Alcoholic Strength Research Articles

Steering photocatalytic selectivity of Au/γ-Al2O3 for benzyl alcohol oxidation via direct photoexcitation

Nanometal photocatalysts are widely used for accelerating reactions and adjusting the selectivity of multipath reactions by energetic electrons activating specific adsorbates. However, the effect of excited charge carriers on the adsorption strength of reactant molecules has been overlooked. Herein, we demonstrate that light irradiation alters the selectivity of aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol over Au/γ-Al2O3 by changing the main product from benzaldehyde in dark to benzoic acid under light. It was found that the competitive adsorption of benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde plays a crucial role in selectivity. Energetic electrons arising from ultraviolet excitation are directly injected into the metal-adsorbate antibonding orbital to weaken the adsorption strength of benzyl alcohol. The resulted d band holes facilitate more benzaldehyde adsorbed on the surface of Au nanoparticles (NPs), which are further oxidized to benzoic acid. This work proposes a new understanding of nanometal photocatalysis and a feasible approach to adjust the catalytic performance by optically excited charge carriers modulating the adsorption strength of adsorbates.

Engineering pKa value of 3° amine for enhanced production of dialkyl carbonate via Se-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation

C1 chemistry plays a vital role in the chemical and energy industry in terms of recycling C1 molecules and high productivity. As one of the C1 chemistry reactions, oxidative carbonylation of alcohols to corresponding dialkyl carbonates (DACs) has been studied but still has problems with catalysts in terms of corrosion and low yield of DACs. To address this issue, various Se/Ph2Se2/tertiary amine catalytic systems were applied to the oxidative carbonylation of alcohols to produce DACs, and Se/Ph2Se2/DMAP showed higher catalytic activity [60.9% yield of bis(2-methoxyethyl) carbonate (BMEC) at a turnover frequency (TOF) value = 32.5 h−1] compared to other tertiary amines (TAs) systems in the oxidative carbonylation of 2-methoxyethanol (MEG). Moreover, with this catalytic system, the oxidative carbonylation of C1–C4 n-alcohols yielded over 40% of DACs with high TOF value (over 40 h−1), which are unprecedented catalytic activity in terms of both yield and TOF value, compared with previous reports. We also found a relationship between the hydrogen bond (HB) strength of alcohol···TA and the catalytic performances. Additionally, the catalytic activity with pKa of TA showed volcano-type correlation. Finally, we investigated the role of TA and proposed a plausible mechanism based on 1H NMR study and the aforementioned correlations.

Blending Canadian Whisky – A Review

Political events and technological advances caused the evolution of blending Canadian whisky. The American civil war naturally created an environment for Canadian whisky to become popular. The distilleries in the United States closed their facilities and the Canadian distillers took advantage of the situation. Canadian whisky production became quite profitable. This led to government control over the distilling industry, which required meticulous record keeping by excise officers. Canadian distillers took the opportunity to invest in their own infrastructure by adding tanks, bottling, and ageing facilities. These technological advances naturally lead to blending recipes. Blending was simple at first, combining a prescribed number of barrels as per formula, but through industry regulation and innovation blending evolved to become a very precise science that considers grains, fermentation parameters, distillation method, cask type, age, and strength of alcohol.

Reduction of Alcoholic Strength: Does It Matter for Public Health?

In this work, reduction of alcoholic strength was discussed as a means to reduce consumption and alcohol-attributable harm. Statistical modelling was conducted to (1) estimate its potential for the largest six Western and Central European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, UK); (2) calculate the increase in taxation necessary to reach this potential, and (3) estimate the mortality gains achieved with the introduction of no- or low-alcohol beverages in the UK and Spain. The high public health potential of reducing alcoholic strength was demonstrated via modelling a scenario in which the strength of all beverages was reduced by 10%, which would avert thousands of deaths in these six European countries per year. However, methods by which to achieve these gains were not clear, as the alcohol industry has shown no inclination toward reductions in the alcoholic strength of beer, wine, or spirits via a reformulation on a large scale. The increase of excise taxation to achieve the public health gains of such a reduction would result in markedly increasing prices-a situation unlikely to be implemented in Europe. Finally, the introduction of beer and wine with an alcoholic strength below 0.5% led to some substitutions of higher-strength beverages, but did not show a marked public health impact. New taxation initiatives to achieve the potential of a reduction of alcoholic strength will need to be implemented.

