Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TOMATO-BASED ALCOHOL COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF
PREPARATION
FIELD
[0001] The present invention includes tomato-based concentrates and
compositions
incorporating same. More specifically, the present invention includes tomato-
flavored
alcoholic compositions, such as beer and spirits, which include the tomato-
based
concentrates. The present invention also relates to methods for preparing
tomato-flavored
alcoholic compositions.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Consumers often enjoy non-alcoholic, tomato-flavored beverages, such
as
tomato juice and related commercial products. These products often are
consumed for their
nutritional content, including vitamins and minerals, as well as their sweet,
fruity and
sometimes spicy flavor. For instance, a variety of commercially marketed
tomato juice
products include pepper flavors to provide a spicy or zesty taste to the
beverage.
[0003] Alcoholic beverages, particularly beer, are also popular for their
taste and the
social experience associated with consuming such beverages. A variety of
different alcohols,
such as beers are commercially available, from light beers to stouts. Many
different taste
profiles are provided by these numerous beer varieties, which may be selected
depending on
an individual consumer's preference. Some consumers may prefer beers that
impart a
slightly sweet, fruity or even a spicy taste, which is not provided by
currently available beers.
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[0004] Although consumers may have individually poured tomato juices into
their
beer in the past, such combinations do not provide shelf-stable beverage
products. Moreover,
tomato juices have high water and low solids content, unlike concentrated
tomato products,
such as tomato pastes.
[0005] There is a need, therefore, for beers and other alcoholic beverages
that have a
slightly sweet and fruity taste or even a spiCy flavor profile, which may be
provided by a
concentrated tomato-based composition with or without spices. There also is a
need for
tomato-flavored alcoholic compositions, particularly beer and spirits, which
provide a
dominant tomato flavor. Such beverages may be ready-to-drink and shelf stable.
SUMMARY
[0005a] In one aspect, the present invention provides a beverage
concentrate, consisting
of:
water;
a tomato paste having a natural tomato soluble solids content of about 24% to
about 36% by weight present in an amount sufficient to provide a natural
tomato soluble solids
content of about 5.3 to about 7.8 weight percent in the concentrate as a
whole;
a sweetening agent;
a flavoring agent selected from the group consisting of shellfish flavors,
savory
flavors, citrus flavors, spicy flavors, and hops flavors, ethyl alcohol, and
an additive selected from the group consisting of salts, food-grade acids,
coloring agents, preservatives, ascorbic acid, energy-boosting agents,
vitamins, and
combinations thereof;
wherein the concentrate comprises about 35 to about 65% soluble solids by
weight;
wherein the beverage concentrate comprises about 75 to about 95 volume
percent insoluble solids.
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[0005b] In another aspect, the invention provides a beverage concentrate,
consisting of:
water;
15 to 20 weight percent corn syrup;
17 to 25 weight percent tomato paste;
0.01 to 0.10 weight percent clam broth powder;
1 to 5 weight percent monosodium glutamate;
1 to 5 weight percent sodium chloride;
0.01 to 0.10 weight percent of citrus flavor;
1 to 3 weight percent of citric acid; and
0.001 to 0.01 weight percent of food coloring;
a preservative selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate,
potassium sorbate and combinations thereof;
wherein the concentrate comprises about 35 to about 65% soluble solids by
weight;
wherein the beverage concentrate has a refrigerated shelf life of about 4 to 6
weeks;
wherein the tomato paste provides a natural tomato soluble solids content of
about 5.3 to about 7.8 weight percent in the concentrate as a whole;
wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the beverage
concentrate.
[0006] In some embodiments disclosed herein, there is provided a beverage
concentrate comprising a tomato component having a natural tomato soluble
solids content of
about 20 to about 40% by weight, wherein the concentrate comprises about 20 to
about 65%
soluble solids by weight.
[0007] In some embodiments, there is provided a beverage concentrate
comprising
ethyl alcohol and a tomato component having a natural tomato soluble solids
content of about
20 to about 40% by weight, wherein the concentrate comprises about 20 to about
65% soluble
solids by weight.
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[0008] Some embodiments provide a beverage concentrate comprising a hops
flavor
and a tomato component having a natural tomato soluble solids content of about
20 to about
40% by weight, wherein the concentrate comprises about 20 to about 65% soluble
solids by
weight.
[0009] In some embodiments, there is provided a beverage concentrate
comprising
ethyl alcohol, a hops flavor, and a tomato component having a natural tomato
soluble solids
content of about 20 to about 40% by weight, wherein the concentrate comprises
about 20 to
about 65% soluble solids by weight.
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[00101 Some embodiments provide a beverage concentrate comprising a
shellfish
flavor and about 10 to about 30 weight percent of a tomato component having a
natural
tomato soluble solids content of about 20 to about 40% by weight, wherein the
concentrate
comprises about 20 to about 65% soluble solids by weight.
10011] Some embodiments provide a beverage concentrate comprising about
10 to
about 30 weight percent of a tomato component having a natural tomato soluble
solids
content of about 20 to about 40% by weight, about 10 to about 50 weight
percent ethyl
alcohol, a hops flavor, and a flavoring agent selected from the group
consisting of savory
flavors, citrus flavors, spicy flavors, shellfish flavors, and combinations
thereof.
[0012] Some embodiments provide a beverage composition comprising an
alcoholic
composition, and a concentrate comprising a tomato component having a natural
tomato
soluble solids content of about 20 to about 40% by weight, wherein the
concentrate
comprises about 20-65% soluble solids by weight.
[0013] In some embodiments, there is provided a beverage composition
comprising a
tomato-flavored composition, and a hops-flavored composition, wherein the
beverage
composition is a pre-mixed, ready-to-drink beverage product.
[0014] In some embodiments, there is provided a bottled, ready-to-drink
tomato-
flavored beverage product comprising beer and tomato paste, wherein the
beverage comprises
about 3 to about 20% soluble solids by weight.
[0015] In some embodiments, there is provided a beverage composition
comprising a
stabilized dispersion of tomato paste in a beer composition.
[0016] In some embodiments, there is provided a ready-to-drink beverage
composition comprising about 0.3 to about 1 weight percent natural tomato
soluble solids,
about 0.1 to about 8 weight percent ethyl alcohol, and a flavoring agent
selected from the
group consisting of hops flavors, savory flavors, citrus flavors, spicy
flavors, shellfish
flavors, and combinations thereof.
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[0017] In some embodiments, there is provided a ready-to-drink beverage
composition comprising about 0.3 to about 1 weight percent natural tomato
soluble solids,
about 0.1 to about 8 weight percent ethyl alcohol, and a shellfish flavor.
[0018] In some embodiments, there is provided a fountain beverage
composition,
comprising: tomato solids; ethyl alcohol; a flavoring agent selected from the
group
consisting of savory flavors, citrus flavors, spicy flavors, shellfish
flavors, hops flavors, and
combinations thereof; and water comprising dissolved gas; wherein the beverage
comprises
about 2 to about 5 volumes of the dissolved gas; and wherein the water
comprising dissolved
gas is added at the point of consumption.
[0019] In some embodiments, there is provided a method of preparing a
tomato-
flavored alcoholic composition, comprising: providing an alcoholic
composition, and
dispersing a tomato-flavored concentrate in the alcoholic composition, wherein
the tomato-
flavored concentrate comprises about 20 to about 65% soluble solids by weight,
and wherein
the weight ratio of tomato-flavored concentrate to alcoholic composition is
about 1:20 to
about 20:1.
