NATURAL ColoUr Solutions for

alcoholic beverages

COLOUR H a r v e st e d f r o m N at u r e

APPLICATION GUIDE

Caramel colour is an important source of flavour and colour for the spirits and brew-ing industries. Spirits and liqueurs contain components that are negatively charged and typically contain Class I, II, or IV Caramel Colours for colloidal stability with tan-nins. It is best to add caramel colour as close to bottling proof as possible since it may precipitate upon exceeding its given solubility in alcohol. Class I Caramel Colours are the most stable to high proof spirits compared to other classes of caramel. When adding caramel colours to specialty or flavoured alcohols, it is best to work directly with DDW’s application scientists to choose a caramel colour that won’t interact with the flavour systems.

Beer, on the other hand, requires a caramel colour with a strong positive ionic charge, such as Class III Caramel Colours and select Class I Caramel Colours, to avoid any reaction with protein.

Additionally, hard ciders often contain caramel colour to reduce batch-to-batch variation. DDW offers Burnt Sugars as well as NaturBrownTM Apple and Pear options that are stable in hard ciders. The latter are made from 100% fruit juice concentrates.

In brewing, Caramel Colour is typically add-ed either at the wort boiling stage (if large volumes are required) or at the end to stan-dardise colour lost in batch processing. Al-ternately, brewers can make adjustments to final beer colour by adding caramel to the beer during the filtration process. The caramel can be added to ensure finished product colour consistency or to target a darker colour without significantly adding to the beer’s calories or gravity.

The dosage of beer caramel varies by type. Traditional ales contain 0.02% or more to add colour and some flavour character. Certain dark beers, including some stouts and bocks, may rely on higher caramel dos-ages. Lagers require minimal caramel amounts for colour consistency (typically 0.01%) than other types. Adjusting a lager type beer to a bock beer colour would require an addition of 0.05-0.075%.

CARAMEL COLOUR IN THE BREWING PROCESS

NATURAL COLOURS FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES DDW offers natural colours, and colouring foods blends to replace synthet-ic colours in low alcoholic content beverages including hard lemonade, wine coolers, and mixers. Cold or frozen storage conditions and low to no alcohol content in these products protect the colour from degradation.

Vegetable-derived anthocyanin colours, such as purple carrot, typically show greater stability in 5% ABV over fruit-derived anthocyanins. These provide bright pink to red hues depending on the type of anthocyanin and the usage rate. Additionally, carmine can be used to replace FD&C Red #40. For yellow hues, DDW offers EmulsiTechTM beta-carotene options that demonstrate increased stability in up to 5% ABV with the addition of vita-min C over other carotenoid options.

DDW COLOURS FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES*SPECIFICATIONS 0.05% 0.1% 0.2% 0.5% TYPICAL APPLICATIONS

CLAS

S I (E

150a

) & BU

RNT S

UGAR

518Color Intensity 0.006-0.010Hue Index 7.5% ABV Stable 80%

Whiskey, Hard Lemonade, Cordials

520/720

Color Intensity 0.054-0.062Hue Index 7.0% ABV Stable 80%

Cider, Whiskey

547Color Intensity 0.042-0.052Hue Index 6.4% ABV Stable 65%

Cordials, Dark Beer, Other Malt Beverages

570Color Intensity 0.042-0.046Hue Index 7.02% ABV Stable 80%

Bourbon, Whiskey

Specialty Dark 784

Color Intensity 0.070-0.085Hue Index 6.05% ABV Stable 65%

Whiskey, Tequila, Cordials

CLAS

S II

(E150

b)

192Color Intensity 0.034-0.040Hue Index 7.0% ABV Stable 70%

Cognac, Brandy, Sherry, Cream Liqueurs

CLAS

S III (

E150

c) 301

Color Intensity 0.100-0.125Hue Index 5.6EBC (@430nm) 26,125-28,875IOB (@530nm) 30,000-40,000% ABV Stable 65%

Beer

385

Color Intensity 0.174-0.178Hue Index 5.26EBC (@430nm) 36,000-40,000IOB (@530nm) 46,000-50,000% ABV Stable 65%

Beer

CLAS

S IV

(E150

d)

055Color Intensity 0.250-0.265Hue Index 4.2% ABV Stable 65%

RTD Blended Drinks (e.g. Whiskey/Cola)

Low 4-MeI or single strength versions are also available

108Color Intensity 0.106-0.111Hue Index 4.6% ABV Stable 75%

Spiced Rum, Tequila, Hard Rootbeer, Cream Liqueurs

112Color Intensity 0.100-0.120Hue Index 4.55% ABV Stable 50%

135 Brandy

DDW TECHNOLOGIES

NaturBrown™ INGREDIENTS FOR CIDER

DDW’s NaturBrownTM ingredients are created through a simple cooking process and standardised for colour. Each contributes a unique flavour with consistent colour, ranging in hues from light golden-brown to dark red-brown. They can be added to alcohol, such as hard ciders, to standardise colour and reduce batch-to-batch variations. Fruit-derived options for ci-der include apple and pear. These ingredients do not have E numbers and can be labeled simply as “cooked [fruit] juice concentrate.“

While stability in hard ciders can vary by product or base, NaturBrownTM options are generally stable in up to 60-75% ABV, and have excellent heat, light, and pH stability.

SPECIALTY DARK BURNT SUGARS

DDW offers Specialty Dark Burnt Sugar options that are suitable for alcoholic beverages. They provide a dark red-brown colour that is up to three times darker than traditional Class I Caramel Colours, allowing product developers to decrease costs by lowering the use rate of colour in their spirit or liqueur. They can replace some single-strength Class IV Caramel Colours.

DDW’s Specialty Dark Burnt Sugar liquids show excellent stability at a 0.2% use rate in an alcohol base at 65% ABV and below. They also demonstrate very good stability in acidified alcohol at a pH 3.2 in 5, 15, and 45% ABV alcohol, as well as in barrel-aged whiskey. In both applications, no haze developed and there was no sedimentation.

65% ABV45% ABV10% ABV5% ABV

info@ddwcolour.com | + 1 353 21 4353821 | www.ddwcolour.com

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The colours shown in this guide are general representations of natural colours in alcoholic beverage applications. Colours may vary by application, system, processing method, computer monitor, and printer. To receive recommendations for your specific product, please contact us.