JP7456756B2 - Alcoholic beverage, method for producing alcoholic beverage, and method for improving flavor of alcoholic beverage - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an alcoholic beverage, a method for producing an alcoholic beverage, and a method for improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage.

Regarding alcoholic beverages containing alcohol, various inventions have been created that focus on the flavor of the beverage.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an alcoholic beverage containing drinking ethanol and coriander extract, with a sugar content of 1.0g exceeding 0g/100mL based on the total mass of the alcoholic beverage. /100mL or less, alcoholic beverages have been proposed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-042526

The invention according to Patent Document 1 is an invention for suppressing the alcohol taste, and as described above, attempts to solve the problem by incorporating coriander extract or the like into an alcoholic beverage.
The present inventors have obtained the knowledge that the alcoholic feeling can be suppressed by a method different from the invention according to Patent Document 1, specifically, by incorporating acetic acid into an alcoholic beverage.

However, the present inventors found that when acetic acid is added to an alcoholic beverage with a high alcohol content (hereinafter referred to as a "high alcohol beverage"), the smoothness of the drinking sensation is significantly reduced due to the irritation peculiar to acetic acid. It was confirmed that it became difficult to drink gulps.
The present inventors also confirmed that when acetic acid, which causes irritation, is combined with a high-alcohol beverage, the irritation peculiar to alcohol is further enhanced.
In addition, the present inventors found that, as mentioned above, when acetic acid is combined with a high-alcohol beverage, the stimulation (stimulation sensation) peculiar to alcohol is enhanced, but when this stimulation sensation is removed, the taste itself becomes very flat. It was also confirmed that the taste was noticeably flat (the taste lacked depth and was bland).

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an alcoholic beverage with improved flatness of taste, enhanced smoothness, and reduced stimulation peculiar to alcohol, a method for producing an alcoholic beverage, and a method for improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage. Take it as a challenge.

The above problem can be solved by the following means.
[1] An alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 7 v/v% or more and 20 v/v% or less , containing acetic acid and ethyl lactate, with the acetic acid content being Xppm and the ethyl lactate content being Yppb. An alcoholic beverage that satisfies the following relational expressions: (1) Y≧20X-100, (2) Y≦350X-2000, (3) 50≦ Y≦2200, (4) 5≦ X≦50. .
[2] The alcoholic beverage according to item 1, wherein the content of the ethyl lactate is 1200 ppb or less.
[3] The alcoholic beverage according to 1 or 2 above, wherein the extract content is less than 2 w/v%.
[4] When the alcohol content is 7 v/v% or more and 20 v/v% or less , acetic acid and ethyl lactate are contained, the content of the acetic acid is Xppm, and the content of the ethyl lactate is Yppb, the following An alcoholic beverage that includes a step of satisfying the following relational expressions: (1) Y≧20X-100, (2) Y≦350X-2000, (3) 50≦ Y≦2200, (4) 5≦ X≦50. manufacturing method.
[5] A method for improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 7 v/v% or more and 20 v/v% or less , which improves the flatness of the taste, enhances the smoothness, and reduces the irritation peculiar to alcohol, When the alcoholic beverage contains acetic acid and ethyl lactate, the content of acetic acid is Xppm, and the content of ethyl lactate is Yppb, the following relational expression: (1) Y≧20X-100, ( 2) Y≦350X-2000, (3) 50≦ Y≦2200, (4) 5≦ X≦50. A method for improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage.

The alcoholic beverage according to the present invention has improved flatness of taste, enhanced smoothness, and reduced irritation peculiar to alcohol.
The method for producing an alcoholic beverage according to the present invention can produce an alcoholic beverage with improved flatness of taste, enhanced smoothness, and reduced stimulation peculiar to alcohol.
The method for improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage according to the present invention can improve the flatness of the taste of an alcoholic beverage, enhance its smoothness, and reduce the irritation peculiar to alcohol.