[0020] In some embodiments, there is provided a method of preparing a
tomato-
flavored alcoholic beverage, comprising: blending one part by weight of a
beverage
concentrate with about 5 to about 10 parts by weight of water comprising
dissolved gas,
wherein the beverage concentrate comprises tomato solids, ethyl alcohol, and a
flavoring
agent selected from the group consisting of savory flavors, citrus flavors,
spicy flavors,
shellfish flavors, hops flavors, and combinations thereof.
[0021] In some embodiments, there is provided a method of preparing a
tomato-
flavored alcoholic beverage, comprising: blending one part by weight of a
beverage
concentrate with about 5 to about 10 parts by weight of water comprising
dissolved gas;
wherein the beverage concentrate comprises a tomato component having a natural
tomato
soluble solids content of about 20 to about 40% by weight, about 10 to about
50 weight
percent ethyl alcohol, and a flavoring agent selected from the group
consisting of savory
flavors, citrus flavors, spicy flavors, shellfish flavors, hops flavors, and
combinations thereof;
and wherein the water comprising dissolved gas comprises about 2 to about 5
volumes of a
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gas selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, nitrous
oxide, oxygen,
and combinations thereof.
[0022] In some embodiments, there is provided a method of oxidatively
stabilizing
beer, comprising combining beer with a tomato-flavored concentrate to produce
a ready-to-
drink beverage comprising at least 0.1 weight percent natural tomato soluble
solids, and
bottling the ready-to-drink beverage.
[0023] These and other embodiments are described in detail below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] As will be described in detail herein, some embodiments relate to
tomato-
flavored compositions, particularly beverage concentrates and ready-to-drink
beverages,
which may include tomato paste or puree and, optionally, various flavoring
agents. In some
embodiments, a shellfish flavor, such as clam flavor, is included. In some
embodiments, a
hops flavor is included. In some embodiments, other flavoring agents may be
incorporated
instead of or in addition to the shellfish flavor and/or the hops flavor,
including savory
flavors, citrus flavors, spicy flavors, shellfish flavors, and combinations
thereof. The
beverage concentrates may be combined with beverage compositions,
particularly, alcoholic
beverage compositions, to form tomato-flavored alcoholic beverages, such as
tomato-
flavored beer. The tomato-flavored compositions may be stably dispersed in the
alcoholic
compositions, thereby imparting a desirable shelf life to the product.
[0025] As used herein the transitional term "comprising," (also
"comprises," etc.)
which is synonymous with "including," "containing," or "characterized by," is
inclusive or
open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method
steps, regardless
of its use in the preamble or the body of a claim.
[0026] The term "food-grade acid," as used herein, encompasses any acid
that is
acceptable for use in edible compositions.
Tomato-Flavored Compositions
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[0027] Embodiments described herein provide tomato-flavored compositions,
such as
concentrates, particularly beverage concentrates. The concentrates may include
a tomato
component having a natural tomato soluble solids content of about 20 to about
40% by
weight. Suitable tomato components include tomato pastes, and relatively
concentrated
tomato purees. The concentrate also may include one or more flavoring agents,
including
shellfish flavors, savory flavors, citrus flavors, spicy flavors, and hops
flavors. As described
in detail below, the concentrates may be used to prepare stabilized tomato-
flavored alcoholic
compositions, such as tomato-flavored beer.
[0028] As the tomato-flavored composition may be in a concentrated form,
the
composition may contain some amount of tomato solids. Typically, tomato pastes
have a
natural tomato soluble solids content of at least about 24% by weight, more
specifically,
about 24 to about 36% by weight, and tomato purees typically have a natural
tomato soluble
solids content of about 8 to about 24% by weight.
[0029] In some embodiments described herein, the amount of soluble solids
in the
beverage concentrate may range from about 3 to about 65% by weight of the
concentrate.
Within this range, the amount of soluble solids may be at least 20%, or at
least 25%, or at
least 30%, or at least 35%, or at least 38%. Also within this range, the
amount of soluble
solids may be up to about 60%, or up to about 55%. In some more highly
concentrated
embodiments described herein, the amount of soluble solids may range from
about 20 to
about 65% by weight of the concentrate. Alternatively, in some less
concentrated
embodiments, the amount of soluble solids may range from about 3 to about 20%
by weight
of the concentrate.
[0030] The solids contained in the tomato concentrate may include,
without
limitation, solids derived from the processed tomato, such as tomato pulp,
tomato seeds,
portions of tomato skins, tomato fibers and pectin, which is naturally
occurring in the tomato
fruit. Other solids may include shellfish flavor, spices, salts, sweetening
agents, and food-
grade acids, among others, as described in detail below. As such, the total
solids contained in
the tomato concentrate may include soluble and insoluble solids.
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[0031] To measure the amount of soluble solids in a tomato concentrate or
a ready-to-
drink beverage, a refractometer can be used. A refractometer reading provides
a Brix
measurement and the results are expressed as "degrees Brix" or "Brix." For
tomato
concentrates and ready-to-drink beverages, natural tomato soluble solids
(sometimes referred
to herein as "NTSS" or "tomato solids") can be determined using a
refractometer as described
in AOAC method 970.59. To measure the amount of insoluble solids, a centrifuge
can be
used. Upon centrifugation, the weight percent insoluble solids can be
determined by
measuring the weight of sediment. Alternatively, the insoluble solids may be
expressed as a
volume percent and determined by separating the solids via centrifuge and
measuring the
volume percent solids in the centrifuge tube.
[0032] The tomato concentrate may be derived from any type of tomatoes,
including,
without limitation, red, yellow, or green tomatoes, and combinations thereof.
The tomato
concentrate may be formed from tomatoes subject to a hot break or cold break
process. In
particular, in both processes, tomatoes may be macerated and passed through
conventional
equipment to separate out seeds, skins and other undesired solids. The
composition then may
be concentrated by conventional techniques. In hot break processes, the
tomatoes typically
are heated during maceration or immediately thereafter to deactivate enzymes
that may
degrade the product and decrease the viscosity of the product. In cold break
processes, the
tomatoes typically are processed at lower temperatures than hot break. A hot
break process
accordingly may provide a thicker tomato product than those produced by a cold
break
process. For instance, tomato pastes produced by a hot break process may have
a solids
content of about 20 to about 40% by weight, or about 24 to about 36% by
weight, or about
31% by weight, whereas products derived using, a cold break process may have
lower solids
contents.
[0033] In some embodiments, the tomato component may be a tomato paste
derived
from a hot break method at temperatures of about 85 to about 102 C (about 185
to about
215 F). A 0.838 millimeter (0.033 inch) finishing screen may be used to
determine the
fineness of the paste. The tomato paste may have a natural tomato soluble
solids content of
about 31% by weight. Other properties of the tomato paste may include a pH of
about 4.1 to
about 4.5 and an apparent density (at 20 C) of about 1.126 to about 1.136
kilogram/liter.
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[0034] Additionally, in some embodiments, the tomato component may be
subject to
homogenization conditions, such as high pressure homogenization, thereby
providing a
homogenous composition. The concentrate and/or final beverage also may be
pasteurized, as
described in more detail below.
[0035] In some embodiments, the tomato component may be present in an
amount of
about 3 to about 65% by weight, based on the total weight of the concentrate,
more
specifically about 10 to about 30% by weight. In some embodiments, the tomato
component
may be present in an amount sufficient to provide a natural tomato soluble
solids content of
about 4 to about 8 weight percent in the concentrate as a whole.
