judged to be a positive flavor, such as chuhai-flavored beverages, citrus-flavored beverages, soft drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages with an alcoholic flavor.
Here, a chuhai-flavored beverage is a beverage that tastes like chuhai, that is, a beverage that is flavored and designed to have the flavor of chuhai. Note that the flavor of chuhai also includes the flavors of sours and cocktails. On the other hand, a citrus-flavored beverage is a beverage that is flavored and designed to have the flavor of citrus.
The beverage according to this embodiment does not have to contain alcohol, but if it does contain alcohol, it will be a chuhai-flavored alcoholic beverage or a citrus-flavored alcoholic beverage.
Each element constituting the beverage according to this embodiment will be described below.

(Neryl acetate)
Neryl acetate is a type of acetic acid ester represented by the chemical formula C ₁₂ H ₂₀ O ₂ , and is also known as neryl acetate.
The present inventors have surprisingly discovered that by adding both neryl acetate and decanal (described below) to a sour-tasting beverage, the prickly feeling caused by the sour taste is reduced while the fruit juice feel is enhanced.
The present inventors have also discovered that by adding neryl acetate and decanal, which will be described later, to a sour beverage, the sharpness of the aftertaste can be enhanced.
The present inventors have confirmed that, among the various desired effects, neryl acetate contributes strongly to the effect of reducing the prickly sensation caused by sourness.

The content of neryl acetate is preferably 10 ppb or more, more preferably 20 ppb or more, 40 ppb or more, 50 ppb or more, 80 ppb or more, 100 ppb or more, 200 ppb or more, 250 ppb or more, or 300 ppb or more. By having a neryl acetate content of a predetermined value or more, the desired effects (the effect of reducing the prickly feeling caused by sourness, the effect of enhancing the fruity feeling, and the effect of enhancing the crispness of the aftertaste) can be fully exhibited.
The neryl acetate content is preferably 1500 ppb or less, more preferably 1200 ppb or less, 1000 ppb or less, 900 ppb or less, 800 ppb or less, 750 ppb or less, and more preferably 700 ppb or less. By keeping the neryl acetate content at a specified value or less, the beverage can have a well-balanced flavor.
In this specification, the unit "ppb" is synonymous with "μg/L".

(Decanal)
Decanal is a type of aldehyde represented by the chemical formula C ₁₀ H ₂₀ O, and is also called decyl aldehyde.
The present inventors have surprisingly found that by adding both decanal and the above-mentioned neryl acetate to a sour-tasting beverage, the prickly feeling caused by the sour taste is reduced and the fruity feeling is enhanced.
The present inventors have also discovered that by adding decanal and the above-mentioned neryl acetate to a sour beverage, the aftertaste is enhanced with a sharper taste.
The present inventors have confirmed that, among the various desired effects, decanal particularly contributes strongly to the effect of reducing the prickly feeling caused by sourness and the effect of enhancing the juicy feeling.

The content of decanal is preferably 5 ppb or more, more preferably 10 ppb or more, 20 ppb or more, 50 ppb or more, 80 ppb or more, or 100 ppb or more. By having the content of decanal be equal to or more than a predetermined value, the desired effects (reduction of the prickly feeling caused by sourness, enhancement of the fruit juice feeling, and enhancement of the sharpness of the aftertaste) can be fully exhibited.
The decanal content is preferably 600 ppb or less, more preferably 500 ppb or less, 400 ppb or less, 300 ppb or less, 200 ppb or less, and more preferably 150 ppb or less. By keeping the decanal content at a predetermined value or less, the beverage can have a well-balanced flavor and can avoid a situation in which the fruit juice flavor is reduced.

(Method of measuring each component)
The contents of neryl acetate and decanal in a beverage can be measured, for example, by a solvent extraction-GC-MS method.

(acidity)
The acidity (acidity calculated as citric acid) of the beverage according to this embodiment is as follows.
The acidity is preferably 0.1 w/v% or more, more preferably 0.15 w/v% or more, 0.2 w/v% or more, 0.25 w/v% or more, 0.3 w/v% or more, 0.5 w/v% or more, 0.6 w/v% or more, or 0.7 w/v% or more. By having an acidity of a predetermined value or more, the problem of the present invention (the prickly feeling caused by sourness) can be clarified and the effect of enhancing the fruit juice feeling can be reliably exhibited.
The acidity is preferably 3.0 w/v% or less, more preferably 2.0 w/v% or less, 1.5 w/v% or less, 1.0 w/v% or less, 0.9 w/v% or less, 0.8 w/v% or less, or 0.75 w/v% or less. By having the acidity at or below the predetermined value, the beverage can have a well-balanced flavor.

