JP7493344B2 - Beer-flavored beverages - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a beer-flavored beverage.

In recent years, the market for beer-flavored beverages (beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages) with an alcohol content of less than 1 v/v% has expanded. In addition, various methods for producing beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages with flavor characteristics reminiscent of beer-flavored beverages have been disclosed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a low-alcohol beer-like beverage, which is characterized by diluting beer and/or happoshu to an alcohol concentration of less than 1 v/v% and blending additives that impart beer-like characteristics visually and flavor-wise.

On the other hand, vicinal diketones such as diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione are known to be the components responsible for the morning sickness odor of sake and other beverages (for example, Patent Document 2).

International Publication No. 2004/018612 JP 2018-33436 A

There is still room for improvement in the flavor of beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages. Meanwhile, the effect of combining trace amounts of ethanol with 2,3-pentanedione on the flavor of beer-flavored beverages was not previously known.

The present invention aims to provide a beer-flavored beverage (non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage) that has the fermented feel, rich flavor, and sharpness characteristic of a beer-flavored beverage.

The inventors have discovered that a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage containing a specific amount of 2,3-pentanedione and a specific amount of ethanol has an improved fermented feel, full flavor, and sharpness characteristic of a beer-flavored beverage. The present invention is based on this novel finding.

The present invention relates to a beer-taste beverage that contains 2,3-pentanedione and ethanol, in which the 2,3-pentanedione content is from 5 μg/L to 180 μg/L, and the ethanol content is from 0.02 v/v% to 0.75 v/v%.

The beer-taste beverage of the present invention contains a combination of a specific amount of 2,3-pentanedione and a specific amount of ethanol, and is therefore excellent in the fermented feel, richness of flavor, and sharpness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage.

The beer-taste beverage may have a 2,3-pentanedione content of 60 μg/L or less. This will further enhance the effects of the present invention.

The ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage may be less than 0.50 v/v %. This will further enhance the effects of the present invention.

The beer-taste beverage may further contain propylene glycol, and the propylene glycol content may be 15,000 mg/L or less.

The present invention also relates to a method for improving the fermented feel, fullness of flavor, and crispness of a beer-taste beverage, which comprises adding 5 μg/L or more and 180 μg/L or less of 2,3-pentanedione to the beer-taste beverage, and adding 0.02% v/v or more and 0.75% v/v or less of ethanol to the beer-taste beverage.

The present invention can provide a beer-taste beverage (non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage) that has an excellent fermented feel, full flavor, and crispness that are characteristic of a beer-taste beverage. The present invention can also provide a method for improving the fermented feel, full flavor, and crispness of a beer-taste beverage.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[Beer-flavored beverages]
The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment contains 2,3-pentanedione and ethanol, with the 2,3-pentanedione content being from 5 μg/L to 180 μg/L and the ethanol content being from 0.02 v/v% to 0.75 v/v%. Because the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment contains a combination of a specific amount of 2,3-pentanedione and a specific amount of ethanol, it is excellent in the fermented feeling, richness of flavor, and crispness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage.

In this specification, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage that has a beer-like flavor. The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is a non-alcoholic beverage (beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage) with an alcohol content of less than 1 v/v%. In this specification, alcohol refers to ethanol unless otherwise specified.

The 2,3-pentanedione content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be from 5 μg/L to 180 μg/L. From the standpoint of further improving the fermented feel, fullness of flavor, and sharpness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage, the 2,3-pentanedione content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 6 μg/L or more, 7 μg/L or more, 8 μg/L or more, 9 μg/L or more, 10 μg/L or more, 15 μg/L or more, 20 μg/L or more, 25 μg/L or more, 30 μg/L or more, 35 μg/L or more, 40 μg/L or more, or 45 μg/L or more. From a similar perspective, the 2,3-pentanedione content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 170 μg/L or less, 160 μg/L or less, 150 μg/L or less, 140 μg/L or less, 130 μg/L or less, 120 μg/L or less, 110 μg/L or less, 100 μg/L or less, 90 μg/L or less, 80 μg/L or less, 70 μg/L or less, or 60 μg/L or less.

The 2,3-pentanedione content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, from 8 μg/L to 100 μg/L. When the 2,3-pentanedione content is within this range, the effects of the present invention are more pronounced. From a similar perspective, the 2,3-pentanedione content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, from 8 μg/L to 90 μg/L, from 8 μg/L to 80 μg/L, from 8 μg/L to 70 μg/L, or from 8 μg/L to 60 μg/L.