[0036] In addition to the tomato component, the concentrate may,
optionally,
comprise juice, solids, or a combination thereof derived from a fruit or
vegetable selected
from the group consisting of beets, carrots, celery, apples, peppers, onions,
parsley, lettuce,
watercress, arugula, spinach, pineapples, oranges, guavas, mangos, papayas,
and
combinations thereof.
[0037] In some embodiments, the concentrate may comprise ethyl alcohol.
Such a
concentrate may be used, for example, by mixing with water (with or without a
dissolved
gas) to form a ready-to-drink beverage.
[0038] As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the concentrate also may
include
a shellfish flavor. The shellfish flavor may include, but is not limited to,
clam, oyster,
shrimp, lobster, crab, mollusk, mussels, scallops, and combinations thereof.
The shellfish
flavor may be in any suitable form for incorporation into the tomato paste or
puree, such as a
powder, paste or liquid. In some particular embodiments, the shellfish flavor
may be clam
broth, which may be dried.
[0039] The shellfish flavor may be present in amounts of about 0 to about
5% by
weight of the concentrate, more specifically about 0.01 to about 5% by weight
of the
concentrate.
[0040] In some embodiments, the concentrate also may include a flavoring
agent,
particularly a spicy flavor. Suitable spicy flavors include, but are not
limited to, red pepper
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flavor, black pepper flavor, horseradish flavor, wasabi flavor, jalapeno
pepper flavor, chipotle
pepper flavor, other chile flavors, and combinations thereof. In some
embodiments, a blend
of any of these spicy flavors may be employed.
[0041] The spicy flavor may be present in amounts of about 0.1 to about 10%
by
weight of the concentrate.
[0042] Other suitable flavoring agents include, without limitation, savory
flavors and
citrus flavors. Savory flavors can include those that impart meaty, fried,
fatty, roasted,
allium, smoky, and cheesy notes. More specifically, savory flavors can
include, but are not
limited to, onion flavor, garlic flavor, celery seed, anchovy flavor, ginseng,
taurine, guarana,
Worcestershire flavor, soy sauce flavor, yeast extract flavor, beef flavor,
dill, carrot, parsley,
beet, lettuce, watercress, arugula, spinach, other seafood flavors, and
combinations thereof.
Citrus flavors can include, but are not limited to, lemon, lime, orange,
grapefruit, or
tangerine, and the like, and combinations thereof. In addition to spicy,
savory, and citrus
flavors, the total flavor system can include ancillary flavors such as
molasses, vinegar, honey,
coffee, nutty flavors, and combinations thereof.
[0043] Some embodiments also may include a sweetening agent. Sweetening
agents
may include sugar sweeteners, sugarless sweeteners or combinations thereof.
[0044] Suitable sugar sweeteners for use in the concentrate generally
include
monosaccharides, disacchandes, and polysaccharides such as but not limited to,
sucrose
(sugar), dextrose, maltose, dextrin, xylose, ribose, glucose, mannose,
galactose, fructose
(levulose), lactose, invert sugar, fructooligosaccharide syrups, partially
hydrolyzed starch,
corn syrup solids, such as high fructose corn syrup, and mixtures thereof.
[0045] Suitable sugarless sweetening agents for use in the concentrate
include sugar
alcohols (or polyols) such as, but not limited to, sorbitol, xylitol,
mannitol, galactitol,
maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose (isomalt), lactitol, erythritol,
hydrogenated starch
hydrolysate, stevia and mixtures thereof.
[0046] Suitable hydrogenated starch hydrolysates include those disclosed in
U.S. Pat.
Nos. RE 26,959 of Conrad et al., and 4,279,931 of Verwaerde et al., and
various
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hydrogenated glucose syrups and/or powders which contain sorbitol,
hydrogenated
disaccharides, hydrogenated higher polysaccharides, or mixtures thereof.
Hydrogenated
starch hydrolysates are primarily prepared by the controlled catalytic
hydrogenation of corn
syrups. The resulting hydrogenated starch hydrolysates are mixtures of
monomeric, dimeric,
and polymeric saccharides. The ratios of these different saccharides give
different
hydrogenated starch hydrolysates different properties. Mixtures of
hydrogenated starch
hydrolysates, such as LYCASINTM, a line of commercially available products
manufactured
by Roquette Freres of France, and HYSTARTm, a line of commercially available
products
manufactured by Lonza, Inc., of Fairlawn, N.J., also may be useful.
[0047] In some embodiments, the sweetening agent may be present in
amounts of
about 0.01 to about 25% by weight of the concentrate.
[00481 Some embodiments may include high-intensity sweeteners in the
concentrate.
Without being limited to particular sweeteners, representative categories and
examples
include:
(a) water-soluble sweetening agents such as dihydrochalcones, monellin,
steviosides,
glycyrrhizin, dihydroflavenol, dihydroflavonol, and sugar alcohols such as
sorbitol, mannitol,
maltitol, and L-aminodicarboxylic acid aminoalkenoic acid ester amides, such
as those
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,834 of Zanno et al., and mixtures thereof;
(b) water-soluble artificial sweeteners such as soluble saccharin salts, i.e.,
sodium or
calcium saccharin salts, cyclamate salts, the sodium, ammonium or calciUm salt
of 3,4-
dihydro-6-methy1-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4-one-2,2-dioxide, the potassium salt of
3,4-dihydro-6-
methy1-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4-one-2,2-dioxide (Acesulfame-K), the free acid form
of saccharin,
and mixtures thereof;
(c) dip eptide based sweeteners, such as L-aspartic acid derived sweeteners,
such as
L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (Aspartame) and materials described in
U.S. Pat.
No. 3,492,131 of Schlatter, L-alpha-aspartyl-N-(2,2,4,4-tetramethy1-3-
thietany1)-D-
alaninamide hydrate (Alitame), N4N-(3,3-dimethylbuty1)-L-aspartyl]-L-
phenylalanine 1-
methyl ester (Neotame), methyl esters of L-aspartyl-L-phenylglycerine and L-
aspartyl-L-2,5-
dihydrophenyl-glycine, L-asparty1-2,5-dihydro-L-phenylalanine; L-aspartyl-L-(1-
cyclohexen)-alanine, and mixtures thereof;
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(d) water-soluble sweeteners derived from naturally occurring water-soluble
sweeteners, such as chlorinated derivatives of ordinary sugar (sucrose), e.g.,
chlorodeoxysugar derivatives such as derivatives of chlorodeoxysucrose or
chlorodeoxygalactosucrose, known, for example, under the product designation
of Sucralose;
examples of chlorodeoxysucrose and chlorodeoxygalactosucrose derivatives
include but are
not limited to: 1-chloro-11-deoxysucrose;.4-chloro-4-deoxy-alpha-D-
galactopyranosyl-alpha-
D-fructofuranoside, or 4-chloro-4-deoxygalactosucrose; 4-chloro-4-deoxy-alpha-
D-
galactopyranosyl-1-chloro-l-deoxy-beta-D-fructo-furanoside, or 4,1'-dichloro-
4,1'-
dideoxygalactosucrose; 1',6'-dichloro1',6'-dideoxysucrose; 4-chloro-4-deoxy-
alpha-D-
galactopyranosy1-1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-beta-D-fructofuranoside, or 4,1',6'-
trichloro-
4,1',6'-trideoxygalactosucrose; 4,6-dichloro-4,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-
galactopyranosy1-6-chloro-
6-deoxy-beta-D- fructofuranoside, or 4,6,6'-trichloro-4,6,6'-
trideoxygalactosucrose; 6,1',6'-
trichloro-6,1',6'-trideoxysucrose; 4,6-dichloro-4,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-galacto-
pyranosy1-1,6-
dichloro-1,6-dideox y-beta-D-fructofuranoside, or 4,6,1',6'-
tetrachloro4,6,1',6'-
tetradeoxygalacto-sucrose; and 4,6,1',6'-tetradeoxy-sucrose, and mixtures
thereof;
(e) protein based sweeteners such as thaumaoccous danielli (Thaumatin I and
II); and
(f) the naturally occurring sweetener monatin (2-hydroxy-2-(indo1-3-ylmethyl)-
4-
aminoglutaric acid) and its derivatives.