In this specification, the acidity (acidity converted into citric acid equivalent: acidity value converted into citric acid equivalent) can be determined by the method specified in the Japanese Agricultural Standards for Fruit Drinks (Notification No. 489 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, February 24, 2016). Specifically, the beverage is neutralized by titration with sodium hydroxide solution (0.1 mol/L), and the acidity can be calculated using the "titration amount (ml)" of the sodium hydroxide solution required in the neutralization titration, the "weight (g)" of the beverage used in the titration, and a constant of 0.0064 (weight (g) of citric acid equivalent to 1 mL of 0.1 mol/L aqueous sodium hydroxide solution).
The acidity can be adjusted by using an acidulant as described below.

(sweetener)
The beverage according to this embodiment may contain a sweetener.
Examples of sweeteners include isomerized liquid sugars such as fructose-glucose liquid sugar and glucose-fructose liquid sugar, monosaccharides such as fructose, glucose, and galactose, disaccharides such as sucrose, maltose, and lactose, high-intensity sweeteners such as acesulfame K, neotame, sucralose, saccharin, sodium saccharin, disodium glycyrrhizinate, cyclamate, dulcin, stevia, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, aspartame, and alitame, as well as oligosaccharides and sugar alcohols. Note that fructose-glucose liquid sugar is defined in "Isomerized Liquid Sugar and Sugar Mixed Isomerized Liquid Sugar" (JAS0208:2019) and has a fructose content of 50% or more and less than 90%.

The beverage according to this embodiment may have the following sweetness (converted into sucrose):
The sweetness of the beverage is preferably 0.5 or more, more preferably 1.0 or more, 2.0 or more, and even more preferably 3.0 or more. By having the sweetness of the beverage be equal to or more than a predetermined value, the balance between the sweetness and sourness of the beverage is improved.
The sweetness of the beverage is preferably less than 15.0, and more preferably not more than 10.0, not more than 8.0, not more than 6.0, not more than 5.0, and not more than 4.0. By making the sweetness of the beverage not more than a predetermined value (or less than a predetermined value), the taste of the beverage can be well balanced.

The sweetness of a beverage (converted into sucrose) is an index showing the sweetness of the beverage, and is an index when the sweetness of a beverage containing 1 g of sucrose in 100 g of beverage is set to "1". Specifically, the sweetness of a beverage (converted into sucrose) is a value calculated by multiplying the "content of sweetener in the beverage (w/w%)" by the "sweetness of sweetener/sweetness of sucrose". For example, in the case of a beverage containing 1.0 w/w% maltose, the unitless value "0.33" obtained by multiplying the concentration of maltose (w/w%) "1.0" by "0.33/1" (=sweetness of maltose/sucrose) is the sweetness converted into sucrose.
The sweetness of each sweetener may be expressed as, for example, the following values: fructose-glucose syrup: 1, glucose-fructose syrup: 0.80, fructose: 1.50, glucose: 0.75, lactose: 0.16, galactose: 0.32, maltose: 0.33, sucrose: 1, acesulfame K: 200, sucralose: 600, neotame: 10,000, sodium saccharin: 500, and stevia: 250. The sweetness of oligosaccharides may be as follows: fructooligosaccharides: 0.45, galactooligosaccharides: 0.20, xylooligosaccharides: 0.45, lactofructose: 0.60, raffinose: 0.20, isomaltooligosaccharides: 0.30, soybean oligosaccharides: 0.70; and the sweetness of sugar alcohols may be as follows: sorbitol: 0.65, mannitol: 0.60, maltitol: 0.85, xylitol: 0.60, reduced palatinose: 0.45, erythritol: 0.75. The sweetener content in the beverage may be measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

(alcohol)
The beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain alcohol.
The alcohol may be any drinkable alcohol, and is not limited by type, production method, raw materials, etc., so long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of alcohol that can be used include whiskey, brandy, spirits (e.g., spirits such as gin, vodka, rum, and raw material alcohols), liqueurs, shochu, and brewed alcohol such as sake, fruit wine, and beer. Of these, one or more of vodka, which is a distilled alcoholic beverage, and raw material alcohol can be used.
In this specification, alcohol refers to ethanol unless otherwise specified.