It is a graph showing the results of the effect of the present invention when the content of acetic acid and the content of ethyl lactate are changed.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the form (this embodiment) for implementing the alcoholic beverage, the manufacturing method of an alcoholic beverage, and the method of improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage which concern on this invention is demonstrated.

[Alcoholic drinks]
The alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment is a high alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of a predetermined value or more, and is a beverage that satisfies a predetermined relational expression based on the content of acetic acid and the content of ethyl lactate.
Here, the alcoholic beverage is a beverage containing alcohol, and is not limited to a specific type of beverage, but includes, for example, a chu-hi-taste beverage. The Chu-Hi-taste beverage is a beverage that tastes like Chu-Hi, that is, a beverage whose flavor is designed so that the flavor of Chu-Hi can be felt. Note that the flavor of chu-hi also includes flavors such as sour and cocktail.
Each element constituting the alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment will be described below.

(acetic acid)
Acetic acid is a type of fatty acid and is also called ethanoic acid.
When acetic acid is included in a high-alcohol beverage, the stimulation unique to acetic acid not only significantly reduces the smoothness of the drinking sensation, but also further enhances the stimulation unique to alcohol.
However, if a high alcoholic beverage containing acetic acid, together with ethyl lactate described below, satisfies a predetermined relational expression, the alcoholic beverage's "flatness of taste" will be improved (the taste will no longer be flat), and its "smoothness" will be enhanced ( This results in the following effects: a smoother drinking sensation) and a reduction in the ``irritation characteristic of alcohol'' (less stimulation).

The content of acetic acid in the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment may satisfy the relational expression described later, but it is preferably within the following range.
The content of acetic acid is preferably 5 ppm or more, more preferably 6 ppm or more, 7 ppm or more, 8 ppm or more, and 9 ppm or more. When the content of acetic acid is more than a predetermined value, the problems of the present invention (particularly, the feeling of drinking is not smooth and the irritation peculiar to alcohol is strong) will become more apparent.
The content of acetic acid is preferably 50 ppm or less, more preferably 45 ppm or less, 42 ppm or less, 40 ppm or less, 35 ppm or less, 30 ppm or less, 25 ppm or less, 20 ppm or less, 15 ppm or less, 13 ppm or less, and 11 ppm or less. By setting the content of acetic acid to a predetermined value or less, it is possible to avoid a situation where the alcoholic beverage has too strong a sour taste.
In addition, in this specification, the unit "ppm" is synonymous with "mg/L".

(ethyl lactate)
Ethyl lactate is a basic ester and is also called ethyl lactate.
Ethyl lactate is added to the high alcoholic beverage containing acetic acid as described above, and more specifically, it is added in such a manner that the content of acetic acid and the content of ethyl lactate satisfy a predetermined relational expression. It is possible to exhibit the effects of improving the ``flatness of taste'' of alcoholic beverages, increasing the ``smoothness,'' and reducing the ``irritation peculiar to alcohol.''

The content of ethyl lactate in the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment may satisfy the relational expression described below, but is preferably within the following range.
The content of ethyl lactate is preferably 50 ppb or more, more preferably 80 ppb or more, 100 ppb or more, 150 ppb or more, 160 ppb or more, 180 ppb or more, and 200 ppb or more. When the content of ethyl lactate is at least a predetermined value, each effect (improvement of flatness of taste, enhancement of smoothness, reduction of irritation peculiar to alcohol) can be made more reliable.
The content of ethyl lactate is preferably 2200 ppb or less, more preferably 2000 ppb or less, 1500 ppb or less, 1200 ppb or less, 1100 ppb or less, 1000 ppb or less, 900 ppb or less, and 800 ppb or less. When the content of ethyl lactate is below a predetermined value, the overall evaluation as a beverage is also excellent.
In addition, in this specification, the unit "ppb" is synonymous with "μg/L".

