FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT  1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES  2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10  rule 13)

A process for production of an alcoholic beverage from cashew apple and raisins and the alcoholic beverage produced thereof

Dr. Prasanna Belur. Devarbhatta.
Address- National Institute of Technology
Karnataka  Surathkal Mangalore-575 025.
Karnataka  India
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed…

Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an alcoholic beverage and a process for production of the alcoholic beverage from cashew apple and raisins. Particularly  the present invention relates to wine and a process for production of wine from cashew apple and raisins.

Background of the invention
Cashew is composed of two parts: the nut and the peduncle (cashew apple)  which is underutilized. The product of greater economic expression is the nut  which is a highly sought after for its nutritional value  taste and aroma. Cashew apple is a pseudo-fruit  rich in reducing sugars (fructose and glucose)  vitamins  minerals and some amino acids. Although cashew apples can be consumed as juice  ice cream and other foodstuffs  the consumption of fruits is very much limited. More than 90% of the cashew apple is being wasted. A small portion is used for the production of “Fenni” a distilled alcoholic spirit in Goa  India. As such  cashew apples are considered an agriculture residue.

Cashew apples are rich source of carbohydrates  minerals  vitamins  amino acids  carotenoids  phenolics  organic acids  and antioxidants and considered as source of energy. The cashew apple is an excellent source of ascorbic acid (averaging 200-275 mg/100 ml of juice)  which is about five to seven times that of orange juice. It is also a rich source of Vitamin A precursors.

Several attempts were made in Brazil  India  Nigeria etc. to find uses of cashew apple. Cashew apple wine  Cashew apple “functional food”  Cashew apple health drink  feed stock for prebiotics production are some of the potential technologies for the use of cashew apple.

Besides possessing nutritional properties  these are not consumed like other fruits due to astringency. Astringency is due to polyphenols  tannins (0.35%)  and unknown oily substances (3%) present in the waxy layer of the skin. The binding of tannins to salivary glycoproteins develops astringent taste. Leucodelphinidin  the major polyphenolic compound and other phenolic acids (gallic acid  protocatechuic acid  conjugate cinnamic acid  and free cinnamic acid) are found in cashew apple juice. During preservation  the unstable polyphenols undergo chemical and biochemical reactions  and result in browning. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) catalyses the oxidation of polyphenols to quinones which undergo non-enzymatic reactions with proteins and carbohydrates to produce brown colored compounds  melanins. Such browning reactions are detrimental to nutritional quality and change sensory attributes. Further  tannins interfere with the assimilation of proteins in the body  resulting in nutritional deficiency. Further  the sugar content in the cashew apple juice is low and varies between 6-10 %(w/v). Thus addition of sucrose (table sugar) is necessary to increase the Brix (gm of sucrose in 100gm of solution) of the juice  so as to make it fit for wine fermentation. Additionally  it is necessary to add ammonium phosphate and magnesium sulfate to meet the nutritional requirement of yeast during fermentation.

Conventional cashew apple wine is cheaper to produce but is harsher in taste and has some degree of astringency due to the presence of various polyphenols (even after tannin removal treatment). Also  due to the presence of 2-methyl butanoic acid and related compounds  wine gets an unpleasant sweaty odor. Further it was observed that the characteristic fruit flavors fade very rapidly during storage  which makes it difficult for the manufacturer to offer consistent quality to the consumer all the time. Further  conventional cashew apple wine lacks the fine translucent red/transparent colour. More importantly  the sweet  fruity  cashew like aroma which lacks the body (perceived “weight”-the sensation of fullness  when tasted) and palate (combined feeling of mouth and nose  when tasted) as compared to the traditional grape wine made  makes it less appealing to the consumer. Thus  cashew apple continues to be considered as an agricultural waste.

