Mixology & Technique

Aroma Pairing Guide

Spirit and ingredient pairings, balance principles and mixing tips for creating your own cocktails.

3 min read

Balance comes first

A great cocktail is not about a perfect palate or flawless technique alone; it is about fairness and balance between ingredients. Understand where, when, how and why a drink is served, and anticipate how ingredients will behave together.

Think in levels of intensity. For a lightly sweet drink choose watermelon, for medium sweetness apple, for heavy sweetness banana. Herbs follow the same logic: parsley and chervil are light, thyme and dill medium, rosemary and tarragon intense.

The five tastes in a glass

Each taste has a job. Use them deliberately.

Sourness brightens, refreshes and quenches thirst
Salt makes you thirsty and opens the appetite; a pinch in a sweet drink adds complexity
Sweetness is the most satisfying taste, but too much dulls flavour; it lifts fruit and spice aromas
Bitterness is the taste we are most sensitive to; it balances sweetness, cleanses the palate and invites another sip
Temperature matters: the colder a drink, the less sweetness you perceive

Mixing tips

Taste everything and be ready to adjust. Find the best ingredients you can, listen to them and let creativity come with time.

A pinch of sugar intensifies strawberries
A drop of lemon juice draws out a melon's sweetness
Of two drinks with equal sugar, a shaken one tastes less sweet than a stirred one
One 750 ml bottle gives 12 large, 18 medium or 24 tasting-size drinks
In very busy bars, pre-batch best sellers and keep them cold
Use dairy — cream, milk, egg white — as fresh as possible
Adjust sugar to the ripeness of fruit: a green banana needs more than a brown one

Spirit pairings

Start a new recipe from the base spirit and pick two or three companions from its list.

Spirit pairings

Vodka	Apple, berries, cardamom, cucumber, ginger, grapefruit, honey, lemongrass, rose, raspberry, pomegranate, black pepper, mango, pineapple, vanilla, tomato, celery, coffee, green olive, coconut, cranberry
Gin	Bergamot, mint, orange liqueur, honey, lemon and lime, cranberry, pomegranate molasses, rosemary, sage, linden, tonic, apricot brandy, basil, black pepper, celery, Champagne, coriander, cucumber
Tequila	Chili, coriander, Cointreau, ginger, pomegranate, lime, orange, salt, cinnamon, vermouth, sage
Rum	Banana, cola, coconut, ginger, grenadine, lemon and lime, maple syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange, mint, passion fruit, vanilla, vermouth, chestnut, pineapple
Whisky	Vanilla, star anise, pear, orange liqueur, lemon, honey, ginger, fig, dried fruit, cream, cinnamon, chocolate, allspice, walnut, ginger ale, maple syrup
Cognac	Vanilla, apple, cider, chocolate, cream, mushrooms, mustard
Beer	Beef, cheeses, pork, onion, sausages, shrimp

Fruit pairings

Fruit is the most common way to personalise a sour or highball.

Fruit pairings

Orange	Caramel, chocolate, Campari, honey, mint, pomegranate, Champagne, clove, vanilla, rosemary, thyme
Lemon & lime	Quince, rosemary, rum, salt, apricot, berries, caramel, cinnamon, gin, grapefruit, mango
Grapefruit	Tequila, raspberry, melon, pineapple, pomegranate, strawberry, rum, star anise, gin, Campari, Champagne
Pineapple	Mango, ginger, rum, raspberry, black pepper, star anise, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, lime, coriander, chili
Apple	Allspice, almond, Armagnac, cognac, caramel, cardamom, cinnamon, Cointreau, ginger, honey, nutmeg
Banana	Allspice, almond, apricot, Calvados, cherry, cardamom, chocolate, coconut, cream, caramel, cinnamon
Strawberry	Mint, mascarpone, coconut, tomato, balsamic vinegar, chocolate, black pepper, elderflower, yogurt, lemon
Passion fruit	Coriander, apricot, mango, lychee, caramel, banana, Champagne, egg white, lime, coconut
Melon & watermelon	Apricot, basil, berries, cherry, peppers, sambuca, vanilla, salt, tequila, cucumber, ginger, honey
Peach	Raspberry, rum, saffron, strawberry, vanilla, whisky, almond, blueberry, ginger, lavender, bourbon
Pear	Apricot, almond, allspice, apple, caramel, clove, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, fig, honey, rosemary
Mango	Mint, papaya, coconut, violet, ginger, coriander, lime, pineapple, raspberry, rum, chili
Sour cherry	Milk chocolate, chestnut, brandy, coconut, cream, clove, cinnamon, almond, honey, sage, rum, vanilla
Pomegranate	Clove, parsley, sesame, tequila, vinegar, walnut, wine, coriander, cucumber, grapefruit, ginger
Fig	Almond, anise, apple, cinnamon, cheese, clove, quince, brandy, banana, lemon, black pepper, fennel

Herbs, spices and vegetables

Herbs and spices add aroma without sugar; vegetables bring savoury depth.

Herbs, spices and vegetables

Mint	Apple, basil, berries, black pepper, bourbon, lemongrass, mango, orange, papaya, pear
Basil	Apricot, berries, white chocolate, coriander, cucumber, coconut milk, fennel, ginger, honey, citrus, pineapple
Thyme	Apricot, bay, caramel, carrot, celery, citrus, honey, fennel, fig, lavender, mint, sage
Sage	Blueberry, cardamom, sour cherry, apple, quince, cream, egg, lemon, orange, rosemary
Lavender	Fig, ginger, lemonade, orange, milk, mint, peach, pistachio, apricot, honey
Ginger	Allspice, anise, banana, carrot, chili, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, clove, coconut, cranberry
Cinnamon	Allspice, apple, banana, caramel, cardamom, chili, chocolate, clove, coffee, cranberry, fig, nutmeg
Vanilla	Apple, banana, caramel, chocolate, chili, cinnamon, citrus, coconut, coffee, date, fig, lavender, hazelnut
Cardamom	Apple, banana, caramel, cinnamon, citrus, coconut, coffee, coriander, date, ginger, hazelnut
Juniper	Allspice, coriander, lavender, olive, thyme, pepper, rosemary, vinegar, bay leaf
Chili	Allspice, cinnamon, citrus, fig, ginger, pineapple, chocolate, mango, tequila
Cucumber	Allspice, coriander, parsley, lemon, coconut milk, tomato, dill, celery, mint, melon, pineapple
Carrot	Allspice, almond, bay, celery, chili, basil, brandy, cinnamon, ginger, honey, lemon, rum
Coffee & espresso	Walnut, caramel, almond, anise, cognac, whisky, clove, cardamom, orange, rum, chocolate, vanilla
Chocolate	Pomegranate, thyme, rosemary, grappa, mint, green tea, lavender, caramel, walnut, rum, chestnut, sage