(Relational equation based on acetic acid content and ethyl lactate content)
In the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment, when the acetic acid content is Xppm and the ethyl lactate content is Yppb, (1) Y≧20X-100, (2) Y≦350X-2000, (3) Y≦2200 and (4) X≦50 are satisfied.
Here, Figure 1 shows the influence of acetic acid content and ethyl lactate content on the three effects of the present invention (improvement of flatness of taste, enhancement of smoothness, and reduction of irritation peculiar to alcohol). FIG. In Figure 1, "〇" indicates the result when all three effects are fully exerted, and "×" indicates the result when even one of the three effects is not sufficiently exerted. It shows. Note that the straight line indicated by (1) etc. in FIG. 1 is a straight line obtained by replacing the inequality sign with an equal sign in relational expression (1) etc. with an equal sign.

As can be confirmed from the results shown in FIG. 1, it can be seen that the effects of the present invention can be exhibited by satisfying relational expressions (1), (2), (3), and (4).
These relational expressions were created with a focus on the fact that the content of acetic acid and the content of ethyl lactate have a large influence on the effects of the present invention, and the constants of each relational expression (In particular, the slope) is derived from many experimental results.

(1) Y≧20X-100 is preferably Y≧20X-60, and more preferably Y≧20X-10 or Y≧20X.
(2) Y≦350X-2000 is more preferably Y≦350X-2200, and even more preferably Y≦350X-2400.

As an alcoholic beverage of another embodiment, for example, in the XY coordinate axes of "X: acetic acid (ppm)" and "Y: ethyl lactate (ppb)", [X=10, Y=1100] and [X=40, Y=2000] ], which satisfies the relational expression (5) based on a straight line passing through Y≦30X+800.

The content of acetic acid and the content of ethyl lactate can be measured, for example, by a solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) method. can do.

(alcohol)
The alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment contains alcohol.
The alcohol may be any drinkable alcohol, and there are no limitations on the type, manufacturing method, raw materials, etc., as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired, but distilled liquor or brewed liquor is preferable. . Examples of the distilled liquor include various spirits such as shochu, brandy, vodka, and whisky, raw alcohol, and the like, and one type or a combination of two or more of these can be used. As the brewed liquor, for example, beer, low-malt beer, fruit liquor, sweet fruit liquor, etc. can be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.
Note that in this specification, alcohol refers to ethanol unless otherwise specified.

(Alcohol degree)
The alcohol content of the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment is preferably 7 v/v% or more, more preferably 7.5 v/v% or more, 8 v/v% or more, 8.5 v/v% or more, or 9 v/v% or more. . When the alcohol content is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the problem of the present invention (especially the strong stimulation peculiar to alcohol) becomes clearer.
Further, the alcohol content of the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment is preferably 20 v/v% or less, more preferably 17 v/v% or less, 15 v/v% or less, 13 v/v% or less, or 12 v/v% or less. When the alcohol content is below a predetermined value, the overall evaluation as a beverage is also excellent.
The alcohol content of the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment can be measured, for example, based on the National Tax Agency prescribed analysis method (instruction) 3 sake 3-4 alcohol content (vibrating density meter/gas chromatography analysis method).

(Extract portion)
The extract content of the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment is preferably less than 3.5 w/v%, such as 3.0 w/v% or less, 2.5 w/v% or less, 2.3 w/v% or less, and 2.0 w/v%. It is more preferably less than v% and 1.5w/v% or less. When the extract content is less than (or less than) a predetermined value, the problem of the present invention (in particular, the flat taste is noticeable) becomes clearer.
The lower limit of the extract content is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 0.1 w/v% or more, 0.2 w/v% or more, or 0.3 w/v% or more.
Note that the extract content is the number of grams of non-volatile components contained in an original volume of 100 cubic centimeters at a temperature of 15 degrees (Article 3 of the Liquor Tax Law). The extract content of the alcoholic beverage can be calculated, for example, by measuring the specific gravity (sake content) and alcohol content in accordance with the analysis method specified by the National Tax Agency of Japan.