Straw wine  or raisin wine  is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The classic method dries clusters of grapes on mats of straw in the sun  but some regions dry them under cover  some hang up the grapes  and the straw may be replaced by modern racks. The main effect of drying grapes is the loss of water and the consequent concentration of sugars. Raisins contain 6-8 times more sugar than grapes. The “total acidity”  polyphenol  phenolic acid  and tannin content also increases due to drying. Protocatechuic and oxidized cinnamic acids  are present at a higher level in raisins compared to grapes. Raisins are rich in anthocyanins  which are strong anti oxidants. Another important phytochemical Reservatrol is found in large quantity in raisins. Reservatrol is a known to have several beneficial effects including anti cancer  anti inflammatory and anti oxidant properties.

Raisin (Straw) wine available in the market is expensive and much sweeter in taste. Often these wines are nutty in taste. These wines lack any appreciable quantity of vitamins. Further  these wines tend to be particularly high in “volatile acids”  a direct result of drying. The acetic acid of such wine may well exceed legal levels  sometimes entailing unacceptably high sulfur dioxide additions (Reference-The oxford companion to wine by Jancis Robinson  third edition  Oxford University Press).

Thus  there is a need to remove the drawbacks of conventional cashew apple and raisin wines. There is also a need to utilize cashew apples so as to provide additional remuneration to the cashew apple farmers. Further  there is a need to utilize all the nutritional attributes of cashew apple and raisins and provide a wine which is pleasant in taste  cheaper and meets all the criteria of a good quality wine.

Summary of the Invention
According to an embodiment the present invention provides a process for production of an alcoholic beverage comprising the steps of preparing an inoculum of yeast  pretreating cashew apples and raisins  crushing the pretreated cashew apples and raisins to obtain cashew apple juice and raisin juice  removing tannins from the cashew apple juice  mixing the cashew apple juice with the raisin juice to obtain a juice mix having a sugar content of 20-30 Brix  fermenting the juice mix with the yeast inoculum for 20-30 days to obtain the alcoholic beverage  reducing the malic acid content of the alcoholic beverage by malolactic fermentation for 15-25 days  and  filtering the alcoholic beverage using fining agents.

According to an embodiment the present invention further provides an alcoholic beverage produced using the process.

According to an embodiment the alcoholic beverage comprises ethyl alcohol  sulfur dioxide  copper  iron  nickel  chromium  manganese  zinc  vitamin C and antioxidants.

According to a preferred embodiment  the invention provides an alcoholic beverage comprising ethyl alcohol % (v/v) in the range of 10.5-14.5  sulfur dioxide mg/ L max. in the range of 50-100  copper mg/L max. in the range of 0-0.05  iron  mg/L max. in the range of 0.5-1.5  nickel mg/L max. in the range of 0-0.080  chromium mg/L max. in the range of 0.50-0.75  manganese mg/L max. in the range of 0.05-0.075  zinc mg/L max. in the range of 0.05-0.15  vitamin C  mg/L in the range of 300-800  and antioxidant activity mM TE/ L in the range of 2.0-2.4.

Detailed Description of the Invention
The present invention will now be described in detail with respect to the detailed description provided below.

Various embodiments of the present invention provide a process of preparation of an alcoholic beverage and the alcoholic beverage produced by the process.

According to an embodiment the present invention provides a process for production of an alcoholic beverage. The process comprises the steps of preparing an inoculum of yeast  pretreating cashew apples and raisins  crushing the pretreated cashew apples and raisins to obtain cashew apple juice and raisin juice  removing tannins from the cashew apple juice  mixing the cashew apple juice with the raisin juice to obtain a juice mix having a sugar content of 20-30 Brix  fermenting the juice mix with the yeast inoculum for 20-30 days to obtain the alcoholic beverage  reducing the malic acid content of the alcoholic beverage by malolactic fermentation for 15-25 days  and  filtering the alcoholic beverage using fining agents.

According to another embodiment  the yeast is non-limitingly selected from Saccharomyces cerevisiae  Saccharomyces pastorianus  Saccharomyces uvarum  Saccharomyces ellipsoideus  Saccharomyces bayanus and Saccharomyces paradoxus.
However  any other yeast can be used for production of ethanol. Any other micro-organisms apart from yeasts which meet the requirement of production of ethanol may be employed and are within the scope of the present invention.

