Beverages | Issue Cover Collection Published in 2025
1. “Barista-Quality Plant-Based Milk for Coffee: A Comprehensive Review of Sensory and Physicochemical Characteristics”
by Akansha Gupta, Russell Keast, Djin Gie Liem, Snehal R. Jadhav, Dipendra Kumar Mahato and Shirani Gamlath
Beverages 2025, 11(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11010024
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/11/1/24
Cover Story: Plant-based milk alternatives (PMAs) and their diverse applications are increasing being investigated globally due to health, ethical, and environmental concerns. Barista-quality PMAs (BPMAs) are engineered to mimic dairy milk’s sensory and functional properties in hot coffee beverages. Despite technological advances, replicating attributes such as creamy texture, stable foam for latte art, and balanced flavour remains challenging for the food industry. This review analyses the sensory and physicochemical characteristics of BPMAs in hot coffee drinks such as cappuccinos and lattes. It examines key factors affecting BPMAs’ compatibility—including functional properties, physical characteristics, and consumer acceptance—and discusses strategies to overcome these challenges, guiding the food industry in the development of next-generation BPMAs to meet consumer needs.
2. “Composition, Properties, and Beneficial Effects of Functional Beverages on Human Health”
by Andreas Panou and Ioannis Konstantinos Karabagias
Beverages 2025, 11(2), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11020040
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/11/2/40
Cover Story: Functional beverages comprise a special category of drinks free of alcohol that contain bioactive components from plant, animal, marine, or microorganism sources that contribute dynamically to the reinforcement of human health. Functional beverages are plentiful in nature and have numerous beneficial properties such as the rehydration of the body, the recovery of lost energy, increases in athletic performance, the prevention of pain in joints, improvement in heart health, improvement in immunity and the digestive system, and the creation of feelings of satiety and boosts in mood. In the recent literature, however, health experts have expressed concerns that some functional beverages may induce obesity and heart diseases or other pathophysiological disorders. Therefore, this study examines this topic in greater depth.
3. “Green Tea: Antioxidant vs. Pro-Oxidant Activity”
by Stanila Stoeva, Nadezhda Hvarchanova, Kaloyan D. Georgiev Maya Radeva-Ilieva
Beverages 2025, 11(3), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11030064
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/11/3/64
Cover Story: Green tea is widely consumed for its taste, energizing effects, and health benefits, mainly due to its catechin content. These compounds have antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties and may aid weight loss. The antioxidant action of catechins is well-documented, but high doses may result in pro-oxidant effects, causing cell damage. Thus, the administration of large quantities of green tea beverages or high doses of green tea catechins does not ensure positive results and may even cause harm. This review summarizes current knowledge on green tea catechins’ antioxidant and pro-oxidant effects and highlights the need for more research on their safe and effective use.
4. “3.0 Strategies for Yeast Genetic Improvement in Brewing and Winemaking”
by Chiara Nasuti, Lisa Solieri and Kristoffer Krogerus
Beverages 2025, 11(4), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11040100
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/11/4/100
Cover Story: The development of brewing yeast is entering a new era: “Biotechnology 3.0”. This article highlights the main approaches driving this transition and their respective pros and cons. Genetic engineering enables multiplexed modifications, though its application in Europe remains restricted by regulations and consumer acceptance. Non-GMO strategies, such as adaptive evolution, mimic natural selection to improve fermentation traits, while microbial consortia challenge the classical concept of pure cultures by exploiting cooperative strain interactions. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful tool with which to design and predict yeast “cell factories”, accelerating optimization and fostering brewing innovation. Collectively, these strategies support more efficient, sustainable fermentations and beers with novel aromatic profiles.
5. “The Impact of Brewing Methods on the Quality of a Cup of Coffee”
by Alessandro Genovese, Nicola Caporaso and Antonietta Baiano
Beverages 2025, 11(5), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11050125
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/11/5/125
Cover Story: Coffee is the world’s most traded commodity, and its quality relies on characteristics such as its color, moisture content, absence of visible defects and insect infestation, and bean size and density. However, among the factors affecting the final quality of a cup of coffee, a central role is played by various parameters of the brewing method: water (temperature volume, hardness), ground coffee (amount, particle size distribution, compaction), extraction (pressure, flow rate, and time), and cup (volume, water to ground coffee ratio). The aim of this manuscript was to provide a comprehensive overview on the impact of brewing methods on the final quality of a cup of coffee through the discussion of differences in parameters such as pH, total dissolved solids, lipid and fatty acid content, acidity, and the formation of crema.
6. “Significance of Grape Phenolic Compounds for Wine Characteristics: Dynamics and Extractability During Fruit Maturation”
by Nikolay Stoyanov, Silviya Tagareva, Tatyana Yoncheva, Vesela Shopska and Georgi Kostov
Beverages 2025, 11(6), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11060163
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/11/6/163
Cover Story: This review discussed the fundamental characteristics of grape phenolic compounds, focusing on their chemical properties and significance in winemaking. Given the higher phenolic content in red wine, particular attention is devoted to attributes such as pigmentation, co-pigmentation, bitterness, and interactions with proteins—key contributors to the perception of astringency. Phenolic compounds undergo substantial qualitative and quantitative transformations during grape ripening, which affect both their inherent properties and their extractability from solid components such as grape skins and seeds. The review also examined extractability dynamics and provided a concise overview of the analytical methods used to assess phenolic compounds in grapes and wine.