Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach to determine differential metabolites between regular and non-alcohol beers

• Hop acids are differential analytes between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers.
• New desmethyl- and desoxy-derivatives of hop α-acids are tentatively identified.
• Pathways for different fragmentation pattern of iso- and α-acids are shown.

Non-alcohol beers show taste deficiencies in relation to regular (alcohol) beers as shown by consumer evaluation. In this study, multivariate statistical analysis of data obtained by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS) measurements was applied to determining differential metabolites between two regular (R1 and R2) and their related low- and non-alcohol beers (F1 and F2, respectively) from a Spanish manufacturer, as well as between F1 and F2 and two non-alcohol beers (F3 and F4) from a non-Spanish producer. Principal component analysis (PCA) of data from UPLC–MS measurements with electrospray ionization in negative mode was able to separate the six beers. Sugar content was 6-fold and 2-fold higher in F2 and F1 than in R2 and R1, respectively. Isoxanthohumol and hop acid contents decreased in F2 as compared with R2 but kept in F1 similar to R1. Results are discussed in relation to valued taste characteristics of each beer type.