According to an exemplary embodiment  the yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

According to yet another embodiment  the malolactic fermentation is carried out using bacteria selected from Oenococcus  Lactobacillus and Pediococcus.

According to an exemplary embodiment  the bacteria are Oenococcus oeni.

The main purpose of the malolactic fermentation is to reduce the malic acid content provided by fermentation of raisins. Use of other micro-organisms or any other techniques to reduce the malic acid content of the alcoholic beverage may be apparent to a person skilled in the art and lie within the ambit of the present invention.

According to a further embodiment  the pretreatment of cashew apples comprises sanitization of cashew apples using any one of steam (for 2-5 minutes)  chlorinated water  quaternary ammonium compounds and hypochlorite solution. Preferably  the pretreatment of cashew apples comprises treatment with 2-5%  more preferably with 3% chlorinated water.

According to another embodiment  the choice of raisins can be made based upon the wine style and quality. If red cashew apple wine is desired  raisins non-limitingly selected from Cabernet Franc  Shiraz  Cabernet Sauvignon  Merlot  Zinfandel  Pinot Noir can be used. If white wine is desired  raisins non-limitingly selected from Chardonny  Chennin Blanc  Pinot Blanc  Sauvignon Blanc  Viognier can be taken.

According to yet another embodiment  the pretreatment step of raisins comprises steeping raisins in hot water for 1-45 minutes. Preferably the raisins are steeped in boiling water for 10-30 minutes. More preferably  the raisins are steeped in water at 85-105°C for 15-25 minutes. The duration of steeping and temperature are two important parameters  which determines the colour  aroma and taste of the final product.

According to a further embodiment  tannins are removed from the cashew apple juice by using any one or more of isinglass  egg white  casein  gelatin  starch  sago  celite and polyvinyl pyrolidone. Isinglass  egg white  casein and gelatin are used along with heat treatment. Heating was necessary to hasten the process of complexation between tannins and added proteins.

According to an exemplary embodiment  tannins are removed from the cashew apple juice by adding 4-6% gelatin (w/v) and heating at a temperature of 80-120° C for 10-30 minutes.

According to another embodiment  after the step of removing tannins  the cashew apple juice and after the step of malolactic fermentation the alcoholic beverage is optionally stabilized using potassium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite. Any other methods of stabilization  known to a person ordanarily skilled in the art can be employed to halt the growth of unwanted micro-organisms.

According to a further embodiment  the mixing step is optionally followed by the step of adjusting the pH to 3-4 using tartaric acid. Preferably  the pH is adjusted to 3.5.

According to another embodiment  the juice mix is fermented with the yeast inoculum at a temperature of 10-20° C for 20-30 days. Preferably  the juice mix is fermented with yeast at a temperature of 16° C for 25-30 days.

According to still another embodiment  the malolactic fermentation of the alcoholic beverage is carried out at a temperature of 10-20° C for 15-25 days. According to a preferred embodiment  the malolactic fermentation of the alcoholic beverage is carried out at a temperature of 16° C for 20-25 days.

According to an embodiment  the fining agents for coagulation and facilitating subsequent filtration are selected from amongst bentonite powder  celite  egg white  casein and isinglass.

According to a further embodiment  the alcoholic beverage is bottled and stored a controlled temperature according to conventional technologies known to a person ordinarily skilled in the art.

According to an embodiment the present invention further provides an alcoholic beverage produced using the process.

According to an embodiment the alcoholic beverage comprises ethyl alcohol  sulfur dioxide  copper  iron  nickel  chromium  manganese  zinc  vitamin C and antioxidants.

According to an embodiment  the invention provides an alcoholic beverage comprising ethyl alcohol % (v/v) in the range of 10.5-14.5  sulfur dioxide mg/ L max. in the range of 50-100  copper mg/L max. in the range of 0-0.05  iron  mg/L max. in the range of 0.5-1.5  nickel mg/L max. in the range of 0-0.080  chromium mg/L max. in the range of 0.50-0.75  manganese mg/L max. in the range of 0.05-0.075  zinc mg/L max. in the range of 0.05-0.15  vitamin C  mg/L in the range of 300-800  and antioxidant activity mM TE/ L in the range of 2.0-2.4.