The 2,3-pentanedione content of a beer-taste beverage can be measured, for example, by the method described in "8.16.2 Gas Chromatography" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewing Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] of the Brewers Association of Japan, revised and expanded in 2013).

The 2,3-pentanedione content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by adding 2,3-pentanedione when producing the beer-taste beverage by a conventional method so that the content falls within the above range. When adding 2,3-pentanedione, for example, 2,3-pentanedione itself may be added, or a flavoring composition containing 2,3-pentanedione may be added.

The ethanol content (alcohol content) of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 0.02 v/v% or more and 0.75 v/v% or less. From the viewpoint of further improving the fermented feeling, fullness of flavor, and sharpness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage, the ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 0.03 v/v% or more, 0.04 v/v% or more, 0.05 v/v% or more, 0.06 v/v% or more, 0.07 v/v% or more, 0.08 v/v% or more, 0.09 v/v% or more, or 0.10 v/v% or more. From a similar perspective, the ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 0.70 v/v% or less, 0.60 v/v% or less, 0.55 v/v% or less, 0.50 v/v% or less, less than 0.50 v/v%, 0.45 v/v% or less, 0.40 v/v% or less, 0.35 v/v% or less, or 0.30 v/v% or less.

The ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.03 v/v% or more and 0.55 v/v% or less. When the ethanol content is within this range, the effects of the present invention are more pronounced. From a similar perspective, the ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 0.04 v/v% or more and 0.50 v/v% or less, 0.05 v/v% or more and 0.45 v/v% or less, or 0.06 v/v% or more and 0.40 v/v% or less.

The ethanol content (alcohol content) of beer-taste beverages can be measured, for example, using the vibration density meter method described in the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (instruction) "3 Sake 3-4 Alcohol content."

The ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be adjusted to within the above range, for example, by adding alcohol, or by removing alcohol from the fermented liquid obtained by brewing, or by using a combination of these. There is no particular restriction on the alcohol added, and it may be, for example, distilled alcohol (e.g., raw material alcohol, spirits, vodka), or a fermented liquid obtained by brewing. There is no particular restriction on the method for removing alcohol from the fermented liquid obtained by brewing, and it may be carried out according to conventional methods such as distillation or dialysis.

The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain propylene glycol. When the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment contains propylene glycol, the propylene glycol content may be more than 0 mg/L and not more than 15,000 mg/L. The propylene glycol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 10 mg/L or more, 20 mg/L or more, 30 mg/L or more, 40 mg/L or more, 50 mg/L or more, 60 mg/L or more, 70 mg/L or more, 80 mg/L or more, 90 mg/L or more, 100 mg/L or more, 200 mg/L or more, 300 mg/L or more, 400 mg/L or more, 500 mg/L or more, It may be 600 mg/L or more, 700 mg/L or more, 800 mg/L or more, 900 mg/L or more, or 1000 mg/L or more, and may be 14000 mg/L or less, 13000 mg/L or less, 12000 mg/L or less, 11000 mg/L or less, 10000 mg/L or less, 9000 mg/L or less, 8000 mg/L or less, 7000 mg/L or less, or 6000 mg/L or less.

The propylene glycol content of a beer-taste beverage can be measured, for example, by GC-MS.

The propylene glycol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by adding propylene glycol. The propylene glycol added may be propylene glycol itself, or a flavoring composition, food additive, etc., that contains propylene glycol.

The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain a barley raw material as a raw material. In this specification, the barley raw material refers to barley or a processed barley product. Examples of barley include barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl barley, and oats. Examples of processed barley include barley extract, malt, and malt extract. Barley extract is obtained by extracting barley extract components containing sugar and nitrogen from barley. Malt is obtained by germinating barley. Malt extract is obtained by extracting extract components containing sugar and nitrogen from malt.

The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain hops as an ingredient. Hops include dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract, as well as processed hop products such as low hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and iso-hop extract.