(foaming)
The alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment is preferably a sparkling beverage, that is, a carbonated beverage. Here, the foaming property in this embodiment means that the gas pressure (total pressure) at 20°C is 0.5 kg/cm ² or more, preferably 1.0 kg/cm ² or more, and 1.5 kg/cm 2 or more. ² or more, more preferably 2.0 kg/cm ² or more.

(others)
The alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment includes sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, fragrances, acidulants, salts, dietary fibers, etc. that are normally incorporated in beverages within a range that does not inhibit the desired effects of the present invention. (hereinafter referred to as "additives" as appropriate) may be included. As the sweetener, for example, fructose corn syrup, glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, etc. can be used. As the high-intensity sweetener, for example, neotame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, saccharin, sodium saccharin, disodium glycyrrhizinate, cyclamate, dultin, stevia, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, aspartame, alitame, etc. can be used. As the antioxidant, for example, vitamin C, vitamin E, polyphenol, etc. can be used. Examples of acidulants include citric acid, lactic acid, adipic acid, trisodium citrate, glucono delta lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, and acetic acid. Sodium, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, sodium DL-tartrate, sodium L-tartrate, carbon dioxide, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, DL-malic acid, sodium DL-malate, phosphoric acid, etc. can be used. . As the salts, for example, common salt, acidic potassium phosphate, acidic calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, potassium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, etc. can be used. As the dietary fiber, for example, indigestible dextrin, pectin, polydextrose, guar gum decomposition product, etc. can be used.

When the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment is made into a chuhai-taste beverage, it can also contain fruit flavor (flavor that imparts a fruit-like aroma), fruit juice (juice squeezed from fruit), and fruit extract. Fruit juices include, for example, various fruit juices such as concentrated fruit juice, reduced fruit juice, and straight fruit juice, fruit purees (semi-liquid products obtained by grinding or straining cooked fruit or raw fruit), and diluted liquids thereof. , concentrated liquid, mixed liquid, etc. can be used. Moreover, a fruit extract is an extract obtained by extracting the effective components of a fruit (or fruit juice) using water, alcohol, or the like.
Fruits from which fruit juice is derived (and fruit species for fruit flavors and fruit extracts) include citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, tangerines, oranges, grapefruit, yuzu, and shikwasa, and rose family fruits such as plums and apples. , strawberries, peaches, etc. In addition to these, conventionally known fruits such as grapes, plums, pomegranates, blueberries, cassis, cranberries, maqui berries, strawberries, apples, peaches, mangos, pineapples, kiwis, pears, etc. can also be mentioned.
In addition to the above-mentioned fruit flavors, the flavors used in the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment include flavors that are generally added to beverages, such as sparkling wine flavors.
The effects of the present invention (improvement of flatness of taste, enhancement of smoothness, reduction of irritation peculiar to alcohol) are not significantly affected by the flavor type or strength of flavor of the flavor, fruit juice, or fruit extract. Since it is considered that the effect will not be lost, the flavor types may be varied as described above, and the content is not particularly limited.

(Packaged alcoholic beverages)
The alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment can be provided in various containers. By packing alcoholic beverages into various containers, deterioration in quality due to long-term storage can be suitably prevented.
Note that the container may be anything that can be airtight, and so-called can containers or barrel containers made of metal (such as aluminum or steel) can be used. Further, the container may be a glass container, a plastic bottle container, a paper container, a pouch container, or the like. The capacity of the container is not particularly limited, and any currently available container can be used. Note that it is preferable to use a metal container because it can completely block gas, moisture, and light rays and maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long period of time.

As explained above, the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment has improved flatness of taste, enhanced smoothness, and reduced stimulation peculiar to alcohol.
Further, the alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment has a good taste and has a favorable overall evaluation as a beverage.