An examination of the diversity of beer and cider products sold in Irish supermarkets in the context of health promotion advice

Aim: Current health promotion advice relating to the consumption of beer and cider in Ireland is very firmly based on nominal pints and half pints of beer. This study sought to determine if the assumed alcohol strength of beer and cider available in a sample of mainstream supermarkets was appropriate. This study also sought to examine if the assumed size of containers of beer and cider was accurate. Methods: All beer and cider products in a purposive sample of Irish mainstream supermarkets was examined. Data was input into SPSS and examined. Results: There is a substantial level of variation in the container size and alcohol content of beer available in mainstream supermarkets in Ireland. Discussion: Current health promotion advice in Ireland is out of date and does not enable people to easily monitor their drinking and follow healthy drinking guidelines. The obvious answer is the enactment of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act, 2018, that has already been passed requiring alcohol containers to display the number of grams of alcohol contained. However, this element of the legislation, despite being passed into law, has yet to be either enacted, or even given a date for enactment.

Xanthohumol-Enriched Beer Does Not Exert Antitumorigenic Effects on HeLa Cell Line In Vivo.

Xanthohumol is a hop-derived flavonoid that has been widely examined for its health-protecting and antitumorigenic properties, but not yet in a natural beer matrix. The aim of the study was to investigate the antitumorigenic potential of a xanthohumol-enriched beer in vivo. Four groups of 4 × 10 nude mice were formed. Following the injection of HeLa tumorigenic cell lines, the treatment groups were administered a xanthohumol supplementation for 100 days, either dissolved in beer or in an ethanolic solution with the same alcohol strength as beer. The control groups received un-supplemented material. The terminal tumor masses, liver weights, and plasma antioxidant capacities (FRAP and ABTS methods) were measured. For the statistical analysis, a two-way ANOVA test was performed (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in tumor size between the groups. Xanthohumol did not induce higher levels of plasma antioxidant capacity, neither in beer nor in the water-ethanol matrix. The terminal liver weights were significantly higher in the control group receiving the unsupplemented ethanol solution. Xanthohumol dissolved in beer or in the water-alcohol matrix did not have a protective effect on tumor growth, nor did it have a positive effect on plasma antioxidant capacity either. However, beer with added xanthohumol had a less harmful effect on the liver compared to the supplemented water-ethanol solution. Our results indicate the possible negative countereffect of ethanol; however, further investigations are needed.

Characterization of Polyvinyl Alcohol-Collagen-Hydroxyapatite Composite Membrane from Lates calcarifer Scales for Guided Tissue and Bone Regeneration.

To determine the chemical structure, tensile strength, porosity, and degradability of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-collagen-hydroxyapatite (HA) composite membranes for guided tissue and bone regeneration. The PVA-collagen-HA composite membrane was divided into three groups: the group without irradiation, the group with 15 kGy irradiation, and 25 kGy irradiation. Each group was tested for chemical structure with Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) at a wavelength of 400 to 4,000 cm-1. Tensile strength test was tested in dry and wet conditions with the standard method of American Standard Testing Mechanical (ASTM) D638, and porosity using scanning electron microscope and analyzed using ImageJ software. Degradability test immersed in a solution of phosphate-buffered saline. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's test. FT-IR test before and after storage for 30 days on three media showed a stable chemical structure with the same functional groups. ANOVA analysis showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the dry condition (p = 0.006), Tukey's test showed a significant difference in the 15 kGy and 25 kGy irradiated groups (p = 0.005), but the groups without irradiation had no significant difference with the 15 kGy (p = 0.285) and 25 kGy (p = 0.079) irradiation groups. In wet conditions, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in each group (p = 373). The size of the porosity in the group without irradiation, 15 kGy irradiation, and 25 kGy irradiation showed a size of 4.65, 6.51, and 8.08 m, respectively. The degradability test showed a decrease in weight in each group, with the total weight of the membrane being completely degraded from the most degraded to the least: the groups without irradiation, 15 kGy irradiation, and 25 kGy irradiation. The ANOVA test on the degradability test shows significant (p < 0.05) in the PVA-collagen-HA composite membrane group over time intervals (p = 0.000). Tukey's post hoc test showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) after 1 week between the groups without irradiation with 15 kGy (p = 0.023). PVA-collagen-HA composite membrane has a stable chemical structure, optimal tensile strength, porosity, and ideal degradability as guided bone regeneration and guided tissue regeneration.