The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may have a malt ratio (the proportion of malt in ingredients other than water and hops) of 0% by weight or more and 100% by weight or less. The malt ratio may be 10% by weight or more, 20% by weight or more, 30% by weight or more, 40% by weight or more, 50% by weight or more, 60% by weight or more, 65% by weight or more, 66% by weight or more, 67% by weight or more, 70% by weight or more, 80% by weight or more, 90% by weight or more, 95% by weight or more, 99% by weight or more, or 100% by weight. The malt ratio may also be less than 100% by weight, 90% by weight or less, 95% by weight or less, 90% by weight or less, 80% by weight or less, 70% by weight or less, 60% by weight or less, or 50% by weight or less.

The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may contain colorants, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, and the like that are typically blended into beverages, provided that the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of colorants include caramel color, gardenia color, fruit juice color, vegetable color, and synthetic color. Examples of sweeteners include high-fructose glucose liquid sugar, glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glycogen, and starch. Examples of high-intensity sweeteners include neotame, acesulfame K, sucralose, saccharin, sodium saccharin, disodium glycyrrhizinate, cyclamate, dulcin, stevia, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, aspartame, and alitame. Examples of antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenols. Examples of acidulants include phosphoric acid, lactic acid, DL-malic acid, 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, sodium L-tartrate, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, and sodium DL-malate. Examples of salts include table salt, potassium acid phosphate, calcium acid phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate.

The bitterness value (BU) of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.0 or more and 50.0 or less. The BU of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 40.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, or 15.0 or less, or 1.0 or more, 2.0 or more, 3.0 or more, 4.0 or more, 5.0 or more, or 10.0 or more. The bitterness value of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be measured by the method described in "8.15 Bitterness Value" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Brewing Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee), revised and expanded in 2013). The bitterness value can be set appropriately within the above range, for example, by adjusting the type and amount of raw materials used.

The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be either non-sparkling or sparkling. Here, non-sparkling means that the gas pressure at 20° C. is less than 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg/cm ² ), and sparkling means that the gas pressure at 20° C. is 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg/cm ² ) or more. If the beer-taste beverage is sparkling, the upper limit of the gas pressure may be about 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg/cm ² ).

The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be provided in a container. Any container that can be sealed can be used, and so-called canned or barrel containers made of metal (such as aluminum or steel). Glass containers, PET bottle containers, paper containers, pouch containers, etc. can also be used as the container. There is no particular limit to the capacity of the container, and any container currently in circulation can be used. It is preferable to use a metal container, as it completely blocks gas, moisture, and light and can maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long period of time.

The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be produced, for example, by mixing ingredients (a blending method) or through fermentation using yeast or the like.

The manufacturing method according to one embodiment includes, for example, a blending step of blending water, 2,3-pentanedione, alcohol (e.g., raw material alcohol, distilled alcohol such as spirits and vodka, fermented liquid obtained by brewing), and, as necessary, propylene glycol and/or various additives (e.g., coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, etc.) in a raw material tank. The blending step can be carried out according to a conventional method, except that the contents of 2,3-pentanedione and ethanol, and, as necessary, propylene glycol are adjusted to fall within the above ranges. 2,3-pentanedione may be blended as 2,3-pentanedione itself, or may be blended as a flavoring composition containing 2,3-pentanedione.

The manufacturing method according to this embodiment may further include a filtration step of filtering the mixed liquid obtained by mixing the components in the blending step, a first sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filtered in the filtration step, a filling step of filling a container such as a bottle, a can, or a plastic bottle with the sterilized filtrate sterilized in the first sterilization step, and a second sterilization step of sterilizing the container together with the filtrate filled in the filling step.

In the blending step, the ingredients may be mixed while being stirred with a stirrer or the like so that they are thoroughly mixed. The filtration step may be performed, for example, with a general filter or strainer. The first sterilization step may be performed by plate sterilization from the viewpoint of processing speed, etc., and is not limited to this, and may be applied as long as a similar process can be performed. The filling step may be performed in a clean room that maintains a degree of cleanliness that is usually performed in the manufacture of beverages. The second sterilization step may be performed by heating the filtrate together with the container at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time. The first or second sterilization step may be a non-heating sterilization step. Examples of non-heating sterilization steps include ultraviolet (UV) sterilization. It is also possible to perform non-sterile filling without performing a sterilization step.

In another embodiment, the manufacturing method includes, for example, a brewing process, a fermentation process, and an alcohol content adjustment process.

In the brewing process, a pre-fermentation liquid is obtained using raw materials and brewing water (water used in the brewing process). In other words, the brewing process is a process for preparing a pre-fermentation liquid to be used in fermentation. The brewing process may include, in this order, a boiling process for boiling the sugar-containing liquid, a removal process for removing solids from the raw material liquid, and a cooling process for cooling the raw material liquid.