According to another embodiment  the alcoholic beverage has volatile acids in g/L in the range of 0.3-1.1  total acidity in g/L in the range of 6-10.5  residual reducing sugars in the range of 1-30 and pH between 3.5 to 3.9.

According to a further embodiment  the alcoholic beverage produced using the above method is carbonated. The addition of carbon dioxide can be achieved by known techniques of internal secondary fermentation or force-injection. Any other techniques known to a person skilled in the art can also be used to achieve carbonation. The resulting alcoholic beverage contains about 3.92-4.25 g of Carbon dioxide per liter.

According to another embodiment  to the alcoholic beverage produced using the above method are added powdered dry herbs such as cloves  cinnamon  cardamom  pimento  coriander  marjoram  chamomile  hyssop  ginger  nutmeg  mace  pepper etc. and stirred for suitable time  until the flavors gets dissolved in the wine. Then the insoluble materials are removed by filtration and the wine is bottled.

According to yet another embodiment  the wine produced using the above method is optionally subjected to fortification and aging. Additional quantity of odorless alcohol (cashew apple alcohol or any suitable alcohol) to make it strong. After pasteurization  this wine is stored in wooden barrels/ glass bottles for 12 months or more  for aging. During this process  young wine loses its raw and harsh flavor and acquires desirable palate and bouquet.

Examples

Example 1
Preparation of Wine

A. Preparation of inoculum of yeast
2g of wine yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was mixed in 20 ml sterile water and incubated at 20-30°C for about 20 minutes. This rehydrated the yeast cells. Then it was mixed with 5-6 ml of raisin juice and was incubated for another 30 minutes to activate the yeast cells. The resulting inoculum was sufficient for fermenting 1 liter juice mix.

B. Preparation of inoculum of lactic acid bacteria
The seed for the malolactic fermentation called the inoculum was prepared by mixing 5g of Oenococcus oeni in 40 ml sterile water and incubated at 20-30°C for about 20 minutes. This will rehydrate the bacterial cells. Then it was mixed with 20 ml of raisin juice and was incubated for another 30 minutes to activate the bacterial cells. The resulting inoculum was sufficient for 10 liter wine.

C. Pretreatment of cashew apples and raisins
Fully ripened cashew apple fruits collected from the farm were washed to remove adhering dirt and extraneous materials. Then fruits were sanitized by washing with 3 % (w/v) chlorinated water and crushed in a blender. Fruit juice was extracted from the fruit pulp by squeezing. The fruit juice available will be highly astringent due to the presence of high concentration of tannins. Tannins were removed from the juice by gelatin treatment. The fruit juice was added with Gelatin (4-6 % (w/v)) and heated to 100° C for 20 minutes. Then the juice was cooled and was kept undisturbed for several hours to facilitate sedimentation. After complete sedimentation  clear juice was decanted. The clear liquid was mixed with Potassium metabisulfite at the concentration of 50 ppm and stored in airtight containers at 4°C till further use.

Fully dried Cabernet Sauvignon raisins were mixed with double the portion of boiling water (w/w) and kept for steeping for 15-25 minutes. Then the steeped raisins were crushed gently and the juice was extracted from the fruit pulp.

The steeping temperature and time was optimized by full factorial search method for Cabernet Sauvignon raisins sourced from Sangli  Maharastra. The temperature was fixed at 85  95 and 102° C and code named as T1  T2 and T3. The time of steeping was fixed at 15  20  25 and 30 minutes  code named as t1  t2  t3 and t4. The data can be found in Table 1 below.

From these experiments it was clear that  steeping at 95°C for 15-25 minutes would give an intense bright red colored juice  with desirable odor without any mold growth. However  the sugar extraction was maximum at 25-30 minutes steeping. It was concluded that a steeping regime of 95°C for 25 minutes is ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon raisin sourced from Sangli  Maharastra.

