Research Progress on Raw Materials, Adjuncts, and Flavor Formation in Craft Beer

Today, consumers' growing demand for higher-quality beer and their desire for unique sensory experiences are propelling the craft beer movement into a new trend within the beer industry's production and consumption landscape. Unlike traditional beers with their single-ingredient combinations, craft beers innovatively incorporate special functional adjuncts. These adjuncts produce unique aromas and nutritional value during fermentation, primarily manifested in flavor compounds such as alcohols, esters, and organic acids. However, current craft beer production faces challenges like extended fermentation cycles and flavor instability, limiting the development of its distinctive characteristics. This paper is the first to focus on analyzing the relationship between raw material and adjuncts characteristics and flavor formation in craft beer, aiming to provide innovative insights for the transformation and upgrading of the traditional beer industry.