In the boiling process, the sugar-containing liquid is boiled to obtain a boiled liquid (sugar-containing liquid after boiling). A sugar-containing liquid is one that contains components that can be fermented into alcohol by yeast. Examples of sugar-containing liquids include wort and syrup. Wort is an unfermented liquid obtained through the saccharification of the above-mentioned barley raw material. Wort can be obtained, for example, through a process of mixing raw materials such as the above-mentioned barley raw material with water, a process of saccharifying the liquid containing the raw materials and water by a conventional method to obtain a saccharified liquid, and a process of filtering the saccharified liquid.

In the boiling process, hops may be added to the raw material liquid. Examples of hops that can be added include dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract. The hops may be processed hop products such as low hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and iso-hop extracts.

In the removal step, the solids in the post-boiling liquid are removed to obtain a refined liquid. The removal step can be carried out, for example, by precipitating the insoluble solids contained in the post-boiling liquid. Examples of solids include thermal coagulations produced in the boiling step, and hop residues if hops are added in the boiling step. The removal step may be carried out in a whirlpool. In the cooling step, the refined liquid is cooled to a temperature at which fermentation by yeast is possible to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.

In the fermentation process, the pre-fermentation liquid is fermented with yeast to obtain a post-fermentation liquid. In the fermentation process, yeast is added to carry out alcoholic fermentation. More specifically, yeast is inoculated into the pre-fermentation liquid and fermented to obtain a post-fermentation liquid containing alcohol produced by the yeast.

The alcohol content adjustment process is a process for adjusting the ethanol content within the above range. Since the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment has a low alcohol content, the alcohol content may be adjusted, for example, by shortening the fermentation period in the fermentation process to suppress the production of alcohol, or the alcohol content may be adjusted by removing or reducing the alcohol after fermentation is performed in the same manner as in the case of ordinary beer or other beer-taste beverages in the fermentation process. There are no particular limitations on the method for removing or reducing the alcohol, and it may be carried out according to standard methods such as distillation or dialysis.

The manufacturing method according to this embodiment may include a step of filtering the post-fermentation liquid as a post-fermentation step following the fermentation step. By carrying out the filtration step, insoluble solids, yeast, etc. can be removed from the post-fermentation liquid.

In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, other post-fermentation processes may include heating (sterilization) the post-fermentation liquid (or the post-fermentation liquid after the filtration process) and adding various additives (e.g., colorants, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts).

The 2,3-pentanedione content can be adjusted, for example, by adding 2,3-pentanedione to the raw material liquid. In this specification, raw material liquid refers to the liquid that is the base for the beer-taste beverage. Raw material liquid includes liquids used or produced in each process (e.g., sugar-containing liquid, boiled liquid, refined liquid, pre-fermentation liquid, and post-fermentation liquid).

The 2,3-pentanedione added to the raw material liquid may be 2,3-pentanedione itself, or it may be a fragrance composition containing 2,3-pentanedione.

[Method for improving the fermentation sensation, fullness of flavor, and sharpness of a beer-taste beverage]
The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment has the effect of improving the fermented feel, depth of flavor, and crispness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage. Thus, one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for improving the fermented feel (the fermented feel characteristic of a beer-taste beverage), depth of flavor (the depth of flavor characteristic of a beer-taste beverage), and crispness (the crispness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage) of a beer-taste beverage, which comprises incorporating 5 μg/L or more and 180 μg/L or less of 2,3-pentanedione in the beer-taste beverage, and incorporating 0.02 v/v % or more and 0.75 v/v % or less of ethanol. Specific aspects of the method according to this embodiment can be the same as the specific aspects of the beer-taste beverage described above, without any restrictions.

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

[Test Example 1]
[Preparation of beer-taste beverages]
2,3-Pentanedione, propylene glycol, spirits (alcohol content: 65.5%) and water were mixed to the compositions shown in Tables 1 and 2, and the mixture was filled into containers to prepare the beer-taste beverages (beer-taste non-alcoholic beverages) of Test Examples 1-1 to 1-5 and Test Examples 2-1 to 2-6.