(Alcohol degree)
The alcohol content is not particularly limited, and in the case of a non-alcoholic beverage, for example, it may be less than 1 v/v%, 0.95 v/v% or less, 0.9 v/v% or less, 0.85 v/v% or less, 0.8 v/v% or less, 0.7 v/v% or less, 0.6 v/v% or less, 0.5 v/v% or less, 0.4 v/v% or less, 0.3 v/v% or less, 0.2 v/v% or less, 0.1 v/v% or less, 0.05 v/v% or less, 0.01 v/v% or less, 0.005 v/v% or less, less than 0.005 v/v%, or 0.004 v/v% or less.
In the case of alcoholic beverages, for example, the content may be 1 v/v% or more, 3 v/v% or more, 4 v/v% or more, 5 v/v% or more, and 12 v/v% or less, 10 v/v% or less, 8 v/v% or less, or 6 v/v% or less.
The alcohol content can be measured, for example, based on the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (instruction) 3 Sake: 3-4 alcohol content (vibration type density meter/gas chromatograph analysis method).

(Foaming)
The beverage according to the present embodiment is preferably a carbonated beverage containing carbon dioxide gas. Here, the term "carbonated beverage" refers to a gas pressure (total pressure) at 20°C of 0.5 kg/ ^cm2 or more, preferably 1.0 kg/cm2 or more, more preferably 1.5 kg/ ^cm2 or more, 2.0 kg/ ^cm2 or more, or ^2.5 kg/ ^cm2 or more, and preferably 5.0 kg/ ^cm2 or less, more preferably 4.0 kg/ ^cm2 or less, 3.5 kg/ ^cm2 or less, or more preferably 3.0 kg/ ^cm2 or less.

(pH)
The pH of the beverage according to this embodiment is as follows:
The pH is preferably 2.5 or more, more preferably 2.9 or more, and is preferably 4.0 or less, more preferably 3.5 or less, and more preferably 3.2 or less.
The pH of the beverage can be measured using a commercially available pH measuring device.

(others)
The beverage according to the present embodiment may contain antioxidants, flavorings, acidulants, salts, dietary fiber, and the like (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as "additives") that are usually blended into beverages, as long as the desired effects of the present invention are not hindered, or of course, may not contain them. Examples of antioxidants that can be used include vitamin C, vitamin E, polyphenols, and the like. Examples of acidulants that can be used include citric acid, adipic 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, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, DL-malic acid, sodium DL-malate, phosphoric acid, and the like. Examples of the salts that can be used include table salt, potassium acid phosphate, calcium acid phosphate, ammonium phosphate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, potassium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, etc. Examples of the dietary fibers that can be used include indigestible dextrin, pectin, polydextrose, and decomposed guar gum.
The above-mentioned raw materials can be generally commercially available.

If the beverage according to this embodiment is a chuhai-flavor beverage, it may contain fruit flavors (flavors that impart a fruit-like aroma), fruit juice (juice squeezed from fruit), and fruit extracts (extracts of active ingredients of the fruit extracted from the fruit or fruit juice using water, alcohol, etc.). Examples of fruit juice that can be used include various types of fruit juice, such as concentrated fruit juice, reconstituted fruit juice, and straight fruit juice, fruit puree (semi-liquid products obtained by mashing or straining cooked or raw fruit), and diluted solutions, concentrated solutions, and mixtures thereof.
Fruits from which fruit juice is derived (and fruit species from which fruit flavors and fruit extracts are derived) can include citrus fruits such as lemon, lime, mandarin orange, orange, grapefruit, yuzu, and shikuwasa, as well as conventionally known fruits such as plum, apple, strawberry, peach, cherry (yellow peach), grape, plum, pomegranate, blueberry, black currant, cranberry, maqui berry, mango, pineapple, kiwi, and pear.
Furthermore, since it is believed that the effects of the present invention are not directly affected by the flavor type or flavor strength of the flavor, fruit juice, or fruit extract, and at least that the effects will not disappear, the flavor type of the flavor, etc. may be diverse as described above, and the content is not particularly limited.