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

In the mixing step, water, acetic acid, ethyl lactate, drinking alcohol, additives, and the like are appropriately added to a mixing tank to produce a mixed solution.
In this mixing step, each raw material may be mixed and adjusted so that the content of acetic acid, ethyl lactate, etc. satisfy the above-mentioned predetermined relational expression.

In the post-processing step, for example, treatments such as filtration, sterilization, addition of carbon dioxide gas, and filling into containers are selectively performed as necessary.
Note that the filtration treatment in the post-treatment step can be performed using a general filter or strainer. Further, the sterilization treatment in the post-treatment step is preferably carried out by plate sterilization from the viewpoint of processing speed, etc., but it is not limited to this and can be applied as long as the same treatment can be performed. Further, the filling process in the post-processing step is preferably performed in a clean room maintained at a level of cleanliness that is normally performed in the manufacture of beverages. The order of each treatment in the post-treatment step is not particularly limited.

Note that each treatment performed in the mixing step and the post-treatment step can be performed using equipment commonly used for manufacturing RTD beverages and the like.

As described above, the method for producing an alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment can produce an alcoholic beverage with improved flatness in taste, enhanced smoothness, and reduced irritation specific to alcohol.

[Method for improving the flavor of alcoholic beverages]
Next, a method for improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment will be described.
The flavor improvement method of an alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment is a flavor improvement method that improves the flatness of the taste of an alcoholic beverage whose alcohol content is higher than a predetermined value, enhances the smoothness, and reduces the irritation peculiar to alcohol. This is a method in which acetic acid and ethyl lactate are contained in an alcoholic beverage so as to satisfy a predetermined relational expression.
In addition, the content of each component, the relational expression, etc. are the same as those explained in the above-mentioned "alcoholic beverage".

As explained above, the method for improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage according to the present embodiment can improve the flatness of the taste of an alcoholic beverage, enhance its smoothness, and reduce the irritation peculiar to alcohol.

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

[Preliminary test]
Prior to the main test, a preliminary test was conducted to confirm the acetic acid content at which the problem of the present invention is clearly expressed.
The sample used in the preliminary test was an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 9v/v% containing vodka, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, trisodium citrate, and carbonated water (the gas pressure (total pressure) at 20°C was 2. .3 kg/cm ² ) was used as a base sample, and a plurality of samples were prepared with varying acetic acid contents from low to high.

When the panel drank and confirmed the plurality of samples, it was found that the problems of the present invention were clearly manifested when the acetic acid content was 5 ppm or more.
Specifically, when the acetic acid content was 5 ppm or more, the astringency, coarse taste, and acrid taste caused by alcohol and acetic acid were felt strongly, and the drink did not feel smooth when swallowed.
Furthermore, when the content of acetic acid was 5 ppm or more, the irritation peculiar to alcohol was enhanced in proportion to the addition rate of acetic acid, and as the addition rate increased, the irritation peculiar to alcohol was felt to be very intense.
Moreover, when the content of acetic acid was 5 ppm or more, the taste itself became very flat (the taste lacked depth and was bland), and the flat taste became noticeable.
On the other hand, it was also found that when the content of acetic acid exceeds 50 ppm, the sourness of the alcoholic beverage becomes too strong, making it not very suitable as a flavor for the alcoholic beverage.

[Main test: sample preparation]
Add vodka, acetic acid, ethyl lactate, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, trisodium citrate, carbonated water, sucralose (samples 5-1 and 5-3 only), flavoring (sample 5-3) to the amounts shown in the table. 2, 5-3 only), and pure water was appropriately mixed to prepare a sample.
Note that for each sample in the table, components not listed in the table are approximately the same among the samples, and the extract component was prepared based on the content of fructose-glucose liquid sugar.
The gas pressure (total pressure) at 20° C. of each sample in the table was 2.3 kg/cm ² .