Fast aging technology of novel kiwifruit wine and dynamic changes of aroma components during storage

A novel kiwifruit wine (KW) fermented by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae was developed with elegant flavor and poor alcoholic strength. The effects of natural aging, microwave and ultrasonic treatment on the quality of KW were investigated. A total of 61 aroma components were detected in the KW fermented by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae. The results showed that microwave and ultrasonic treatments could promote the maturation of KW and increase the aroma components of KW. The variety of flavor components increased with a longer storage time. Combined with the taste evaluation analysis. The esters, alcohols, acids, and aldehydes in ultrasonic-aged wines were in dynamic balance and harmony with each other. The wine was soft and mellow, making the kiwi wine more typical.

Correct determination of alcoholic strength in alcoholic products

The paper describes a method, which combines sample density measurement data and gas chromatographic data to determine the quantitative content of volatile compounds, including ethyl alcohol, in sample. This approach can improve the accuracy of alcohol content measurements. The proposed method takes into account the presence in sample of congeners, such as methanol, fusel oils, esters and etc. The experimental study of 8 brandy samples was carried out. All samples were distillated and measured by GC-FID. The volatile compounds identified in the analyzed distillates were acetaldehyde, isobutanal, ethyl acetate, methanol, butan-2-ol, propan-1-ol, 2-methylpropan-1-ol, isoamyl acetate, butan-1-ol, 3-methylbutan-1-ol, ethyl caproate, ethyl lactate, hexanol, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, ethyl caprylate, furfural, ethyl caprate, ethyl laurate and 2-phenylethanol. The quantitative determination of congeners was carried out using ethanol as a reference substance. The sum of volume content of detected congeners in studied distillates ranged from 0.28 to 0.46%. The absolute difference between results for determination of alcoholic strength using only water-ethanol tables (traditional method) and combination of data from water-ethanol tables and gas chromatography data (proposed method) ranged from 0.22 to 0.40%.

Application of Immobilized Yeasts for Improved Production of Sparkling Wines

Verdejo sparkling wines from two consecutive vintages were elaborated following the “champenoise” method. The second fermentation was developed with the same free or immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae bayanus yeast strain, carrying out four batch replicates each year. The sparkling wines were analyzed after 9 months of aging, showing no significant differences among the two typologies in the enological parameters (pH, total acidity, volatile acidity, reducing sugars, and alcoholic strength), the effervescence, or the spectrophotometric measurements. The free amino nitrogen content was significantly higher in the sparkling wines obtained from immobilized yeasts, nevertheless, the levels of neutral polysaccharides and total proteins were lower. No significant differences in the volatile composition were found, except for only two volatile compounds (isobutyric acid and benzyl alcohol); however, these two substances were present at levels below their respective olfactory thresholds. The sensory analysis by consumers showed identical preferences for both types of sparkling wines, except for the color acceptability. The descriptive analysis by a tasting panel revealed that sensorial differences between both sparkling wines were only found for the smell of dough. Therefore, the use of immobilized yeasts for the second fermentation of sparkling wines can reduce and simplify some enological practices such as the procedure of riddling and disgorging, with no impact on the so-mentioned quality parameters.

Effects of Substitution of Higher-Alcohol Products with Lower-Alcohol Products on Population-Level Alcohol Purchases: ARIMA Analyses of Spanish Household Data.

