Beverages containing specific cation-edible acid mixtures for improved flavor impression

A composition for preparing a liquid beverage having a pH of from about 2.5 to about 6.5, which comprises:

• (a) a flavor component which contains a flavor selected from the group consisting of fruit flavors, botanical flavors and mixtures thereof in an amount effective to impart flavor characteristics to the prepared liquid beverage;
• (b) a cation component defined by the formula:
• (8.0.times.Ca)+(7.1.times.Mg)+(7.0.times.K)+(3.0.times.Ca.times.Mg)+(12.9.t imes.Ca.times.K)+(11.5.times.Mg.times.K)+(20.3.times.Ca.times.Mg.times.K)=B
• wherein Ca is the weight ratio of calcium in said cation component, Mg is the weight ratio of magnesium in said cation component, and K is the weight ratio of potassium in said cation component, and B is from about 10.0 to about 11.3;
• and
• (c) an edible acid component defined by the formula:
• (8.7.times.cit)+(8.9.times.mal)+(11.4.times.phos)+(5.5.times.cit.times.mal )-(0.6.times.cit.times.phos)+(5.0.times.mal.times.phos)+(30.1.times.cit.tim es.mal.times.phos)=A, wherein cit is the weight ratio of citric acid in said acid component, mal is the weight ratio of malic, succinic, or a mixture of malic and succinic acid in said acid component, phos is the weight ratio of phosphoric acid in said acid component, and A is from about 9.6 to about 12.1;
• (d) said cation and acid components being in amounts effective to impart body to the prepared liquid beverage.