Treatment of allomaltol (I) with acetaldehyde (II) and NaOH in H2O affords pyranone derivative (III), which is benzylated by means of benzyl bromide (IV) and NaOH in refluxing H2O/MeOH to provide compound (V). O-Methylation of (V) by reaction with NaH and MeI in DMF furnishes methoxyethyl derivative (VI), which is then heated with methylamine and NaOH in EtOH/H2O to yield pyridinone derivative (VII). Finally, the benzyl group of (VII) is removed by hydrogenation over Pd/C in MeOH to give the desired product.