Low-alcohol phytonutrient drinks based on honey and ginger

The growing demand for natural and healthy alternatives to traditional alcoholic beverages has prompted the search for new ingredients and recipes. This article presents research on evaluating the main characteristics and quality of new recipes for low-alcohol herbal beverages based on honey and ginger. The aim of the research was to expand the range of functional low-alcohol herbal beverages. Out of more than 35 recipe variations, 3 recipes were selected based on optimal price and taste, and presented to a tasting committee at the institute for evaluation of organoleptic characteristics. Samples of the herbal beverages were analyzed for key physicochemical characteristics, as well as the content of vitamins, minerals, water-soluble antioxidants flavonoids, and the main safety indicators. The results showed that the beverages were a source of B-group vitamins, with vitamin B3 present in higher amounts (0.032-0.068 mg/100 ml), followed by vitamin B6 (0.037-0.44 mg/100 ml) and vitamin B2 (0.019-0.22 mg/100 ml). Vitamin C was also present in moderate amounts, ranging from 0.128 to 0.161 mg/100 ml. In addition, the developed beverages contained bioactive compounds, including polyphenols and flavonoids. The total polyphenol content varied from 0.02 to 0.03 %, with ginger-based beverages having higher content compared to honey-based beverages. The total flavonoid content was higher in ginger-based beverages (0.09 %) compared to honey-based beverages (0.07 %). The developed low-alcohol herbal beverages based on honey and ginger showed promising results in terms of their nutritional and functional properties, and the task of expanding the range of low-alcohol herbal beverages has been addressed through the implementation of these new recipes.