JP7537061B2 - Carbonated alcoholic beverage and method for inhibiting the spouting of a carbonated alcoholic beverage - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates primarily to a carbonated alcoholic beverage. More specifically, the present invention relates to a carbonated alcoholic beverage packed in a container that contains tannase-treated tea extract. The present invention also relates to a method for suppressing the spouting of a carbonated alcoholic beverage packed in a container when the bottle is opened.

In recent years, due to revisions to the Liquor Tax Act and in pursuit of greater flavor diversity, there have been many attempts to add secondary ingredients such as tea extract, fruit, fruit juice, and spices to carbonated alcoholic beverages. In particular, there is a growing demand for alcoholic beverages that use tea extract as a secondary ingredient, due to its compatibility with a variety of foods.

Alcoholic beverages containing carbon dioxide are generally transported and sold in containers such as aluminum cans or bottles, as this makes them easier to transport and sell and reduces the risk of flavor deterioration.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention aimed at providing a tea alcoholic beverage with fewer unpleasant flavors, including the stickiness, bitterness, and astringency of alcohol. Patent Document 1 also discloses a packaged tea alcoholic beverage that contains a tea extract extracted from fermented tea or semi-fermented tea.

JP 2017-216937 A

However, carbonated alcoholic beverages that contain tea extract have the problem that the fine particles derived from the tea extract, such as sediment, affect the carbonation, making the contents prone to erupting regardless of whether there is an external stimulus. In particular, carbonated alcoholic beverages that are packed in containers tend to erupt when the bottle is opened due to the internal pressure building up as the bottle is sealed.

The present invention aims to provide a carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage that contains tea extract and is packed in a container, and that prevents the beverage from spouting when the container is opened. The present invention also provides a method for preventing the beverage from spouting when the container is opened, and that contains tea extract.

As a result of intensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors discovered that by adding tannase-treated tea extract to a carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage, it is possible to prevent the contents from spraying out even when the container is opened, and thus completed the present invention.
That is, the present invention relates to the following carbonated alcoholic beverages and a method for suppressing the spouting of a carbonated alcoholic beverage filled in a container when the beverage is opened.

The carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention, which has been designed to solve the above problems, is a containerized carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage, characterized in that it contains a tannase-treated tea extract.
According to this carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage, by containing tannase-treated tea extract, it is possible to obtain a carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage in which the contents are prevented from spraying out even when the container containing the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage is opened.
Furthermore, the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention can also suppress turbidity in the beverage by containing a tannase-treated tea extract.

Furthermore, one embodiment of the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention is characterized in that the ethanol content is 1% by mass or more.
The higher the ethanol content, the more likely it is that the ethanol molecules will bind to sediments and other particles in the beverage and form nuclei, making the contents more likely to erupt. However, by including tannase-treated tea extract, the eruptions of the contents can be further suppressed.

In one embodiment of the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the beverage is a fermented alcoholic beverage. Fermented alcoholic beverages are more likely to produce fine particles such as sediment, and are more likely to cause the contents to erupt, but by including tannase-treated tea extract, the eruptions of the contents can be further suppressed.

In one embodiment of the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the beverage contains the tannase-treated tea extract at a concentration of 20 g/L to 120 g/L.
According to this feature, it is possible to impart to the beverage a taste with an excellent balance of bitterness and astringency while suppressing the eruption of the contents of the carbonated alcoholic beverage.

In one embodiment of the carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, it is characterized in that it is a beer-taste beverage.
This feature makes it possible to prevent the beer-taste beverage from spouting, and furthermore, to provide a beer-taste beverage with an excellent balance of bitterness and astringency.

In order to solve the above problems, the method of the present invention for suppressing the spouting of a carbonated alcoholic beverage when the container is opened is characterized by including a tannase-treated tea extract.
According to this method for preventing the contents from spraying out when a container containing a carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage is opened, the inclusion of tannase-treated tea extract makes it possible to prevent the contents from spraying out even when a container containing a carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage is opened.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage that contains tea extract and is packed in a container, and that is prevented from spouting when the container is opened. Furthermore, according to the method of the present invention for preventing the spouting of a carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage packed in a container, it is possible to prevent the spouting of a carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage that contains tea extract and is packed in a container.