[0049] The intense sweetening agents may be used in many distinct physical
forms
well known in the art to provide an initial burst of sweetness and/or a
prolonged sensation of
sweetness. Without being limited thereto, such physical forms include free
forms, such as
spray dried, powdered, beaded forms, encapsulated forms, and mixtures thereof.
In general,
an effective amount of intense sweetener may be utilized to provide the level
of sweetness
desired, and this amount may vary with the sweetener selected. The exact range
of amounts
for each type of sweetener may be selected by those skilled in the art.
[0050] In some embodiments, the concentrate may include optional additives
such as
salts, food-grade acids, coloring agents (colorants, colorings),
preservatives, ascorbic acid
(Vitamin C), which may be added to maintain color, energy-boosting agents,
such as
caffeine, vitamins, such as niacin (Vitamin B3), riboflavin (Vitamin B2) and
thiamin (Vitamin
B1), potassium chloride, and the like, and combinations thereof.
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[0051] Suitable salts for use in the concentrate include, but are not
limited to,
monosodium glutamate, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, and combinations
thereof.
[0052] Suitable food-grade acids for use in the concentrate include, but
are not
limited to, acetic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, butyric acid, citric
acid, formic acid,
fumaric acid, glyconic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, oxalic
acid, succinic
acid, tartaric acid and combinations thereof.
[0053] Coloring agents, such as pigments, may be used in amounts effective
to
produce the desired color. The colorants may also include natural food colors
and dyes
suitable for food, drug and cosmetic applications. These colorants are known
as F.D.& C.
dyes and lakes. The materials acceptable for the foregoing uses are preferably
water-soluble.
An illustrative nonlimiting example is the azo dye known as F.D.& C. Red No.
40 (or "Allura
red"), which is 6-hydroxy-5-[(2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfophenyl)azo]-2-
naphthalenesulfonic
acid. A recitation of F.D.& C. colorants and their corresponding chemical
structures may be
found in the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 3rd Edition, in
volume 5 at
pages 857-884.
[0054] Any suitable preservatives for use in food and beverage products
may be
incorporated into the tomato concentrates. Examples of suitable preservatives
for use in the
concentrate include, but are not limited to, sodium benzoate, potassium
sorbate, and
combinations thereof.
[0055] One embodiment is a concentrate comprising a tomato paste, a savory
flavor, a
spicy flavor, a citrus flavor, and, optionally, a shellfish flavor. In other
embodiments, a
concentrate comprising .a tomato paste, and, optionally, a shellfish flavor
can be further
flavored with a savory flavor alone, a spicy flavor alone, or a citrus flavor
alone. In still other
embodiments, a concentrate comprising a tomato paste, and, optionally, a
shellfish flavor can
be flavored with binary combinations of savory, spicy, and citrus flavors. In
still other
embodiments, a concentrate comprising a tomato paste, and, optionally, a
shellfish flavor can
be flavored with savory, spicy, and citrus flavors. The tomato paste may be,
for example, a
hot break tomato paste (that is, a tomato paste formed using a hot break
process) comprising
about 24 to about 36 weigibt percent tomato solids. The concentrate may
incorporate the
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tomato paste in an amount such that the concentrate comprises about 4 to about
8 weight
percent tomato solids, based on the total weight of the concentrate.
[0056] One embodiment is a tomato-flavored concentrate comprising tomato
solids; a
hops flavor; and a flavoring agent selected from the group consisting of
savory flavors, citrus
flavors, spicy flavors, shellfish flavors, and combinations thereof. The
tomato-flavored
concentrate may, optionally, further comprise juice, solids, or a combination
thereof derived
from beets, carrots, celery, apples, peppers, onions, parsley, lettuce,
watercress, arugula,
spinach, pineapples, oranges, guavas, mangos, papayas, and the like, and
combinations
thereof.
[0057] One embodiment is a beverage concentrate comprising ethyl alcohol
and a
tomato component having a natural tomato soluble solids content of about 20 to
about 40%
by weight, wherein the concentrate comprises about 20 to about 65% soluble
solids by
weight.
[0058] One embodiment is a beverage concentrate comprising a hops flavor
and a
tomato component having a natural tomato soluble solids content of about 20 to
about 40%
by weight, wherein the concentrate comprises about 20 to about 65% soluble
solids by
weight.
[0059] One embodiment is a beverage concentrate comprising ethyl alcohol,
a hops
flavor, and a tomato component having a natural tomato soluble solids content
of about 20 to
about 40% by weight, wherein the concentrate comprises about 20 to about 65%
soluble
solids by weight.
[0060] One embodiment is a beverage concentrate comprising a shellfish
flavor and
about 10 to about 30 weight percent of a tomato component having a natural
tomato soluble
solids content of about 20 to about 40% by weight, wherein the concentrate
comprises about
20 to about 65% soluble solids by weight.
[0061] One embodiment is a beverage concentrate comprising about 10 to
about 30
weight percent of a tomato component having a natural tomato soluble solids
content of about
20 to about 40% by weight, about 10 to about 50 weight percent ethyl alcohol,
a hops flavor,
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and a flavoring agent selected from the group consisting of savory flavors,
citrus flavors,
spicy flavors, shellfish flavors, and combinations thereof.
Tomato-Based Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Compositions
[0062] Some embodiments of the present invention provide tomato-based
alcoholic
and non-alcoholic compositions, including tomato-flavored beverage
compositions. The
beverage composition may be a ready-to-drink ("RTD") tomato-flavored beverage
product,
such as tomato-flavored beer. The beverage composition may include an
alcoholic
composition and a tomato-flavored composition, such as one of the tomato
concentrates
described above. In some embodiments, tomato is the dominant flavor in the
beverage.
Whether tomato is the dominant flavor in the beverage may be determined using
sensory
analysis methods known as descriptive analysis techniques. For example, an
expert panel
may be trained on the various flavors in a beverage and then evaluate the
intensities of each
type of flavor in the beverage. The most intense flavor is the dominant
flavor. Descriptive
analysis techniques suitable for this type of analysis include the SpectrumTM
method of
descriptive analysis is described in Morten Meilgaard, Gail Vance Civille, and
B. Thomas
Carr, "Sensory Evaluation Techniques", Third Edition, CRC Press, 1999. The
SpectrumTM
method is a custom design approach meaning that the highly trained panelists
who generate
the data also develop the terminology to measure the attributes of interest.
Further, the
method uses intensity scales created to capture the intensity differences
being investigated.
These intensity scales are anchored to a set of well-chosen references. Using
these references
helps make the data universally understandable and usable over time. This
ability to
reproduce the results at another time and with another panel makes the data
potentially more
valuable than analytical techniques which offer similar reproducibility but
lack the ability to
fully capture the integrated sensory experiences as perceived by humans.
