Microbial interactions in alcoholic beverages (Review)
Rafael Torres-Guardado, Braulio Esteve-Zarzoso, Cristina Reguant, Albert Bordons
International Microbiology 2021 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-021-00200-1
This article is a review that examines the different types of interactions between the microorganisms involved in the fermentation processes of alcoholic beverages produced all over the world from cereals or fruit juices.
The alcoholic fermentation converting sugars into ethanol is usually carried out by yeasts, mainly Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which can grow directly using fruit sugars (wine, cider, and others), or on previously hydrolyzed starch of cereals (beers and others). Some of these beverages, or the worts from cereals, can be distilled to obtain spirits. Besides S. cerevisiae, all alcoholic beverages can contain other microorganisms, mostly lactic acid bacteria and other yeasts —the non-Saccharomyces yeasts—.
The interactions between all these microorganisms are very diverse and complex, as in any natural occurring ecosystem. The positive or negative effects of these interactions on the organoleptic qualities of the final product have been also revised. Focusing mainly on the alcoholic beverages produced by spontaneous fermentations, this paper reviews the interactions between the different yeasts and lactic acid bacteria in wine, cider, beer and in spirits such as tequila, mezcal and cachaça.