[Packaged carbonated alcoholic beverages]
The carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains a tannase-treated tea extract and is packed in a container.

(About tannase-treated tea extract)
As the tea extract, for example, an extract extracted from various kinds of tea such as green tea (Japanese tea, tencha), Chinese tea (e.g., oolong tea, pu-erh tea, jasmine tea, etc.), black tea, grain tea, etc. is used. The variety, production area, harvesting time, harvesting method, and cultivation method of the various tea leaves or grains used to obtain the extract extracted from tea are not limited. In the carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, any of the extracts extracted from these various kinds of tea may be used alone, or a mixture of multiple kinds of tea extracts may be used.

Among these various tea extracts, in consideration of the good taste of the carbonated alcoholic beverage, it is preferable that the carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains jasmine tea or black tea extract. By containing jasmine tea extract or black tea extract alone or in a mixture with other tea extracts in the carbonated alcoholic beverage, it is possible to obtain a beverage with excellent taste while suppressing the spouting of the carbonated alcoholic beverage.

The tea extract contained in the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention is obtained by subjecting the extract extracted from the various types of tea mentioned above to a tannase treatment.
Tannase is a type of enzyme, and any enzyme that has the activity of decomposing tannins can be used. Commercially available tannase products are available from Kikkoman Biochemifa Corporation and the like.

The tannase-treated tea extract can be obtained by enzymatically treating the above-mentioned tea raw material with tannase, for example, according to the method described in JP-A-2003-144049.
Furthermore, tannase-treated tea extract is commercially available from Takasago International Corporation and the like.

The concentration of the tannase-treated tea extract in the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 g/L to 120 g/L. The lower limit is more preferably 30 g/L or more, and even more preferably 40 g/L or more. The upper limit is more preferably 100 g/L or less, and even more preferably 80 g/L or less. By setting the concentration of the tannase-treated tea extract within the above range, the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage can be made into a beverage with an excellent balance between bitterness and astringency.
The concentration of tea extract herein means the content of pure extract (solid content) derived from tea. The concentration of tea extract can be measured using a refractometer such as RX-5000 manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.

(Regarding ethanol content)
The ethanol content in the carbonic acid-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1.0% by mass or more. The lower limit is more preferably 1.5% by mass or more, and even more preferably 2.0% by mass or more. By making the ethanol content 1.0% by mass or more, it is possible to obtain a beverage in which the alcohol component can be felt.

The ethanol concentration in the carbonic acid-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1.0 vol/vol% or more. The lower limit is more preferably 3.0 vol/vol% or more, and even more preferably 4.0 vol/vol% or more. The upper limit is preferably 20.0 vol/vol% or less, more preferably 9.0 vol/vol% or less, and even more preferably 6.0 vol/vol% or less.
By setting the ethanol concentration of the carbonated alcoholic beverage to 1.0 vol/vol % or more, the beverage can have a stronger alcoholic flavor.

(About the container)
The carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention is individually packed in a container. The container is not particularly limited, but the conventionally known glass bottles, metal cans, paper, plastics, etc. may be used.
The capacity of the container for filling the carbonated alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited, but in the case of a bottle, a container capable of filling 320 ml, 334 ml, 500 ml, 633 ml, or 1957 ml of the carbonated alcoholic beverage is preferable.
The metal of the metal can is not particularly limited, but an aluminum can is preferable.
The metal cans are preferably capable of holding 135 ml, 250 ml, 350 ml, 500 ml, or 1000 ml of carbonated alcoholic beverages.
The plastic container is preferably a PET bottle, and the capacity is preferably one capable of containing 280 ml, 350 ml, 500 ml, 600 ml, 1500 ml, or 2000 ml of a carbonated alcoholic beverage.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the carbonated alcoholic beverage packed in the container of the present invention has a space other than the beverage in the container that is about 1/50 to 1/10 of the volume of the beverage.
By providing a space other than the beverage relative to the volume of the container, the beverage can be smoothly packed into the container. Also, by providing a space other than the beverage, it is possible to prevent the internal pressure from becoming too high due to carbonation, and it is possible to provide a bottled beverage that is durable against external stimuli, etc.

