Higher proportions of hopped barley malt enhance antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds in braggots.

The demand for high-quality fermented beverages has spurred interest in braggots, a hybrid drink made from malted barley and honey. This study aims to optimize the production process of braggots by investigating the effects of varying proportions of hopped barley malt wort and honey wort (1:0.66, 1:1 and 0.66:1, respectively) on fermentative performance, physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and sensory characteristics of the beverages. The fermentative behavior of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae JP14 was similar throughout fermentation; meanwhile, higher honey concentrations led to beverages with higher volatile acidity and glycerol content, indicating cellular stress. Maturation contributed to the smoothing of the total acidity. All beverages presented high antioxidant activity, mainly those produced with higher concentrations of hopped barley malt. The bioactive potential of this ingredient was reinforced by the higher concentration of phenolic compounds found in the beverages with this ingredient at 1:1 or in excess. Considering that all braggot produced were well accepted between untrained tasters, a higher proportion of malt in the wort is suggested for braggot production, since this ingredient favors the production of beverages with higher antioxidant activity. These findings offer valuable insights for the brewing industry, highlighting the braggots as premium beverages with potential health-benefits. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-024-06173-z.