Sensory methods
such as descriptive analysis can be conducted on a screening basis or on a
full panel basis.
When testing is done on a screening basis, there may be fewer panelists and
those panelists
may use an abbreviated scale such as a 5 point scale for rating the products.
When testing is
done on a full panel basis, more panelists may be involved and a complete
scale such as a 15
point may be used. When choosing whether to use a screening or full panel
basis for the
testing, sensory scientists consider a range of variables such as cost, time,
number of samples,
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etc. A screening basis may be used when time for generating the data is
limited and/or when
data from an abbreviated scale will adequately distinguish the samples.
[0063] The tomato-flavored composition incorporated into the beverage
composition
may be a tomato-based product, such as any of the concentrates described
above. For
instance, in some embodiments, the concentrate may include a tomato paste or
tomato puree
and a shellfish flavor. In some embodiments, the concentrate itself may have a
soluble solids
content of about 20 to about 65% by weight of the concentrate, more
specifically about 25 to
about 65% by weight of the concentrate, still more specifically about 30 to
about 65%, even
more specifically about 35 to about 65% by weight of the concentrate. The
concentrate also
may include any of the additives described above.
[0064] One embodiment is a beverage composition comprising an alcoholic
composition, and a concentrate comprising a tomato component having a natural
tomato
soluble solids content of about 20 to about 40% by weight, wherein the
concentrate
comprises about 20-65% soluble solids by weight. The beverage composition may,
optionally, comprise a shellfish flavor. The beverage composition may be a
ready-to-drink
beverage product.
[0065] When combined with an alcoholic composition to form a beverage
composition, the soluble solids content may decrease due to water contained in
the alcoholic
composition. Additionally, in some embodiments, the beverage composition may
be adjusted
by the addition of water or other aqueous solutions. In some embodiments,
accordingly, the
total soluble solids content of the beverage composition may be about 3 to
about 20% by
weight of the beverage composition, more specifically about 3 to about 10% by
weight.
[0066] The tomato-flavored composition, or concentrate, may be present in
amounts
of about 4 to about 99% by weight of the beverage composition. In some
embodiments, the
tomato-flavored composition may be present in amounts of about 8 to about 50%
by weight.
[0067] The "alcoholic composition," as used herein, refers to any alcohol-
containing
composition, such as alcohol-containing beverages. The term "alcoholic
composition" may
include both carbonated and non-carbonated compositions. In some embodiments,
the level
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of alcohol contained in the beverage may be about 0.5 to about 20% by weight
of the
composition. Examples of suitable alcoholic compositions include, but are not
limited to,
beer, spirits, liqueurs and wines.
[00681 In some embodiments, the beverage composition may include a hops-
flavored
composition, which may or may not contain alcohol. Beer is an example of a
suitable hops-
flavored composition. Beer may include ales, lagers, porters, and stouts,
among others. Beer
can be formulated to include a range of alcohol levels. In some embodiments, a
beer or beer
concentrate with an alcohol content of about 7 to about 10% is brewed and then
the alcohol
level of the finished beer product is adjusted with water. In some
embodiments, the finished
beer product contains an adjusted alcohol level of about 3 to about 6%
alcohol. Alcoholic or
non-alcoholic beer may be employed. Regular or light beer may be employed.
"Light" (or
"lite") beer typically signifies beers with fewer calories than regular beer.
The fewer calories
can be attributed to a lower alcohol level. Federal regulations in the U.S.
set forth labeling
and advertising requirements for "light" beers. The label must include a
statement of average
analysis, which must disclose the calorie, carbohydrate, protein, and fat
content per container
or 12 ounce serving. A full description of the labeling requirements is
provided in ATF
Ruling 80-3.
[0069] In addition to hops, the hops-flavored compositions, such as beer
or a non-
alcoholic hops-flavored composition, also may include any conventional
ingredients used in
malted beverages, such as, but not limited to water, barley, malt, other
grains, yeast, nonmalt
adjunct materials, and the like. Adjunct materials may include, without
limitation, yellow
corn grits, refined corn starch, rice sorghum, barley, wheat, wheat starch,
cane and beet sugar
(sucrose), rye, oats, potatoes, tapioca (cassava), triticale, and the like.
Processed adjuncts
also may be included in the compositions, such as, but not limited to, corn,
wheat and barley
syrups, torrified cereals, cereal flakes and micronized cereals. In some
embodiments,
processing aids also may be used.
[0070] The alcoholic, or hops-flavored, composition may be present in
amounts of
about 1 to about 96% by weight of the beverage composition. In some
embodiments, the
alcoholic, or hops-flavored, composition may be present in amounts of about 50
to about 70%
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by weight. In some embodiments, the concentrate is present in an amount of
about 4 to about
99% by weight of the beverage composition, or about 8 to about 50% by weight
of the
beverage composition.
[00711 In some embodiments, the alcoholic, or hops-flavored, composition
may be
present in a weight ratio with the tomato-flavored composition of about 1:20
to about 20:1.
More specifically, the weight ratio of alcoholic, or hops-flavored,
composition to tomato-
flavored composition may be about 1:1 to about 10:1 in some embodiments. In
some
embodiments, the weight ratio of alcoholic, or hops-flavored, composition to
tomato-flavored
composition may be about 2:1 to about 10:1, or about 5:1 to about 10:1.
[00721 The beverage composition may comprise any of the optional
ingredients
discussed above in the context of the beverage concentrate. Such ingredients
include fruit
and vegetable juices and solids, sweetening agents, salts, food-grade acids,
coloring agents,
preservatives, and flavoring agents. In preparing the beverage composition,
these ingredients
are conveniently provides as components of the beverage concentrate, but they
may,
alternatively or in addition, be provided separately or as part of the
alcoholic or hops-flavored
composition. Similarly, when the beverage composition comprises a dissolved
gas, it may be
provided as part of the alcoholic or hops-flavored composition, or separately.
Therefore,
when the beverage is described as "comprising" an optional component, there is
no particular
limitation on the source of that component in the beverage.
[00731 One embodiment is a ready-to-drink, tomato-flavored alcoholic
beverage
composition, comprising about 0.3 to about 1 weight percent tomato solids,
about 0.1 to
about 20 weight percent alcohol ("ethyl alcohol" or "ethanol"), a hops flavor,
and at least one
flavor selected from savory flavors, spicy flavors, citrus flavors, shellfish
flavors, and
combinations thereof. Within the above range, the alcohol concentration may be
at least
about 1 weight percent, or at least about 2 weight percent, or at least about
4 weight percent;
it may also be up to about 15 weight percent, or up to about 12 weight
percent, or up to about
9 weight percent, or up to about 7 weight percent, or up to about 6 weight
percent.
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[0074] The ready-to-drink beverage may, optionally, further comprise a
dissolved gas
in an amount of about 2 to about 5 volumes of dissolved gas. Suitable
dissolved gases
include carbon dioxide, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and combinations
thereof.
[0075] The ready-to-drink beverage may be prepared by a method comprising
mixing
a tomato-flavored concentrate (for example, one of the concentrates described
above), beer or
a beer concentrate, and, optionally, water. The tomato-flavored concentrate
may contribute
tomato solids, shellfish flavor, savory flavor, spicy flavor and citrus
flavor. The beer or beer
concentrate may contribute alcohol and hops flavor. Preparing a twelve fluid
ounce serving
of the ready-to-drink beverage can be as simple as combining 10.5 fluid ounces
of beer or
light beer with 1.5 fluid ounces of a concentrate, where the concentrate may
comprise, for
example, a hot break tomato paste, a shellfish flavor, a savory flavor, a
spicy flavor, and a
citrus flavor, wherein the tomato paste is present in an amount such that the
concentrate
comprises about 4 to about 8 weight percent natural tomato soluble solids.
