The stipe of shiitake, a disposable byproduct in mushroom industry, was applied as a nitrogen source in
alcoholic fermentation. Four yeast strains were screened by evaluating their fermentative efficiency and
ethanol tolerance. The results showed that shiitake stipe extract could enable yeast cell proliferation and
be sequent to good performance of sugar utilization and ethanol production, depended on strains. The
ethanol production (mL/100 mL) of 13.7 0.8, 14.1 0.9, 11.9 0.1 and 10.9 0.3 was obtained from
strains 20262, 22236, 21686 and 21992, respectively, at the end of fermentation. Ethanol tolerance of
strain in term of glucose utilization rate was more consistent with the extent of ethanol production
during fermentation than that of survival rate. Therefore, the evaluation of glucose utilization rate in
external ethanol condition might help establish a simple and quick method to screen the strains capable
of high ethanol production. The shiitake stipe alcoholic beverage would also provide comparable
consumer acceptances with a commercial Taiwanese white wine