engleski

VOLATILE PROFILE OF VARIOUS SPIRIT DRINKS AS DETERMINED BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY

Spirit drinks produced by distillation of fermented fruits, often aromatised with various additives, like herbs, spices, fruits or nuts are traditional food products of South East Europe. Besides ethanol, spirit drinks contain a number of volatile congeners whose concentration and composition varies based on the fruit used for fermentation as well as on fermentation type, distillation and storage conditions. Characterisation of volatile compounds in spirit drinks is important for determination of spirit type but also for quality evaluation. Volatile profile of 17 spirit drinks from Herzegovina area was determined using gas chromatography with flame-ionisation detector (GC-FID). Following volatile components were analysed: ethanol, methanol, propan-1-ol, 2-methylpropan-1-ol, 3-methylbutan-1-ol and ethyl acetate. Identification of separated compounds was performed based on the retention time and quantification using internal calibration method. 7 samples had ethanol concentration, expressed as alcoholic strength by volume, below 37.5 %, therefore were not in compliance with regulations. All analysed samples had methanol concentration in line with prescribed value ; pear spirit samples had significantly higher methanol concentrations (793.50 and 815.82 g/hL a.a., respectively) compared to the other analysed spirits (4.42 – 361.36 g/hL a.a.). From other analysed volatile compounds, highest average concentration of 3-methylbutan-1-ol was obtained. Having in mind that more than a half of the analysed samples were from domestic production and not intended for sale but personal use, as well as the fact that consumers preferences dictate final characteristics of spirit drink, results obtained in this study indicate production of spirit drink with low alcoholic strength by volume in Hercegovina area.

spirit drink, volatile profile, gas chromatography

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