[0076] The beverage composition may be a pre-mixed, RTD composition, such
as a
single-serve beverage product. In accordance with other embodiments, an RTD
beverage
product may be a tomato-flavored beer. The beverage may include beer, tomato
paste, clam
broth and a spicy flavor. The tomato paste may be present in an amount of
about 1 to about
10% by weight of the RTD beverage product. Within this range, the tomato paste
amount
may be at least about 2%, or up to about 5%.
[0077] Additionally, the tomato-flavored composition may be stably
dispersed
throughout the alcoholic composition. More specifically, in some embodiments,
the beverage
composition may include a stabilized dispersion of tomato paste, or tomato
puree, in a beer or
other alcohol-containing composition. As such, the beverage composition may
exhibit
minimal separation between the tomato-flavored composition and alcoholic
composition over
time. In accordance therewith, less than about 5% by weight solids (from the
tomato-
flavored composition) may settle out of the beverage composition over a period
of up to
about 12 months, particularly a period of about 4 months or 8 months or 12
months, thereby
providing a shelf-stable beverage product. In one embodiment, settling may be
reduced by
adding an effective amount of a settling inhibitor such as, for example, a
hydrocolloid such as
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xanthan gum. This feature is particularly advantageous in carbonated beverages
where the
beverage is not normally shaken prior to consumption. In some embodiments, the
shelf
stability may be improved during processing by first mixing the tomato-
flavored composition
and a non-effervescent, or flat, alcoholic composition until a homogenous
mixture is achieved
and subsequently adding a gas to the mixture. Suitable gases include carbon
dioxide,
nitrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment,
the gas is
carbon dioxide. The amount of gas used may be about 2 to about 5 volumes.
Within this
range, the gas amount may be at least about 2.5 volumes, or up to about 4
volumes, or up to
about 3.5 volumes.
[0078]
Some embodiments are directed to methods of preparing the tomato-flavored
alcoholic compositions. In accordance with such methods, an alcoholic
composition may be
provided. The alcoholic composition may be fermented or distilled. Examples of
suitable
alcoholic compositions include, without limitation, beer, spirits, liqueurs
and wine, as
discussed above. Alternatively, a non-alcoholic composition may be provided. A
tomato-
flavored composition, such as one of the concentrates described above, may be
added and
dispersed in the alcoholic composition. In some embodiments, water or other
aqueous
solutions may be added to dilute the concentrate. In some embodiments, the
concentrate may
be mixed with the alcoholic composition in a weight ratio of about 1:20 to
about 20:1.
Within this range, the weight ratio of the concentrate and the alcoholic
composition may be
up to about 1:10, or up to about 1:5, or up to about 1:2. One embodiment is a
method of
preparing a tomato-flavored alcoholic composition, comprising: providing an
alcoholic
composition; and dispersing a tomato-flavored concentrate in the alcoholic
composition,
wherein the weight ratio of concentrate to alcoholic composition is about 1:20
to about 20:1.
The weight ratio of concentrate to alcoholic composition may be about 1:20 to
about 1:1, or
about 1:20 to about 1:2, or about 1:20 to about 1:5.
[0079] In
some embodiments, the tomato-flavored composition may be homogenized
prior to and/or after addition to (dispersing in) the alcoholic composition.
In some
embodiments, the tomato paste or puree alone may be homogenized, prior to
addition of other
components contained in the concentrate, or the concentrate as a whole may be
homogenized.
High pressure homogenization may be used in which the tomato solids are mashed
under
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pressure. In general, homogenization processes alter the size and distribution
of tomato pulp
particles in the composition. More specifically, homogenization may break down
and
uniformly distribute the tomato pulp particles throughout the composition. In
addition,
homogenization may modify tomato fibers found in the composition by reducing
the length
and fraying the ends of the fibrous materials. This may allow the fiber
strands to absorb more
liquid. Overall, homogenization may produce a more uniform concentrate having
increased
viscosity. Homogenization accordingly may impart a smoother mouth feel to the
concentrate.
[0080] In some embodiments, homogenization pressures of about 7 to about
150
megapascals (about 1000 to about 22,000 pounds per square inch (psi)) may be
used. Within
this range, the homogenization pressure may be at least about 15 megapascals.
Any
homogenization equipment may be employed, such as equipment available from APV
Gaulin, Alfa-Laval, or Niro Soavi. In some embodiments, homogenization
equipment that
disrupts the cell walls of the biomass may be employed, such as equipment
available from
Sonic Corporation under the trade name Sonolator.
[0081] In some embodiments, the beverage composition as a whole may be
homogenized once the tomato-flavored composition has been added to the
alcoholic
composition. This homogenization step may be employed in addition to the
previous
homogenization of the tomato-flavored composition or tomato paste or puree
alone or in
place of such homogenization step. It may be desirable to homogenize the
alcoholic
composition before the addition of dissolved gas. Once a homogenized mixture
of the
alcoholic composition and the tomato-flavored composition is achieved, then
dissolved gas
may be added.
[00821 In accordance with some embodiments, the tomato-flavored alcoholic
composition also may be pasteurized to sterilize the product by destroying
unwanted
microorganisms. Although tomato products and beer typically are pasteurized at
different
temperatures, the beverage compositions described herein may be co-pasteurized
at
temperatures of about 60 to about 80 C. More specifically, the beverage
composition may be
pasteurized by heating the composition to about 60 to about 80 C for about 6
to about 15
minutes in an aseptic environment. In some embodiments, the beverage
composition may be
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filled into the desired beverage container, such as a glass bottle, and then
subjected to the
pasteurization conditions.
[0083] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the beverage composition may
be hot
filled into the desired beverage container. More specifically, the beverage
composition may
be filled into the beverage container at a temperature sufficient to sterilize
the composition in
the container, for example about 85 C (185 F). After several minutes, the
container and
composition may be cooled down to about 32 to about 38 C (about 90 to about
100 F).
[0084] In some other embodiments, the beverage composition may be cold
filled into
the desired beverage container. In such embodiments, it may be desirable to
add
preservatives to the beverage composition. More specifically, cold-filling the
beverage
involves adding the beverage composition to the beverage container at a
temperature of about
21 C (70 F). Preservatives, such as sodium benzoate and/or potassium sorbate,
may be
added to the composition to lower the pH of the composition. Desirable pH
values may be
about 3 to about 4.5. Cold-filling with preservatives may be used in some
embodiments as an
alternative to pasteurization.
[0085] In some embodiments, filling a container is conducted without the
use of
screens. Although screens are sometimes employed to reduce the oxygen exposure
of a
beverage during filling, the present inventor has found that the tomato
concentrate of the
beverages unexpectedly reduces the oxygen-sensitivity of the remaining
components of the
beverage, allowing bottling without the use of one or more screens. Thus, in
some
embodiments, the ready-to-drink beverage is bottled without the use of a
screen. And another
embodiment is a method of oxidatively stabilizing beer, comprising combining
beer with a
tomato-flavored concentrate to produce a ready-to-drink beverage comprising at
least 0.1
weight percent natural tomato soluble solids, and bottling the ready-to-drink
beverage. The
natural tomato soluble solids content of the ready-to-drink beverage may be at
least about 0.3
weight percent, or at least about 0.5 weight percent.