In its action plan (2022–2030) to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, the WHO calls on economic operators to “substitute, whenever possible, higher-alcohol products with no-alcohol and lower-alcohol products in their overall product portfolios, with the goal of decreasing the overall levels of alcohol consumption in populations and consumer groups”. This paper investigates substitution at the level of the consumer, based on Spanish household purchase data. ARIMA modelling of market research data of 1.29 million alcohol purchases from 18,954 Spanish households is used to study the potential impact of lower-strength alcohol products and the impact of beer prices in reducing household purchases of grams of alcohol between the 2nd quarter of 2017 and 1st quarter of 2022. Reducing the alcohol strength of existing higher-strength beers and wines had a much greater associated impact on reducing the purchases of all grams of alcohol than the relatively small increases in purchases of no-alcohol beers (ABV ≤ 1.0%) and zero-alcohol wines (ABV = 0.0%). For beers, the relative price per gram of alcohol decreased with the increasing ABV of the beer. Increasing the price per gram of alcohol in beers with an ABV > 3.5%, adjusted for the ABV of the beer, was associated with much greater increases in purchases of no-alcohol beers (ABV ≤ 1.0%) and much greater decreases in purchases of all grams of alcohol than decreases in the price of no-alcohol beers or increases in the price of beers with an ABV > 3.5% unadjusted for ABV. Thus, a key to reducing purchases of grams of alcohol, which also results in increased purchases of no-alcohol beers, is to increase the price of higher strength beers (ABV > 3.5%) with the price per gram of alcohol increasing as the ABV of the product increases.

Natural Blending as a Novel Technology for the Production Process of Aged Wine Spirits: Potential Impact on Their Quality

The blending of wine spirits (WSs) produced in different ageing conditions is a key operation to impart specific features, enhance complexity, increase the final product’s quality and ensure brand consistency over the years, but requires time, labour and experienced blenders. This work aimed to develop a novel technology, natural blending, towards innovation and a more sustainable production process, adding value to the final product. WSs were aged in 250 L barrels and in 1000 L stainless steel tanks with wood staves and micro-oxygenation (MOX), using Limousin oak and chestnut wood simultaneously at a 50:50 ratio (natural blending) and separately; after 18 months of ageing, the last ones underwent the blending operation at the same ratio. All WSs were bottled and thereafter the following traits were analysed: alcoholic strength, acidity, dry extract, total phenolic index, low molecular weight compounds by HPLC method, chromatic characteristics and sensory profile. No significant differences in the physicochemical characteristics and sensory profile between the WSs resulting from the two blending technologies were found. Natural blending did not induce changes in the characteristics imparted by each ageing technology. These findings point to natural blending as a reliable alternative to the blending operation, especially in combination with ageing in tanks with staves and MOX.

Bread as a Valuable Raw Material in Craft Ale Beer Brewing.

One of the ingredients used for brewing is barley, which should be malted; it is considered the most polluting agricultural input. On the other hand, food wastage is today a widespread problem that causes significant environmental damage and also generates large economic losses worldwide. One of the most wasted food products is bread; it is estimated that hundreds of tons of bread are wasted every day worldwide. In this study, the brewing of ale beers with bread was carried out. For this purpose, up to 50% of the malt weight was replaced by different types of bread: wheat bread, whole wheat bread, rye bread, and corn bread. A physicochemical and sensory comparison was made with 100% malt ale beer. All beers brewed with bread had an alcoholic strength similar to that of the control beer, except the corn beer. Beers brewed with whole grain bread showed a higher antioxidant capacity and a higher total polyphenol content. The sensory analysis presented different profiles depending on the type of bread; in general, the addition of bread created a greater olfactory intensity in nose. Thus, it was found that it is possible to brew beer with bread substituting up to 50% of the malt. In addition, it was also shown that the beer brewed with whole wheat bread had similar characteristics to the control beer, even improving some beneficial health properties, representing a great advantage for the brewing industry all over the world.

Defining No and Low (NoLo) Alcohol Products.