[Main exam: Exam content]
For each sample produced by the above method, 6 trained panelists with discernment ability evaluated it according to the following evaluation criteria: "Taste is flat/bland", "Smooth drinking sensation", "Stimulus peculiar to alcohol", " Regarding the ``cohesiveness'' and ``overall evaluation as a beverage'', independent scores were given on a 6-point scale from 0 to 5 points, and the average value was calculated.
All evaluations were made by drinking samples.

(Taste is flat/bland: evaluation criteria)
The evaluation of the taste is flat/bland is based on the 5 points of sample 1-1, and 5 points are given for "the taste is flat/bland (same level as sample 1-1)", and 5 points are given for "the taste is flat/bland (same level as sample 1-1)";・A score of 0 was given to cases where the response was "not indifferent." Regarding the taste: flat/bland, it can be determined that the lower the score, the better.
In addition, "taste is flat/bland" refers to the flatness of the taste (the taste has no depth and is bland), and the higher this score is, the more flat the taste is and the less depth is felt, and the higher the score. It can be judged that the lower the value, the deeper the flavor and the improved flatness.

(Smooth drinking response: evaluation criteria)
The evaluation of smooth drinking response was based on sample 1-1 with a score of 0, "drinking response was very smooth" with a score of 5, and "drinking response was not smooth at all (same level as sample 1-1"). 0 points were given for cases where the Regarding the smooth drinking sensation, it can be determined that the higher the score, the better.
Note that "smooth drinking sensation" refers to the smoothness felt when swallowing a beverage. The lower this score is, the more astringent, off-taste, and acrid taste caused by the alcohol and acetic acid in high-alcohol drinks, the more rough the drink feels when swallowing, and the less smooth it feels when swallowed. On the other hand, the higher this score, the more smooth the drink feels when swallowing as a result of suppressing the astringency, off-taste, and harshness caused by alcohol and acetic acid in high-alcohol drinks. I can judge.

(Alcohol-specific stimulation: evaluation criteria)
The evaluation of alcohol-specific stimulation was based on the 4 points in Sample 1-1, with 5 points being ``Very strong alcohol-specific stimulation'' and 5 points being ``Strong alcohol-specific stimulation (same level as Sample 1-1''). A score of 4 was given for cases in which the patient had a feeling of irritation specific to alcohol, and a score of 0 was given for cases in which there was no stimulation specific to alcohol. Regarding stimulation specific to alcohol, it can be determined that the lower the score, the better.
In addition, "alcohol-specific stimulation" refers to the alcohol-like stimulation that has been enhanced by containing acetic acid, and the higher this score, the stronger the stimulation is felt, and the lower this score, the more intense the stimulation is. , the patient does not feel any stimulation, and it can be determined that the stimulation is reduced.

(Feeling of cohesion: evaluation criteria)
Regarding the evaluation of the sense of consistency, a score of 5 was given if the taste was "very good" and a score of 0 was given if the taste was "very poor". Regarding the sense of cohesion, it can be determined that the higher the score, the better.
Note that "good consistency" refers to a state in which the taste is well-balanced.

(Overall evaluation as a beverage: Evaluation criteria)
The overall evaluation of the beverage was given a score of 5 if the beverage was "tasty as an alcoholic beverage" and a score of 0 if the beverage was "bad as an alcoholic beverage."

The table shows the content of each component in the sample, as well as the results of each evaluation. The numerical values of each component shown in the table are the content and index in the final product.
Further, the results of samples 1-1 to 1-6, 2-1 to 2-2, and 3-1 to 3-2 are shown in FIG.
In addition, "〇" in Figure 1 indicates a score of 3.5 points or less for "plain/bland taste", a score of 2.5 points or more for "smooth drinking response", and a score of "stimulation specific to alcohol". indicates a sample that satisfies all of the following criteria: 3 points or less, and an "x" indicates a sample that does not meet even one of these score criteria.