[0086] The beverage may be prepared as a fountain beverage. In other
words, one or
more single servings of the beverage may be prepared for immediate consumption
(for
example, in response to a customer order) by blending a specially formulated
beverage
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concentrate with water containing a dissolved gas. Thus, one embodiment is
fountain
beverage composition comprising tomato solids; ethyl alcohol; a hops flavor; a
flavoring
agent selected from the group consisting of savory flavors, citrus flavors,
spicy flavors,
shellfish flavors, and combinations thereof; and water comprising dissolved
gas. Another
embodiment is a method of preparing a tomato-flavored alcoholic beverage,
comprising:
blending one part by weight of a beverage concentrate with about 5 to about 10
parts by
weight of water comprising dissolved gas; wherein the beverage concentrate
comprises
tomato solids, ethyl alcohol, a hops flavor, and a flavoring agent selected
from the group
consisting of savory flavors, citrus flavors, spicy flavors, shellfish
flavors, and combinations
thereof. The dissolved gas may be carbon dioxide, nitrogen, nitrous oxide,
oxygen, or a
combination thereof. The beverage concentrate may, optionally, further
comprise fruit or
vegetable juice and/or solids other than those derived from tomatoes. For
example, the
beverage concentrate may incorporate juice and/or solids derived from beets,
carrots, celery,
apples, peppers, onions, parsley, lettuce, watercress, arugula, spinach,
pineapples, oranges,
guavas, mangos, papayas, and the like, and combinations thereof.
[0087] One embodiment is a method of preparing a tomato-flavored
alcoholic
beverage, comprising: blending one part by weight of a beverage concentrate
with about 5 to
about 10 parts by weight of water comprising dissolved gas; wherein the
beverage
concentrate comprises about 20 to about 65 weight percent soluble solids,
about 10 to about
50 weight percent ethyl alcohol, a hops flavor, and a flavoring agent selected
from the group
consisting of savory flavors, citrus flavors, spicy flavors, shellfish
flavors, and combinations
thereof; and wherein the water comprising dissolved gas comprises about 2 to
about 5
volumes of a gas selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide,
nitrogen, nitrous
oxide, oxygen, and combinations thereof. The beverage concentrate may,
optionally, further
comprise juice and/or solids derived from beets, carrots, celery, apples,
peppers, onions,
parsley, lettuce, watercress, arugula, spinach, pineapples, oranges, guavas,
mangos, papayas,
and the like, and combinations thereof.
[0088] The fountain beverages, the concentrates used to prepare the
fountain
beverage, and the methods used to prepare the fountain beverages are all
embodiments of the
invention.
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[00891 One embodiment is a beverage composition comprising a tomato-
flavored
composition, and a hops-flavored composition, wherein the beverage composition
is a pre-
mixed, ready-to-drink beverage product.
[0090] One embodiment is a bottled, ready-to-drink tomato-flavored
beverage
product comprising beer and tomato paste, wherein the beverage comprises about
3 to about
20% soluble solids by weight.
[0091] One embodiment is a beverage composition comprising a stabilized
dispersion
of tomato paste in a beer composition.
100921 One embodiment is a ready-to-drink beverage composition comprising
about
0.3 to about 1 weight percent natural tomato soluble solids, about 0.1 to
about 8 weight
percent ethyl alcohol, and a flavoring agent selected from the group
consisting of hops
flavors, savory flavors, citrus flavors, spicy flavors, shellfish flavors, and
combinations
thereof.
[0093] One embodiment is a ready-to-drink beverage composition comprising
about
0.3 to about 1 weight percent natural tomato soluble solids, about 0.1 to
about 8 weight
percent ethyl alcohol, and a shellfish flavor.
[00941 One embodiment is a fountain beverage composition, comprising:
tomato
solids; ethyl alcohol; a flavoring agent selected from the group consisting of
savory flavors,
citrus flavors, spicy flavors, shellfish flavors, hops flavors, and
combinations thereof; and
water comprising dissolved gas; wherein the beverage comprises about 2 to
about 5 volumes
of the dissolved gas; and wherein the water comprising dissolved gas is added
at the point of
consumption.
[0095] One embodiment is a method of preparing a tomato-flavored
alcoholic
composition, comprising: providing an alcoholic composition, and dispersing a
tomato-
flavored concentrate in the alcoholic composition, wherein the tomato-flavored
concentrate
comprises about 20 to about 65% soluble solids by weight, and wherein the
weight ratio of
tomato-flavored concentrate to alcoholic composition is about 1:20 to about
20:1.
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[0096] One embodiment is a method of preparing a tomato-flavored
alcoholic
beverage, comprising: blending one part by weight of a beverage concentrate
with about 5 to
about 10 parts by weight of water comprising dissolved gas, wherein the
beverage
concentrate comprises tomato solids, ethyl alcohol, and a flavoring agent
selected from the
group consisting of savory flavors, citrus flavors, spicy flavors, shellfish
flavors, hops
flavors, and combinations thereof.
[0097] One embodiment is a method of preparing a tomato-flavored
alcoholic
beverage, comprising: blending one part by weight of a beverage concentrate
with about 5 to
about 10 parts by weight of water comprising dissolved gas; wherein the
beverage
concentrate comprises a tomato component having a natural tomato soluble
solids content of
about 20 to about 40% by weight, about 10 to about 50 weight percent ethyl
alcohol, and a
flavoring agent selected from the group consisting of savory flavors, citrus
flavors, spicy
flavors, shellfish flavors, hops flavors, and combinations thereof; and
wherein the water
comprising dissolved gas comprises about 2 to about 5 volumes of a gas
selected from the
group consisting of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and
combinations
thereof.
[0098] One embodiment is a method of oxidatively stabilizing beer,
comprising
combining beer with a tomato-flavored concentrate to produce a ready-to-drink
beverage
comprising at least 0.1 weight percent natural tomato soluble solids, and
bottling the ready-
to-drink beverage.
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EXAMPLES
Example 1
Table 1: Tomato-Flavored Beer
Component A by weight
_ .
Tomato-flavored composition 33
Light beer 67
[0099] A tomato-flavored beer is prepared according to the formulation in
Table 1
above.
[0100] To prepare the tomato-flavored beer, a light beer composition is
provided.
Any conventional light beer (or regular beer) may be used. The light beer is
an alcoholic as
well as a hops-flavored composition, which may include water, barley, malt,
hops and yeast,
among other ingredients.
[0101] A tomato-flavored composition, such as a tomato concentrate, also
is
provided. The tomato concentrate may include tomato paste, clam flavor, spicy
flavoring
agents, salts, a sweetening agent, a food-grade acid, such as citric acid, a
coloring agent, such
as Allura red, and various other flavoring agents. The tomato paste may be
homogenized for
about 2 minutes at pressures of about 6.9 to about 27.6 megapascals (about
1000 to about
4000 pounds per square inch) using a homogenizer prior to addition of the
other components
contained in the concentrate.
[0102] The tomato concentrate may be added to the light beer composition
in the
amounts indicated in Table 1 above. More specifically, the tomato concentrate
may be mixed
into and dispersed throughout the beer composition to provide a uniform
mixture. Water also
may be added to the mixture. The tomato-flavored beer composition may be
heated to about
60 to about 80 C for about 6 to about 15 minutes in an aseptic environment to
sterilize the
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composition. Subsequently, the pasteurized composition may be filled into
individual
beverage containers, such as glass bottles or cans, to provide an RTD tomato-
flavored beer
product.