The container for filling the carbonated alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited, but may be one that has been sterilized. Examples of the sterilization treatment include a conventionally known heat treatment.
By using a sterilized container, it is possible to produce a beverage whose taste changes less over time.

The carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains carbon dioxide gas and alcohol, and examples include beer-flavored beverages such as beer, happoshu, new genre, and low-alcohol beer, and carbonated alcoholic beverages in which carbon dioxide gas is injected into non-sparkling alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, brandy, shochu, and liqueurs.

The beer-taste beverage of the present invention refers to a carbonated beverage that has a flavor, taste, and color that is equivalent to or similar to that of beer, regardless of whether or not it contains malt. In addition, the "new genre" refers to a beer-taste beverage that does not belong to either beer or happoshu under the Japanese Liquor Tax Act.

The carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention is preferably a beer-flavored beverage. The beer-flavored beverage, which is a carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, is a carbonated alcoholic beverage that has an excellent balance of bitterness and astringency and reduces the problem of foaming.

The carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be a fermented alcoholic beverage or a non-fermented alcoholic beverage, and is preferably a fermented alcoholic beverage.
For example, when the fermented alcoholic beverage is a beer-taste beverage, the beer-taste beverage can be obtained by fermenting raw materials such as barley and hops in a conventional manner. In this case, the tannase-treated tea extract may be added before or after fermentation of the raw materials, and is preferably added before fermentation.

In addition, when the carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention is a non-fermented alcoholic beverage, the tannase-treated tea extract may be added simultaneously with the raw materials such as wort, or may be added simultaneously with the addition of carbon dioxide gas.

The carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention may contain any conventionally known ingredient in addition to the tannase-treated tea extract and alcohol.
Examples of such ingredients include wort, barley extract, vegetable juice, fruit juice, flavorings, thickeners, sweeteners, emulsifiers, functional ingredients, preservatives, stabilizers, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, pH adjusters (such as baking soda), antifoaming agents such as silicone, etc. The amount of these ingredients added can be appropriately adjusted depending on the effect to be obtained.

When producing the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the tannase-treated tea extract may be used in any form, for example, in the form of powder, granules, tablets, concentrated liquid, etc.
Furthermore, when the carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention is a fermented beer-flavored beverage, the amount of tannase-treated tea extract used during production may be 5% by mass or less or more relative to the barley malt, and is preferably 5% by mass or less.

[Method for suppressing spouting of carbonated alcoholic beverage when opening a bottle]
Next, a method for suppressing the spouting of a carbonated alcoholic beverage when the bottle is opened according to another aspect of the present invention will be described. The method for suppressing the spouting of a carbonated alcoholic beverage when the bottle is opened according to the present invention comprises adding a tannase-treated tea extract to the carbonated alcoholic beverage filled in a container to suppress the spouting when the bottle is opened.

The carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage may be similarly used as described above for the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention. In addition, the tannase-treated tea extract used in this method may be similarly used as described above for the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention.

In addition, in this method, the content of the tannase-treated tea extract is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 g/L to 120 g/L. The lower limit is more preferably 30 g/L or more, and even more preferably 40 g/L or more. The upper limit is more preferably 100 g/L or less, and even more preferably 80 g/L or less.

<Suppressing eruptions>
In carbonated beverages such as beer-flavored beverages filled in containers, carbon dioxide gas can suddenly separate inside the liquid, forming bubbles, and the expanded liquid can erupt, even when the liquid is not subjected to any stimuli (vibration or impact). The cause of the eruptions is thought to be that proteins and polyphenols derived from the raw materials act as nuclei to promote the release of carbon dioxide gas.
The principle behind how the inclusion of tannase-treated tea extract in the present invention can suppress eruptions has not yet been fully elucidated, but it is presumed that the tannase treatment makes it difficult for the raw materials in the tea extract to form nuclei, and that the tannase-treated tea extract suppresses contact between nuclei derived from other raw materials and carbon dioxide, thereby suppressing the release of carbon dioxide.

