This study was performed by questionnaire to investigate the preference and intake frequency of Korean traditional commercial beverages. The subjects were consisted of 320 participants in Daegu and Kyungpook area. 'Chain market' scored 49.4% as purchasing place of traditional beverages. 'Tea bag' scored 31.6% as the favorite package of traditional beverages. On the reasons of drinking traditional beverage 'good for health' scored the highest with 31.3% respondents, followed by 'good smell' with 14.4%. Coffee and traditional tea were the choice of beverage after having a rich meal and on occasion of entertaining guests. The favorite foods in ordinary days were 'tea', 'alcohol', 'ice cream', 'nuts' and 'cookie'. More than thirty percent of the respondents, both male and female, raised the need of improvement in taste of traditional beverage. In the intake frequency, Korea traditional beverages obtained 1.80 points as a whole. 'Green tea' scored highest(3.40points) while 'mulberry-leaf tea' received the lowest score of 1.31 points. The preferred Korean traditional drinks were 'greed tea', 'shick hae', 'citron tea', 'misitgaru', 'maesil tea', 'rice tea' in the order. On the other hand, the preference for 'mulberry-leaf tea', 'boxthom tea', 'ginger tea', 'chrysanthemum tea' and 'omija tea' was very low. The people who are on twenties preferred 'shick hae', 'honey tea', 'citron tea', 'black tea' and 'misitgaru' more than the other generation.

Fermentation characteristics and quality changes of the typical Korean traditional alcoholic beverages (Kwahaju, Sokokju, Baikhaju, Samhaeju and Hosanchun) were investigated during fermentation and after aging, respectively. They were prepared by their own brewing methods with respect to the same contents of rice and Nuruk (Korean-style bran koji). The consumed total sugar content of the alcoholic beverages (Sokokju, Baikhaju, Samhaeju and Hosanchun) which were brewed with the multiple input steps of seed mash and raw material (ABMIS) was higher than that of the alcoholic beverage (Kwahaju) which was brewed with the single input step (ABSIS). The pH values of all the beverages were similar and were ranged from 3.2 to 3.6. The acidity of ABMIS were lower than that of ABSIS, but alcohol concentration of ABMIS were higher. The fermentation period of the alcoholic beverages with triple input steps was the longest among them. The inner temperature and microbial growth in all the beverages increased at each of input steps of the raw materials. Fusel oil content of ABMIS was lower than that of ABSIS. Major components of the fusel oil were iso-amyl alcohol, iso-butanol, n-propanol, ethyl acetate and acetaldehyde, and its minor components were methanol and n-butanol. The results on quality changes of the alcoholic beverages after aging showed increase of alcohol in ABMIS, but decrease of sugar and acidity. Fusel oil contents of Kwahaju and Samhaeju decreased to be ranged from 3.1% to 13.9% after aging, but those of Sokokju, Baikhaju and Hosanchun increased to be ranged from 10.9% to 23.0%. Sensory evaluation of ABMIS showed better scores than that of ABSIS. It was suggested that the brewing method with multiple input steps of seed mash and raw material was one of the methods to increase fermentation efficiency for brewing the Korean traditional alcoholic beverages.

우리나라 음료에 관한 현재까지의 과학적 연구결과를 수집하여 고찰하였다. 음료분야에서 수집된 최근의 연구논문은 총 79편이었으며 이들을 분류해보면 순다류 관련문헌이 11편, 유사다류 38편, 숭늉류 3편, 미식류 4편, 식혜류 9편, 수정과류 1편, 화채류 관련문헌 10편,기타문헌이 5편이었다. 현재 보고되어 있는 논문의 대부분이 음료의 성분을 규명하거나 제조방법이나 가공에 대한 연구이다. 따라서 음료의 재료에 관한 품질특성과 저장수명에 대한 더 많은 연구와 한국 고유음료의 산업화를 위한 다각적인 연구가 필요하다고 사료된다.

우리나라 전통 음청류에 관한 역사적 배경을 고찰하고 8세기부터 1940년대까지의 기록으로부터 주류를 제외한 전통음료의 종류와 제조방법을 조사하였다. 옛 문헌에 기술된 음청류는 모두 70여가지로 집계되었으며 이들을 제조방법과 품질특성에 따라 순다류, 유사다류, 탕류, 장류, 숙수류, 미음류, 미식류, 식혜류, 수정과류, 화채류의 10가지로 분류하였다. 옛 문헌에서는 장(漿), 탕(湯), 청(淸), 다(茶)사이에 명확한 구분을 하고 있지 않았다. 밥을 유산균 발효시켜 물로 회석하여 만든 음료인 장(漿)은 신라, 고려시대에는 보편화된 음료로 보이나 오늘날에는 완전히 잊혀진 것으로 판단된다. 그 외의 음료는 18세기에 기술된 제조방법과 오늘의 제조방법 사이에 큰 차이를 보이지 않고 있다.