Example 2
[0103] This example describes the preparation of a beverage concentrate
suitable for
use in preparing a beverage by blending with beer and, optionally, additional
water. The
beverage concentrate was prepared by blending components and relative amounts
as listed in
Table 2. The tomato paste was a hot break tomato paste containing 31% natural
tomato
soluble solids. Component amounts in weight percent (wt%) are based on the
total weight of
the concentrate. Components were added to blend in the order listed in Table
2. After all
components were added and blended, the concentrate was homogenized at a
pressure of
13.8 1.4 megapascals (2000 200 pounds per square inch).
[0104] The final concentrate had a specific gravity at 20 C of 1.1175, an
apparent
density at 20 C of 1.1143 grams per milliliter, refractometer brix solids of
26.10 brix, a citric
acid acidity of 2.0 grams per 100 grams, a pH of 3.8, and 90 volume percent
insoluble solids.
The volume percent insoluble solids were determined after centrifuging 50
milliliter samples
the concentrate at 1609 rotations per minute for 10 minutes in a centrifuge
with a 25.4
centimeter diameter.
[0105] The concentrate preferably contains fewer than 500 bacteria per
gram, fewer
than 100 yeast per gram, and fewer than 100 mold per gram. Microbiological
tests may be
conducted using potato dextrose agar or malt extract agar.
[0106] The refrigerated shelf life may be at least about 2 to 3 weeks,
and that shelf
life may be extended to at least about 4 to 6 weeks by adding preservatives
such as potassium
sorbate and/or sodium benzoate.
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Table 2: Beverage Concentrate
Component A by Weight
Water 54.4127
High fructose corn syrup 42, 71% solids 17.8171
Tomato paste, hot break, 31 NTSS 20.2270
Clam Broth Powder 0.0385
Monosodium glutamate 3.1297
Salt 2.1425
Citric acid 17.97
Spice blend 0.2057
Pepper sauce 0.2146
Food dyes 0.0085
Jalapeno flavor 0.1699
Citrus flavor 0.0268
Example 3
[0107] This example describes the preparation of a ready-to-drink
beverage from
beverage concentrate, beer, water, and carbon dioxide. The concentrate
described in
Example 2 is blended with water, strong beer containing 7 volume percent
alcohol, and
carbon dioxide in the proportions listed in Table 3 to prepare a beverage
containing 4.8% by
volume alcohol and having a specific gravity at 20 C of 1.0184 grams per
milliliter, an
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apparent density at 20 C of 1.0155 grams per milliliter, refractometer brix
solids of 7.8 brix,
a citric acid acidity of 0.3 grams per 100 grams, a pH of 4.1, 2.7 volumes of
carbon dioxide,
and 15 volume percent insoluble solids.
[0108] After carbonation, the beverage may be packaged, for example by
filling
amber glass bottles with about 341 to about 348 milliliters of beverage and
sealing the bottles
with a cap removable with a torque of 0.68 0.34 newton-meter (6 3 inch-
pounds). After
packaging, the beverage may be pasteurized with the equivalent of about 200 to
about 400
pasteurization units. For example, the beverage may be pasteurized for about
12 minutes at a
temperature of at least 70 C (330 pasteurization units). The beverage after
pasteurization
may contain fewer than 500 bacteria per milliliter, fewer than 1 yeast per
milliliter, and fewer
than 1 mold per milliliter.
Table 3: Ready-to-Drink Beverage
Component Amount
Beer, 7% by volume alcohol 68.60 vol. %
Water 21.40 vol. %
Example 2 Beverage Concentrate 10.00 vol. %
Carbon Dioxide 2.7 volumes
Examples 4-8
[0109] These examples illustrate five beverage concentrate formulations.
Using the
components and amounts (in percent by weight) presented in Table 4, the
concentrate is
prepared by mixing the ingredients in the order listed and homogenizing the
mixture at 2000
psi. (In Table 4, the abbreviation ,"q.s." is used for the Latin "quantum
sufficit" to indicate
that water makes up the balance of each formulation.) The concentrate is then
filled into
suitable storage vessels and refrigerated until use.
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Table 4: Concentrate Formulations
Ex. 4 Ex. 5 Ex. 6 Ex. 7 Ex. 8
Water q.s. q.s. q.s. q.s. q.s.
Corn Syrup 15-20 15 - 20 15 - 20 15 - 20 15-20
Tomato Paste 17 - 25 17 - 25 17 - 25 17 - 25 17 - 25
Clam Broth 0.01 -0.10 0 0.01 -0.10 0 0.01 -0.10
Powder
Shrimp Broth 0 0.01 - 0.10 0 0.01 -0.10 0
Powder
Monosodium 1 - 5 1 - 5 1 - 5 1 - 5 1 - 5
Glutamate
Sodium 1 - 5 1 - 5 1 - 5 1 - 5 1 - 5
Chloride
Spice Blend 0.1 -0.5 0.1 -0.5 0.05 - 0.05 - 0.2- 1.0
0.20 0.20
Pepper Sauce 0.1 - 0.5 0.1 - 0.5 0 0 0.1 - 0.5
Citrus Flavor 0.01- 0.01- 0.1-0.5 0.1 - 0.5 0
0.10 0.10
Citric Acid 1 - 3 1 - 3 1 - 5 1 - 5 0.05 -
0.10
Color 0.001-0.01 0.001-
0.01 0.001-0.01 0.001-0.01 0.001-0.01
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Examples 9-13
101101 These examples illustrate five ready-to-drink beverage
formulations prepared
using the concentrates in Examples 4-8. Components and amounts (in percent by
weight) are
presented in Table 5. In Table 5, beer containing 8.0 volume percent ethanol
is designated
"Beer at 8.0% Et0H"; beer containing 5.0 volume percent ethanol is designated
"Beer at
5.0% &OH"; "Hops Flavor" is a concentrated hops flavor such as, for example
the residue of
a supercritical CO2 extraction of dried hops. The beverage is prepared by
mixing the
ingredients in the order shown in a standard mixing vessel until blended and
carbonating the
mixture to 2.7 volumes of carbon dioxide. The beverage is then filled into
bottles and
pasteurized at 200-400 pasteurization units. .
Table 5: Ready-to-Drink Beverage Formulations
Ex. 9 Ex. 10 Ex. 11 Ex. 12 Ex. 13
Ex. 4 Concentrate 10 - 20 0 0 0 0
Ex. 5 Concentrate 0 10 - 20 0 0 0
_
Ex. 6 Concentrate 0 0 10 - 20 0 0
Ex. 7 Concentrate 0 0 0 10 - 20 0
Ex. 8 Concentrate 0 0 0 0 10 ¨ 20
Beer at 8.0% Et0H 65 ¨ 75 0 65 ¨ 75 0 0
Beer at 5.0% Et0H 0 70 - 85 0 70 ¨ 85 - 0
Hops Flavor 0 0 0 0 0.5 ¨ 5.0
_
Water q.s. q.s. q.s. q.s. q.s.
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[0111] This
written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the
best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use
the invention.
The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may
include other
examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are
intended to be within
the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ
from the literal
language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with
insubstantial
differences from the literal language of the claims.
[0112] If a term in the present application contradicts or conflicts with
a term in a
=
document cited herein, the term from the present application takes precedence
over the
conflicting term from the reference.
[0113] All ranges
disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints
are independently combinable with each other.
=
31