After steeping at the desired temperature-time regime  the raisins were crushed gently and kept at 16° C for 1 week. Then the juice is extracted from the skin/ broken raisins. The Brix was checked and added to the clarified cashew-apple juice to get the desired Brix. The pH of the mixture was adjusted to 3.5 by adding appropriate amount of Tartaric acid.

The must quality was assessed after 1 week (before adding to cashew-apple juice) in terms of color  residual sugar  mold growth and odor. Based upon the result  the wine is allowed to continue or discarded.

Table 1- Steeping conditions

Parameter T1 x t1 T1 x t2 T1 x t3 T1 x t4 T2 x t1 T2 x t2 T2 x t3 T2 x t4 T3 x t1 T3 x t2 T3 x t3 T4 x t4
Color Light Light Light Light Intense
Bright Intense
Bright Intense
Bright Intense
Bright Intense
Bright Intense
Dull Intense
Dull Intense
Dull
Brix 22 24 25.2 31 31 32.2 34.1 34.1 33 34.1 34.2 34.1
Mold growth
Positive
Positive
Positive
Negative
Negative
Negative
Negative
Negative
Negative
Negative
Negative
Negative
Odour Vinous  nutty Vinous nutty Vinous nutty Vinous nutty Vinous nutty Vinous nutty Vinous nutty Nutty
Burnt Nutty
burnt Nutty
Burnt Nutty
Burnt Nutty
Burnt

D. Preparation of alcoholic beverage
The juice from Raisins was mixed with appropriate quantity of cashew apple juice so as to get the appropriate sugar content 22-24 Brix. The pH of the mixture was adjusted to 3.5 by adding appropriate quantity of Tartaric acid crystals (not exceeding 6.5 g/L). One liter of this juice mix was added with the prepared inoculum and allowed to ferment at 16°C for 20-30 days or till the fermentation stops. The fermentation was carried out in containers having air-lock  so that atmospheric oxygen does not come in contact with the fermenting juice. The end of fermentation was recognized by the absence of any effervescence or the constant value of Brix. The wine produced was filtered and mixed with Oenococcus oeni inoculum to carry out malolactic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation was carried out for 21 days at 16°C. After the completion of malo-lactic fermentation  Bentonite powder was added. The wine was filtered using a fine filter set up and the clear wine was mixed with Potassium metabisulfite at the concentration of 50 ppm and bottled.

Example 2
Characteristics of the alcoholic beverage
A. Composition of the alcoholic beverage
The alcoholic beverage obtained by the process described herein is as provided in Table 2 below.

Table 2- Quality attributes
Sr. No. Characteristics measured Values BIS specification
1. Ethyl alcohol % (v/v) 12.5 10.5-15.0
2. Total acidity as Tartaric acid  g/ L 7.05 4.0- 15.0
3. Volatile acidity as acetic acid  g/L  max. 1.08 1.3
4. Sulfur dioxide  mg/ L max. 60 350
5. Residual reducing sugar g/ L max. 26 150
6. Presence of methyl alcohol Negative Must be negative
7. Copper  mg/L max. 0 5
8. Iron  mg/L max. 0.537 15
9. Nickel  mg/L max. 0065 -
10. Chromium  mg/L max. 0.513 -
11. Manganese  mg/L max. 0.061 -
12. Zinc  mg/L max. 0.05 -
13. Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)  mg/L 385 -
14. pH 3.8 -
15. Antioxidant activity  mM TE/ L 2.4 -

B. Sensory Evaluation of the alcoholic beverage
Sensory evaluation of Cashew apple wine  raisin (Cabernet Sauvignon) wine and cashew-apple-raisin (Cabernet Sauvignon) wine was conducted in the lab. The wines were examined after allowing the wine to breathe for 30 min. at 16°C. All the four were coded and were blind tasted (in duplicate) and rated on hedonic and characteristic charts as per modified UC Davis method  the results of which are given in Table 3 below. The tasting was done by 2 trained panelists and the results were reported as mean values.