The method for preventing the carbonated alcoholic beverage from spouting when the beverage is opened is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use the following container.
Examples of containers include conventionally known glass bottles, metal cans, paper, plastics, and the like.
The capacity of the container for filling the carbonated alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited, but in the case of a bottle, a container capable of filling 320 ml, 334 ml, 500 ml, 633 ml, or 1957 ml of the carbonated alcoholic beverage is preferable.
The metal of the metal can is not particularly limited, but an aluminum can is preferable.
The metal cans are preferably capable of holding 135 ml, 250 ml, 350 ml, 500 ml, or 1000 ml of carbonated alcoholic beverages.
The plastic container is preferably a PET bottle, and the capacity is preferably one capable of containing 280 ml, 350 ml, 500 ml, 600 ml, 1500 ml, or 2000 ml of a carbonated alcoholic beverage.

Furthermore, in the method of the present invention for suppressing spouting, the space other than the beverage in the container must be approximately 1/50 to 1/10 of the volume of the beverage.
By providing space for things other than the beverage relative to the volume of the container, the beverage can be smoothly packed into the container.

The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

<Measurement of the amount of carbonated alcoholic beverage sprayed>
The amount of the carbonated alcoholic beverage sprayed was measured by the following method.
- Measurement of initial ejection volume (10℃ or 25℃)
A sample packed in a 500 ml beer bottle is subjected to rotational shaking for 24 hours at 25° C. using a vibration rotation tester. The rotated and shaken sample is immersed upright in a thermostatic water bath at 10° C. or 25° C. for 60 minutes, rotated vertically three times in 10 seconds, and then placed upright for 30 seconds before opening the bottle, and the amount of overflowing liquid is collected and the amount of sprayed out is measured.

- Measurement of the amount of ejection using a deteriorated sample (measurement of the amount of ejection after deterioration over time)
The sample is subjected to an accelerated test, and the ejection amount after aging is measured.
A sample packed in a 500 ml beer bottle is immersed upright in a constant temperature water bath at 50° C. for 7 days, and then cooled naturally at room temperature for about 2 hours until the temperature of the sample reaches about 25° C. Then, the bottle is immersed upright in a constant temperature water bath at 0° C. for 24 hours. Then, the bottle is placed horizontally in an air-cooled refrigerator at 0° C. and kept for 2 days. The bottle is removed from the refrigerator and immersed upright in a constant temperature water bath at 25° C. for 60 minutes. The bottle is rotated vertically 3 times in 0 seconds, and then opened after being held upright for 30 seconds. The amount of overflowing liquid is collected and the amount of sprayed out is measured.

<Measurement of turbidity of carbonated alcoholic beverages>
The sample packed in a 500 ml beer bottle is immersed upright in a thermostatic water bath at 50° C. for 7 days, and then cooled naturally at room temperature for about 2 hours until the temperature of the sample reaches about 25° C. After that, the sample is immersed upright in a thermostatic water bath at 0° C. for 24 hours, and then the turbidity is measured.
The turbidity is measured in accordance with the analytical method adopted by the EBC (European Brewery Convention) (the turbidity analytical method described in "BCOJ Beer Analysis Method" published by the Beer Brewing Association in 1996).

[Production Example 1 (Production of beer-flavored beverage containing tannase-treated tea extract)]
A beer-taste beverage was produced according to a conventional method.
First, ground barley malt was mixed with hot water and saccharified at 50 to 65°C, the husks were removed, and hops were added to the liquid, which was then boiled, and tannase-treated tea extract (jasmine tea extract: an aqueous solution with an extract purity of 15.23% by mass) was added so that the tea extract purity would be 91 g/L when made into a beer-flavored beverage. Next, after undergoing processes such as fermentation, aging, and stabilization, the mixture was filtered and filled into 500 ml beer bottles.

[Production Example 2 (Production of beer-flavored beverage containing non-tannase-treated tea extract)]
First, ground barley malt was mixed with hot water and saccharified at 50 to 65°C, the husks were removed, and the liquid was added with hops and boiled, and tea extract (jasmine tea extract) that had not been treated with tannase was added so that the concentration would be 91 g/L when made into a beer-flavored beverage. Next, after going through processes such as fermentation, aging, and stabilization, the mixture was filtered and filled into 500 ml beer bottles.