Reducing the alcoholic strength in beverages as a strategy to reduce harmful alcohol use has been proposed by multilateral institutions such as the World Health Organization and governments worldwide. Different industrial and artisanal techniques are used to achieve low-alcohol content beverages. Therefore, regulations regarding the content of alcohol in beverages and strategies to monitor compliance are important, because they are the main reason for classification of the beverages and are central to their categorization and market labelling. Furthermore, analytical techniques with adequate sensitivity as low as 0.04% vol are necessary to determine the alcohol ranges necessary for classification. In this narrative review, the definitions of no and low (NoLo) alcohol products are described and the differences in the legal definitions of these products in several regions of the world are highlighted. Currently, there is clearly confusion regarding the terminology of “no”, “free”, “zero”, “low”, “light”, or “reduced” alcohol products. There is an urgent need for global harmonization (e.g., at the Codex Alimentarius level) of the definitions from a commercial perspective and also to have common nomenclature for science and for consumer information.

Development of a New Strategy for Studying the Oxygen Consumption Potential of Wine through the Grape Extract Evaluation.

The development of a method to determine the aging potential of wine at the time of harvest, through the evaluation of its oxygen avidity, is a potential tool for the winemaking sector. To this end, it is necessary to formulate a potential wine with this grape prior to alcoholic fermentation. The main objective of this method was to optimize a formulation of the potential wine, based on the grape extracts (GEs), to subsequently evaluate its oxygen consumption kinetics, guaranteeing maximum differentiation between the different GEs. The optimization was carried out with a Taguchi orthogonal matrix design, which optimized the variables to be used in the GE reconstitution. The variables studied were pH, Fe2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, alcohol content and acetaldehyde. The evaluation of the characteristic parameters of the consumption kinetics of each of the GEs allowed us to know the different reconstitution conditions that most influence the differentiation of the oxygen consumption kinetics of very similar GEs. The reconstitution conditions chosen were pH 3.3; 1 mg/L Fe2+; 0.1 mg/L Cu2+; 1 mg/L Mn2+; 12% (v/v) alcoholic strength and 10 mg/L acetaldehyde, with pH, Fe2+ and Mn2+ being the significant conditions. The kinetics of reconstituted GE could be a tool for the classification and evaluation of grapes according to their aging potential or shelf life of the wine made.

Effects of Different Daqu on Microbial Community Domestication and Metabolites in Nongxiang Baijiu Brewing Microecosystem.

The quality and yield of the fresh Baijiu mainly depend on the activity of pit mud (PM) and the quality of Daqu. However, the cultivation of PM is a long-term process, and high-quality Daqu can change the community structure of fermented grain (FG) and accelerate the evolution of PM communities. The present research aimed to investigate the four different types of Daqu on the FG-fermenting microbial community structure and metabolites and their interphase interactions with PM. These results show that Kroppenstedtia in the bacterial community of Taikong Daqu (TK) was positively correlated with ethyl caproate, which significantly increased the content of FG volatile metabolites, especially lipid components, and facilitated the accelerated evolution of Methanobacteriales and Methanosarcinales in PM. Bacillus has a high relative abundance in Qianghua Daqu (QH), which shows obvious advantages to improving the alcoholic strength of FG and contributing to increasing the abundance of Methanomicrobiales in PM. Qianghua and traditional-mixed Daqu (HH) have a similar bacterial composition to QH and a similar fungal composition to traditional Daqu (DZ), and thus also showed the advantage of increased yield, but the volatile flavor metabolites produced were not as dominant as DZ. β-diversity analysis showed that in TK fermentation systems, FG is more likely to domesticate the structure of PM microorganisms. These results indicated that the interaction between microbial communities in Baijiu fermentation niches was significantly influenced by different Daqu. It can not only enhance the key volatiles in FG but also accelerate the evolving direction of the community in PM. Daqu fortified by functional genera or microbiota can evolve a community structure more suitable for Baijiu fermentation. The microbiota composition and interaction between the communities in both Daqu and PM significantly impacts the yield and quality of the base liquor.