〔sensory evaluation〕
The prepared beer-taste beverages were subjected to a sensory evaluation for the evaluation items "fermentation feeling typical of a beer-taste beverage (hereinafter simply referred to as "fermentation feeling"),""depth of flavor typical of a beer-taste beverage (hereinafter simply referred to as "depth of flavor")," and "sharpness typical of a beer-taste beverage (hereinafter simply referred to as "sharpness"). The sensory evaluation was carried out by five selected panelists with discriminating abilities. Each evaluation item was rated on a five-point scale from 1 to 5, and the average of the scores was used as the evaluation score.

"The fermented feel typical of a beer-taste beverage" refers to the sensation of a complex taste resulting from the production of favorable aroma components through metabolism by yeast, with a higher score indicating a stronger feeling of this. "The fullness of flavor typical of a beer-taste beverage" refers to the sensation of full-bodied flavor while maintaining the smoothness typical of a beer-taste beverage, with a higher score indicating a stronger feeling of this. "The crispness typical of a beer-taste beverage" refers to the sensation of a refreshing and cool sensation with no unpleasant aftertaste remaining in the mouth, with a higher score indicating a stronger feeling of this. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

The scores for "fermented feeling," "depth of flavor," and "sharpness" for the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 2-1 were fixed at 2 points, 2 points, and 2 points, respectively, and other beer-taste beverages were evaluated based on these standards. For "fermented feeling," beer-taste beverages with an evaluation score of 3.0 or higher were rated as passing. For "depth of flavor," beer-taste beverages with an evaluation score of 3.0 or higher were rated as passing. For "sharpness," beer-taste beverages with an evaluation score of 3.0 or higher were rated as passing.

As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 1-2 to 1-4 and Test Examples 2-3 to 2-5, which have a 2,3-pentanedione content of 5 μg/L or more and 180 μg/L or less and an ethanol content of 0.02 v/v% or more and 0.75 v/v% or less, were excellent in the fermented feel, richness of flavor, and crispness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage. A comparison of Test Examples 2-1 and 2-2 shows that propylene glycol does not contribute to the fermented feel and crispness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage, but rather that this is the effect of combining a specific amount of 2,3-pentanedione and a specific amount of ethanol. It is also clear that the effect of combining a specific amount of 2,3-pentanedione and a specific amount of ethanol is greater in terms of the richness of flavor characteristic of a beer-taste beverage than the contribution of propylene glycol (Test Examples 2-1 to 2-5).

[Test Example 2]
[Preparation of beer-taste beverages]
2,3-Pentanedione, propylene glycol, spirits (alcohol content: 65.5%), fructose glucose liquid sugar, acidulant, bitterness level, caramel color, and water were mixed to obtain the composition shown in Table 3, and the gas pressure was adjusted to 2.3 kg/ ^cm2 with carbonated water. The mixture was then filled into containers to prepare the beer-taste beverages (beer-taste non-alcoholic beverages) of Test Examples 3-1 to 3-2.

A sensory evaluation was conducted on the prepared beer-taste beverage in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The scores for "fermented sensation," "depth of flavor," and "sharpness" for the beer-taste beverage in Test Example 2-1 were fixed at 2 points, 2 points, and 2 points, respectively, and the other beer-taste beverages were evaluated based on these scores. The results are shown in Table 3.

As shown in Table 3, the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 3-2, which had a 2,3-pentanedione content of 5 μg/L or more and 180 μg/L or less and an ethanol content of 0.02 v/v% or more and 0.75 v/v% or less, had an excellent fermented feel, rich flavor, and crispness that are characteristic of a beer-taste beverage, even though it contained various additives.

Claims (4)

Contains 2,3-pentanedione , propylene glycol and ethanol,
The content of the 2,3-pentanedione is 5 μg/L or more and 180 μg/L or less,
The content of propylene glycol is 20 mg/L or more and 15000 mg/L or less,
A beer-taste beverage having an ethanol content of 0.02 v/v% or more and 0.75 v/v% or less. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the 2,3-pentanedione content is 60 μg/L or less. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ethanol content is less than 0.50 v/v%. The method for improving the fermented feel, fullness of flavor, and crispness of a beer-taste beverage comprises adding to the beer-taste beverage 5 μg/L or more and 180 μg/L or less of 2,3- pentanedione, 20 mg/L or more and 15,000 mg/L or less of propylene glycol, and 0.02 v/v % or more and 0.75 v/v % or less of ethanol.