Table 3- Hedonic chart
Attributes Marks
Cashew-apple wine Raisin (Cabernet Sauvignon) wine Cashew-apple-raisin (Cabernet Sauvignon) wine Premium brand Indian market wine
Visual Clarity 4 3 3 2
Odor Intensity 5 4 5 3
Duration 5 4 3 3
Quality 2 4 5 3
Flavor Intensity 4 3 4 2
Duration 5 3 3 2
Quality 4 4 6 3
Finish Duration 1 2 2 3
Quality 3 3 6 3
Marks are allotted from 6 to 0  Exceptional- 6  Very good- 5  Above average- 4  Average- 3  Below average-2  Poor-1  Faulty-0.

C. Qualitative analysis
The qualitative analysis of the wine revealed the following:

Table 4- Characteristics chart
Attributes Marks
Remarks about Cashew-apple-raisin (Cabernet Sauvignon) wine
Cashew-apple wine Raisin (Cabernet Sauvignon) wine Premium brand Indian market wine (Cabernet Sauvignon) Cashew-apple-raisin (Cabernet Sauvignon) wine
Appearance
Cloudy 0  Clear 1  Brilliant 2 1 2 2 1 Clear  Red color with brownish tinge.
Color
Distinctly off 0  Slightly off 1  Correct 2 2 2 2 2
Aroma and bouquet
Vinous 1  Distinct but not varietal 2  Varietal 3  Subtract 1 or 2 for off-odors  add 1 for bouquet 2 1 2 3 Varietal  soothing  pleasant fruity 
Vinegary
Oblivious 0  Slight 1  None 2 1 2 1 2
Total acidity
Distinctly high or low 0  Slightly high or low 1 Normal 2 0 0 1 2
Sweetness
Too high or too low 0  Normal 1 1 1 1 1
Body
Too high or too low 0  Normal 1 0 (too low) 0 (too high) 1 1 Light bodied.
Flavor
Distinctly abnormal 0  Slightly abnormal 1  Normal 2 1 1 1 2
Bitterness
Distinctly high 0  Slightly high 1  Normal 2 2 1 1 2
General quality
Lacking 0  Slight 1  Impressive 2 1 1 1 2 Impressive  sweet flavored  varietal  fruity light bodied wine  having distinct cashew apple flavor.

One of the most striking features of this wine is its unique organoleptic properties and appearance as compared to the raisin wines (straw wines) and cashew apple wines. The wine produced from raisins will have intense  complex taste often having nutty taste. Whereas the cashew apple wine lacks the fine translucent red/ transparent colour more importantly  the sweat  fruity  cashew like aroma which lack the body (perceived “weight”-the sensation of fullness  when tasted) and palate (combined feeling of mouth and nose  when tasted) as compared to the traditional wines.

Thus the present invention is able to produce a wine having pleasant distinct fruity aroma of cashew apple along with all the desirable properties of raisins having higher Vitamin-C content and antioxidants.

Moreover  the current invention primarily uses cashew apple fruit for wine making. Raisins are added in limited quantity to make up the sugar content  essential nutrients  anthocyanins and other polyphenols. Use of large quantity of cashew apple fruit  which is otherwise considered an agricultural residue  will offer sizeable income to the cashew farmer. The use of table sugar (sucrose)  ammonium phosphate and magnesium sulfate etc. is avoided as fermenting raisins along with cashews in the manner provided by the present invention provides all the required nutrients for yeast fermentation  which results in a good quality alcoholic beverage.

As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art  the present invention may easily be produced in other specific forms without departing from its essential characteristics.

The present embodiments are  therefore  to be considered as merely illustrative and not restrictive  the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description  and all changes which come within therefore intended to be embraced therein.

