4.3. Sea Buckthorn Alcohol

Sea buckthorn alcohol refers to two types: sea buckthorn baijiu and sea buckthorn fruit wine. Sea buckthorn baijiu can be made by soaking sea buckthorn pulp or adding freeze-dried powder. Sea buckthorn fruit wine is a low-alcohol beverage derived from sea buckthorn pulp via a number of steps including crushing, enzymolysis, clarifying, acid reduction, and fermentation [131,132]. Sea buckthorn alcohol has both its own nutrients and nutrients from fermentation, which is one of the sea buckthorn industry’s most important development directions.

The fragrance of alcohol is a crucial indication of its organoleptic properties. It is produced by the metabolic processes of several microorganisms, including yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. An essential pathway towards achieving high-quality sea buckthorn alcohol production is to comprehend the influence of these microorganisms on its fragrance [131]. Ma [133] demonstrated that the primary aroma compounds present in sea buckthorn alcohol at high concentrations were 3-methyl-1-butanol (15.38%), ethyl 2-hydroxypropionate (15.193%), and phenyl ethanol (7.365%). The alcohols that gave sea buckthorn fruit wine its flavour were higher alcohols, mostly normal by-products of the yeast during the fermentation process. Sea buckthorn alcohol is murky because it is made from newly squeezed sea buckthorn beverages. Clarification is, therefore, necessary to improve the flavour and stability of sea buckthorn alcohol [134]. Liu [131] has researched the influence of the clarification process of sea buckthorn juice on the scent profile of sea buckthorn alcohol. The findings indicated a 16.45% increase in the contents of 3-methyl-1-butanol and a 5.32% increase in ethyl caprylate in sea buckthorn alcohol that underwent clarification treatment followed by fermentation, compared to those fermented from raw juice without clarification treatment. The study also highlights that clarifying the sea buckthorn juice before fermentation was more effective in promoting the formation of the alcohol’s aroma.

Apart from fragrance, colour and nutrients serve as crucial physicochemical indicators of fruit wines. Moreover, defatted sea buckthorn juice can be used as an additive to wheat beer to enhance its taste, nutrition, and colour. In the new study, Belcar et al. [135] explored the possibility of adding defatted sea buckthorn juice to wheat beer as an enhancer. The reported results indicated that the addition of 5% defatted sea buckthorn juice resulted in wheat beer with better colour, higher polyphenol content, and antioxidant capacity.

Improving the organoleptic indices and physicochemical properties of sea buckthorn alcohol is critical for the sea buckthorn alcohol industry to achieve high-quality processing. This can be achieved by analyzing scent, colour, and nutrient contents. Analysis of microbial metabolic activity during the fermentation process to better understand the mechanisms involved. Moreover, the aroma of sea buckthorn alcohol can be enhanced through the utilisation of clarification treatment technology. Skimmed sea buckthorn beverages can be added to improve the colour, nutrient content, and antioxidant activity of sea buckthorn alcohol. All of these methods can achieve superior quality processing of sea buckthorn alcohol.