(Packaged beverages)
The beverage according to the present embodiment can be provided in various containers. By filling the beverage in various containers, deterioration of the quality of the beverage due to long-term storage can be suitably prevented.
The container may be any container that can be sealed, and so-called can containers and barrel containers made of metal (such as aluminum or steel) may be used. Glass containers, PET bottle containers, paper containers, pouch containers, etc. may also be used. The capacity of the container is not particularly limited, and any container currently in circulation may be used. It is preferable to use a metal container, since it can completely block gas, moisture, and light and maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long period of time.

As described above, the beverage according to this embodiment has a reduced prickly feeling caused by sourness and an enhanced fruit juice feel.
In addition, the beverage according to this embodiment has a sharper aftertaste.

[Production method of beverage]
Next, a method for producing a beverage according to this embodiment will be described.
The method for producing a beverage according to this embodiment includes a mixing step and a post-treatment step.

In the mixing step, water, neryl acetate, decanal, alcohol, additives, etc. are appropriately charged into a mixing tank to produce a mixed liquid.
In this mixing step, the raw materials are mixed and adjusted so that the contents of neryl acetate, decanal, etc. are within the above-mentioned predetermined ranges.

In the post-treatment process, for example, filtration, sterilization, addition of carbon dioxide gas, and filling into a container are selectively performed as necessary.
The filtration process in the post-processing step can be performed using a general filter or strainer. The sterilization process in the post-processing step is preferably performed by plate sterilization from the viewpoint of processing speed, etc., but is not limited to this and can be applied as long as a similar process can be performed. The filling process in the post-processing step is preferably performed in a clean room that is kept as clean as is usually done in the manufacture of beverages. The order of each process in the post-processing step is not particularly limited.

The processes carried out in the mixing and post-processing steps can be carried out using equipment commonly used to manufacture RTD beverages (ready to drink beverages), etc.

As described above, the method for producing a beverage according to this embodiment can produce a beverage that has a reduced prickly feeling due to sourness and an enhanced fruit juice feel.
Furthermore, the method for producing a beverage according to this embodiment can produce a beverage with a sharper aftertaste.

[Method for improving the flavor of beverages]
Next, the beverage flavor enhancing method according to this embodiment will be described.
The method for enhancing the flavor of a beverage according to this embodiment is a method for enhancing the flavor of a beverage that reduces the prickly feeling caused by sourness and enhances the juicy feeling in a beverage having an acidity of a predetermined value or higher, and includes a step of adding neryl acetate and decanal to the beverage.
The contents of each component are the same as those described above in the "beverage" section.

As described above, according to the method for enhancing the flavor of a beverage according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the prickly feeling caused by sourness and enhance the juicy feeling in beverages having an acidity of a predetermined value or higher.
Furthermore, according to the method for enhancing the flavor of a beverage according to this embodiment, the sharpness of the aftertaste of the beverage can be enhanced.

Next, the present invention will be explained by illustrating examples that satisfy the requirements of the present invention and comparative examples that do not.

[Sample preparation]
Each sample in Tables 1 to 3 was prepared by appropriately mixing neryl acetate, decanal, sweetener (fructose glucose liquid), acidulant (citric acid (anhydrous)), vodka (only for the samples in Table 3), carbonated water, and pure water in the amounts shown in the table.
The gas pressure (total pressure) of each sample at 20° C. was 2.3 kg/cm ² .
The sweetness was adjusted with a sweetener, and the acidity was adjusted with an acidulant.

[contents of the test]
For each sample produced by the above-mentioned method, six trained panelists with discriminatory abilities rated the samples on a five-point scale from 1 to 5 in accordance with the following evaluation criteria for "sourness-induced prickly feeling,""sharpaftertaste,""fruit juice feeling," and "overall evaluation," and calculated the average value.
All evaluations were performed by drinking the samples.

(Sourness due to sourness: Evaluation criteria)
The evaluation of the tingling sensation due to sourness was performed using the standard score of 5 for sample 1-1 for each sample in Tables 1 and 2, and the standard score of 5 for sample 3-1 for each sample in Table 3, with 1 point for "weak tingling sensation due to sourness" and 5 points for "strong tingling sensation due to sourness." The lower the score, the more the tingling sensation due to sourness is reduced, and it can be judged to be preferable.

Here, "stinging sensation due to sourness" refers to a tingling sensation caused by sourness, and if this stinging sensation is strong, the score will be high, and if this stinging sensation is weak, the score will be low.

