Characterizing Volatile and Nonvolatile Factors Influencing Flavor and American Consumer Preference toward Nonalcoholic Beer

Scott Lafontaine; Kay Senn; Johanna Dennenlöhr; Christian Schubert; Laura Knoke; Jörg Maxminer; Annegret Cantu; Nils Rettberg; Hildegarde Heymann

doi:10.1021/acsomega.0c03168

Characterizing Volatile and Nonvolatile Factors Influencing Flavor and American Consumer Preference toward Nonalcoholic Beer

ACS Omega. 2020 Aug 19;5(36):23308-23321. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.0c03168. eCollection 2020 Sep 15.

Authors

Scott Lafontaine¹, Kay Senn¹, Johanna Dennenlöhr², Christian Schubert², Laura Knoke², Jörg Maxminer², Annegret Cantu¹, Nils Rettberg², Hildegarde Heymann¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Viticulture and Enology and Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California Davis, 595 Hilgard Lane Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States.
² Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin (VLB) e.V., Seestrasse 13, 13353 Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

In this study, the chemical and sensory profiles of 42 different nonalcoholic beer (NAB) brands/styles already on the global market and produced through several different brewing techniques were evaluated. A trained panel (i.e., 11 panelists) performed standard-driven descriptive and check-all-that-apply analyses in triplicate to sensorially characterize the aroma and taste/mouthfeel profiles of 42 commercial NABs, a commercial soda, and a commercial seltzer water (n = 44). These beers were also chemically deconstructed using several different analytical techniques targeting volatile and nonvolatile compounds. Consumer analysis (n = 129) was then performed to evaluate the Northern Californian consumer hedonic liking of a selection (n = 12) of these NAB brands. These results provide direction to brewers and/or beverage producers on which techniques they should explore to develop desirable NAB offerings and suggest chemical targets that are indicators of specific flavor qualities and/or preference for American consumers.