We claim:

1. A process for production of an alcoholic beverage  the process comprising the steps of:
preparing an inoculum of yeast;
pretreating cashew apples and raisins;
crushing the pretreated cashew apples and raisins to obtain cashew apple juice and raisin juice;
removing tannins from the cashew apple juice;
mixing the cashew apple juice with the raisin juice to obtain a juice mix having a sugar content of 20-30 Brix;
fermenting the juice mix with the yeast inoculum for 20-30 days to obtain the alcoholic beverage;
reducing the malic acid content of the alcoholic beverage by malo-lactic fermentation for 15-25 days; and
filtering the alcoholic beverage using fining agents.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1  wherein the yeast is selected from any one of Saccharomyces cerevisiae  Saccharomyces pastorianus  Saccharomyces uvarum  Saccharomyces ellipsoideus  Saccharomyces bayanus and Saccharomyces paradoxus.

3. The process as claimed in claim 2  wherein the yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1  wherein the malo-lactic fermentation is carried out using bacteria selected from Oenococcus  Lactobacillus and Pediococcus.

5. The process as claimed in claim 4  wherein the bacteria are Oenococcus oeni.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1  wherein the pretreatment of cashew apples comprises sanitization of cashew apples with any one of steam  chlorinated water  quaternary ammonium compounds and hypochlorite solution.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1  wherein the pretreatment of raisins comprises steeping raisins in boiling water for 1-45 minutes.

8. The process as claimed in claim 7  wherein the raisins are steeped in boiling water for 10-25 minutes.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1  wherein tannins are removed from the cashew apple juice by adding one or more of isinglass  egg white  casein  gelatin  starch  sago  celite and polyvinyl pyrolidone.

10. The process as claimed in claim 9  wherein tannins are removed from the cashew apple juice by adding 4-6% gelatin (w/v) and heating at a temperature of 80-120° C for 10-30 minutes.

11. The process as claimed in any one of claims 1  9 or 10  wherein after the step of removing tannins  the cashew apple juice is optionally stabilized using potassium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite and after the step of malo-lactic fermentation the alcoholic beverage is optionally stabilized using potassium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1  wherein the mixing step is optionally followed by the step of adjusting the pH to 3-4.

13. The process as claimed in claim 1  wherein the juice mix is fermented with the yeast inoculum at a temperature of 10-20° C.

14. The process as claimed in claim 1  wherein the malo-lactic fermentation of the alcoholic beverage is carried out at a temperature of 10-20° C for 15-25 days.

15. The process as claimed in claim 1  wherein the fining agents are selected from any one of bentonite powder  celite  egg white  casein and isinglass.

16. An alcoholic beverage obtained by the process of any one of the claims 1-15.

17. An alcoholic beverage comprising ethyl alcohol  sulfur dioxide  copper  iron  nickel  chromium  manganese  zinc  vitamin C and antioxidants.

18. The alcoholic beverage as claimed in claim 17  wherein the beverage comprises:
Ethyl alcohol % (v/v) in the range of 10.5-14.5;
Sulfur dioxide  mg/ L  max. in the range of 50-100;
Copper  mg/L max. in the range of 0-0.05;
Iron  mg/L max. in the range of 0.5-1.5;
Nickel  mg/L max. in the range of 0-0.080;
Chromium  mg/L max. in the range of 0.50-0.75;
Manganese  mg/L max. in the range of 0.05-0.075;
Zinc  mg/L max. in the range of 0.05-0.15;
Vitamin C  mg/L in the range of 300-800; and
Antioxidant activity  mM TE/ L in the range of 2.0-2.4.

Dated this the 18th day of December  2012
S Afsar
Attorney for the Applicant
Of Krishna & Saurastri Associates
Registration No. IN/PA-1073
Abstract

A process for production of an alcoholic beverage comprising the steps of preparing an inoculum of yeast  pretreating cashew apples and raisins  crushing the pretreated cashew apples and raisins to obtain cashew apple juice and raisin juice  removing tannins from the cashew apple juice  mixing the cashew apple juice with the raisin juice to obtain a juice mix having a sugar content of 20-30 Brix  fermenting the juice mix with the yeast inoculum for 20-30 days to obtain the alcoholic beverage  reducing the malic acid content of the alcoholic beverage by malolactic fermentation for 15-25 days  and  filtering the alcoholic beverage using fining agents.