(Aftertaste: Evaluation Criteria)
The evaluation of the sharpness of the aftertaste was carried out with the samples in Tables 1 and 2 using sample 1-1's standard score of 3, and with the samples in Table 3 using sample 3-1's standard score of 3, with "weak sharpness of the aftertaste" being rated as 1 point and "strong sharpness of the aftertaste" being rated as 5 points. The sharpness of the aftertaste is judged to be more preferable as the score is higher.

Here, "crisp aftertaste" is evaluated based on whether the flavor disappears quickly from the mouth in the aftertaste, with a high score being given if the flavor disappears quickly and a low score being given if the flavor lingers.

(Fruit Juice: Evaluation Criteria)
The juicy feel was evaluated using the standard score of 1 for sample 1-1 for each sample in Tables 1 and 2, and the standard score of 1 for sample 3-1 for each sample in Table 3, with "weak juicy feel" being 1 point and "strong juicy feel" being 5 points. The higher the score, the more enhanced the juicy feel is, and the more preferable it can be judged to be.

Here, "juiciness" refers to a fresh, juicy sensation; if this sensation is strong and the drink is satisfying, the score will be high, and if this sensation is weak and the drink is not satisfying, the score will be low.

(Overall evaluation: Evaluation criteria)
For the overall evaluation, no benchmark score was set, and a score of 1 was given for a "poor overall evaluation as a beverage" and a score of 5 for a "good overall evaluation as a beverage."

The "overall rating" here is based on the balance of flavor as a beverage. For example, if the flavor balance is disrupted by a strong flavor based on a specific component, the beverage will be rated as "poor."

The table shows the content of each sample and the results of each evaluation. The numerical values and indices for each component shown in the table are the content and indices in the final product.

(Review of results)
Table 1 shows the results when the content of decanal was varied while the content of neryl acetate was kept constant.
According to the results of Samples 1-1 to 1-5 in Table 1, it was confirmed that by increasing the content of decanal while containing neryl acetate, the "spicy feeling due to sourness" was reduced and the "crisp aftertaste" and "fruit juice feeling" were enhanced.
However, it was also confirmed that if the decanal content was too high, the fruit juice feeling was slightly reduced.
Taking all the evaluations into consideration, among samples 1-1 to 1-5, samples 1-2 to 1-5 (particularly samples 1-2 to 1-4) gave favorable results.

Table 2 shows the results of varying the neryl acetate content while keeping the decanal content constant.
According to the results of Samples 2-1 to 2-4 in Table 2, it was confirmed that by increasing the content of neryl acetate while containing decanal, the "prickly feeling due to sourness" was reduced and the "crisp aftertaste" and "fruit juice feeling" were given high scores.
Taking all the evaluations into consideration, among samples 2-1 to 2-4, favorable results were obtained for samples 2-2 to 2-4.

Table 3 shows the results of applying the present invention to alcoholic beverages.
Samples 3-1 and 3-2 in Table 3 confirmed that, even in the case of alcoholic beverages, the inclusion of neryl acetate and decanal provided the desired effects (reduction of the prickly feeling caused by sourness, enhancement of the fruity feeling, and enhancement of the crispness of the aftertaste).
In addition, when comparing the non-alcoholic beverages Samples 1-1 and 1-3 with the alcoholic beverages Samples 3-1 and 3-2, it was confirmed that the alcoholic beverages exhibited all of the desired effects (reduction of the prickly feeling caused by sourness, enhancement of the fruit juice feeling, and enhancement of the crispness of the aftertaste) more strongly.

Claims (7)

The acidity is 0.1 w/v% or more,
The content of neryl acetate is 10 ppb or more,
A beverage containing 5 ppb or more of decanal. The content of the neryl acetate is 40 to 1500 ppb,
2. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the content of decanal is 10 to 600 ppb. The beverage according to claim 1 or claim 2, which is an alcoholic beverage. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which has a sweetness level of less than 15.0. The beverage according to claim 1 or claim 2, which is a citrus-flavored beverage. A method for producing a beverage comprising the steps of setting the acidity to 0.1 w/v% or more, the neryl acetate content to 10 ppb or more, and the decanal content to 5 ppb or more. A method for improving the flavor of a beverage, which reduces a prickly feeling caused by sourness and enhances a juicy feeling in a beverage having an acidity of 0.1 w/v% or more, comprising:
A method for improving the flavor of a beverage, comprising the steps of: adjusting the neryl acetate content of the beverage to 10 ppb or more and the decanal content to 5 ppb or more.