Supplemental Material for The Effect of Alcohol Packaging Size and Strength on U.K. Alcohol Consumers’ Classification of Alcohol Products as Containing a Single or Multiple Drinks

Supplemental Material for The Effect of Alcohol Packaging Size and Strength on U.K. Alcohol Consumers’ Classification of Alcohol Products as Containing a Single or Multiple Drinks

Analysis of changes in simulated rancidification process during the storage of Huangjiu.

Huangjiu, a traditional Chinese wine with low alcoholic strength, can easily develop rancidification upon microbial contamination in the long‐term storage process. In order to analyze the changes in key indexes in the rancidification process during the storage of Huangjiu, a laboratory simulation of microbial contamination changes was carried out. Changes in microbiological indexes, physicochemical indexes, and volatile flavor compounds in the rancidification process of Huangjiu can be divided into two stages. Test results demonstrated that within the early stage of the rancidification process, multiplication of contaminating microorganisms was in the adaptation phase with a slow OD600 growth value of Huangjiu, while physicochemical indexes such as the pH and amino acid nitrogen content changed relatively slowly. The contents of aldehyde compounds in the volatile flavor components of Huangjiu declined quickly to be lower than 1.0 mg/L, while the conductivity index increased by 6%. In the late stage, the OD600 value of Huangjiu increased rapidly and microorganism multiplication entered the logarithmic phase. Furthermore, changes in the physicochemical indexes are accelerated. Specifically, the histamine content increased by 457% and the content of aldehydes remains lower than 1.0 mg/L. The conductivity index continued to rise by 25% in this stage. This indicates that the two rancidification stages have different influences on the quality of Huangjiu. The conductivity value can be used as a staged representative index throughout the rancidification of Huangjiu to distinguish between different batches and evaluate the degree of microbial contamination. Additionally, the conductivity index can be used for long‐term online monitoring of large tank storage of Huangjiu.

Difference of physico-chemical properties of red wines in polyethylenterephtalate and bag in box packaging

Studies have shown that the type of packaging can affect the quality and physico-chemical features of foods stored over a longer period of time. Important physico-chemical characteristics of wines that can change over a storage period are alcoholic strength, the amount of acidity or sulfur dioxide, relative density of wines or total dry extract. The aim of this paper was to determine and compare the physico-chemical properties of red wines (Cabernet sauvignon, Frankovka, Merlot and Pinot noir), stored over a period of one year in two different types of packaging (polyethylene terephthalate and bag-in-box). Relative density of wine, total dry extract, alcoholic strength, total acidity content, volatile acidity content, free and total sulfur dioxide content were determined after 3, 6 and 12 months of storage. The results showed that total and free sulfur dioxide content decreased over time in all wines. Volatile acidity and total acidity content increased over time. Alcoholic strength and total dry extract remained mostly stable. Relative density of wine decreased with time. There were no observed differences of these parameters in wines packed in polyethylene terephthalate and bag-in-box containers. Statistical multiple regression confirmed latter assertion.

Production of Coffee Cherry Spirits from Coffea arabica Varieties.

Coffee pulp, obtained from wet coffee processing, is the major by-product accumulating in the coffee producing countries. One of the many approaches valorising this underestimated agricultural residue is the production of distillates. This research project deals with the production of spirits from coffee pulp using three different Coffea arabica varieties as a substrate. Coffee pulp was fermented for 72 h with a selected yeast strain (Saccharomyces cerevisiae L.), acid, pectin lyase, and water. Several parameters, such as temperature, pH, sugar concentration and alcoholic strength were measured to monitor the fermentation process. Subsequently, the alcoholic mashes were double distilled with stainless steel pot stills and a sensory evaluation of the products was conducted. Furthermore, the chemical composition of fermented mashes and produced distillates were evaluated. It showed that elevated methanol concentrations (>1.3 g/L) were present in mashes and products of all three varieties. The sensory evaluation found the major aroma descriptor for the coffee pulp spirits as being stone fruit. The fermentation and distillation experiments revealed that coffee pulp can be successfully used as a raw material for the production of fruit spirits. However, the spirit quality and its flavour characteristics can be improved with optimised process parameters and distillation equipment.