(Consideration of results)
From the results in Figure 1, when the acetic acid content and the ethyl lactate content satisfy relational expressions (1) to (4), the flatness of the taste is improved, the smoothness is enhanced, and the alcohol-specific It was confirmed that the irritation was reduced.

From the results in Table 1, it was confirmed that when the content of ethyl lactate increases in high-alcohol beverages containing acetic acid, the flatness of the taste is improved, the smoothness is enhanced, and the irritation peculiar to alcohol is reduced. .
Moreover, from the results in Table 1, it was confirmed that as the content of ethyl lactate increased, the score for the feeling of cohesion also increased, and the score for the overall evaluation as a beverage also increased.
Considering all the evaluation results, among the samples in Table 1, samples 1-3 to 1-6 (particularly samples 1-3 to 1-5) had very favorable results.

From the results in Tables 2 and 3, it can be seen that by increasing the content of ethyl lactate in response to the increase in the content of acetic acid, the flatness of the taste is improved, the smoothness is enhanced, and the irritation peculiar to alcohol is reduced. was confirmed.
In addition, it was confirmed that each sample in Tables 2 and 3 had a score of cohesiveness and a score of overall evaluation as a beverage that was higher than a predetermined value (2.5 points or higher).

From the results in Table 4, it can be seen that if the alcohol content is above a predetermined value (especially if it is within a certain range), the flatness of the taste will be improved, the smoothness will be enhanced, and the irritation peculiar to alcohol will be reduced. It could be confirmed.
Considering all the evaluation results, among the samples in Table 4, samples 4-1 and 4-2 had very favorable results.
Note that Sample 4-3 had a low score for smooth drinking sensation and a high score for alcohol-specific stimulation, but this was based on the reason that the alcohol content was high. However, since each effect based on ethyl lactate is clear from the results in Table 1, sample 4-3 is compared with a sample containing the same amount of alcohol and acetic acid but not containing ethyl lactate. If this is done, it is presumed that certain effects will be achieved.

According to the results in Table 5, no significant differences were observed between sample 5-1 containing a high-intensity sweetener, sample 5-2 containing a flavoring, and sample 5-3 containing a high-intensity sweetener and a flavoring.
These results confirm that the effects of the present invention, which are based on the acetic acid content and ethyl lactate content, are exerted with little influence from high-intensity sweeteners or flavors, and that the invention can be applied to alcoholic beverages of various flavor types.

Claims (5)

An alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 7 v/v% or more and 20 v/v% or less ,
Contains acetic acid and ethyl lactate,
When the content of acetic acid is Xppm and the content of ethyl lactate is Yppb, the following relational expression:
(1) Y≧20X-100
(2) Y≦350X-2000
(3) 50≦ Y≦2200
(4) 5≦ X≦50
Alcoholic beverages to meet your needs. The alcoholic beverage according to claim 1, wherein the content of the ethyl lactate is 1200 ppb or less. The alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the extract content is less than 2 w/v%. The alcohol content is 7v/v% or more and 20v/v% or less ,
Contains acetic acid and ethyl lactate,
When the content of acetic acid is Xppm and the content of ethyl lactate is Yppb, the following relational expression:
(1) Y≧20X-100
(2) Y≦350X-2000
(3) 50≦ Y≦2200
(4) 5≦ X≦50
A method for producing an alcoholic beverage comprising a step of satisfying the following. A method for improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 7 v/v% or more and 20 v/v% or less , which improves the flatness of the taste, enhances the smoothness, and reduces the irritation peculiar to alcohol,
The alcoholic beverage contains acetic acid and ethyl lactate,
When the content of acetic acid is Xppm and the content of ethyl lactate is Yppb, the following relational expression:
(1) Y≧20X-100
(2) Y≦350X-2000
(3) 50≦ Y≦2200
(4) 5≦ X≦50
A method for improving the flavor of alcoholic beverages that satisfies the following.

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