<Evaluation>
The spray volume and turbidity were measured for the beer-taste beverages produced in Production Examples 1 and 2. The results are shown in Table 1.

The results in Table 1 above show that the beer-taste beverage containing the tannase-treated tea extract had extremely small initial spray volumes at both 10° C. and 25° C. Furthermore, the spray volumes after aging also remained small, unchanged from the initial spray volumes.
On the other hand, the beer-taste beverage containing tea extract that had not been treated with tannase had a large initial spray volume at 25° C. Furthermore, the spray volume after aging was much larger than the initial spray volume at 10° C.

Furthermore, when the effect of tannase-treated tea extract was further investigated, the beer-taste beverage containing tannase-treated tea extract had an extremely low turbidity value.
Generally, light-colored pilsner beer is evaluated as being clear with no visible turbidity at around 0.5° EBC, being visually turbid at 2° EBC, and being clearly turbid at 5° EBC.
It can be seen that the beer-flavored beverage containing the tannase-treated tea extract is extremely clear.

(Sensory evaluation)
A sensory evaluation was conducted by five trained panelists on the beer-taste beverages produced in Production Examples 1 and 2 above. Specifically, each beer-taste beverage was evaluated for "bitterness,""astringency," and "goodness of balance as a beer-taste beverage." For "bitterness" and "astringency," the five-point rating scale shown in Table 2 below was used. For "goodness of balance as a beer-taste beverage," the five-point rating scale shown in Table 3 below was used. The rating scale was determined by comparing the beer-taste beverages and allocating a rating of 1 to 5 to each alcoholic beverage, with the average scores of the five panelists being shown in Table 4.

The evaluation results are shown in Table 4 below.

The results in Table 4 above demonstrate that beer-flavored beverages containing tannase-treated tea extract have an appropriate bitterness and astringency, making them well-balanced as beer-flavored beverages.
On the other hand, it was found that beer-flavored beverages containing tea extract that had not been treated with tannase resulted in beer-flavored beverages that were too bitter and astringent.
These results show that the inclusion of tannase-treated tea extract not only suppresses eruption but also controls the balance of bitterness and astringency.

<Flavor evaluation based on the content of tannase-treated tea extract>
Next, the change in flavor of the beer-flavor beverage depending on the content of tannase-treated tea extract was evaluated.
The beer-taste beverages were produced in the same manner as in Production Example 1, but the content of tannase-treated tea extract was varied to produce each beer-taste beverage.
The evaluation results are shown in Table 5.

The results in Table 5 above show that in a beer-flavored beverage, the higher the content of tannase-treated tea extract, the stronger the bitterness and astringency. Furthermore, when Examples 3 and 4 are compared with Examples 2, 5, and 6, it was found that beer-flavored beverages containing tannase-treated tea extract of approximately 45.7 g/L and 91.3 g/L had an appropriate bitterness and astringency, making them well-balanced beer-flavored beverages.

According to the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention, by containing tannase-treated tea extract, it is possible to obtain a carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage in which the contents are prevented from spraying out even when the container containing the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage is opened.
This allows the container to be distributed to general consumers as a product whose contents will not spill out even if it is subjected to external stimuli during transportation, etc.
The carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention is distributed and sold as beer-flavored beverages such as beer, sparkling beer, new genre beverages, and low-alcohol beer, or carbonated alcoholic beverages in which carbon dioxide gas has been injected into non-sparkling alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, brandy, shochu, and liqueurs.

Furthermore, the method of the present invention for preventing a carbonated alcoholic beverage from spouting when the container is opened can be used, for example, to prevent a carbonated alcoholic beverage from spouting when the container is opened.

Claims (5)

A carbonated alcoholic beverage packed in a container,
A carbonated alcoholic beverage comprising 30 g/L to 100 g/L of tannase-treated tea extract. The carbonic acid-containing alcoholic beverage according to claim 1, characterized in that the ethanol content is 1% by mass or more. The carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage is a fermented alcoholic beverage. The carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage is a beer-flavored beverage. A method for suppressing the spouting of a carbonated alcoholic beverage when the bottle is opened, the method being characterized in that the bottle contains 30 g/L to 100 g/L of tannase-treated tea extract.