Why it works: Coffee and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,339 recipes. Both carry 2-heptanol, which smells bitter, floral. The science ↓
Beam Me Up Scotty
Ingredients
Directions
Shake with ice and strain into shot glass.
For a layered shot, pour coffee liqueur first, followed by crème de banane, and top off with Irish cream.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Coffee + creamtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,339 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Coffee liqueur
- Adds sweetness and coffee flavor as the base layer.
- Crème de banane
- Adds sweetness and banana flavor, and its sugary density helps it sit as a distinct middle layer.
- Irish cream
- Adds creamy richness and a lighter, fattier texture that floats on top as the final layer.
The step that matters
Pouring the layers in order. Layering depends on density differences: the denser, sugar-heavy liqueurs sink while the creamier, lighter liquid stays on top. Pouring slowly and in the stated order keeps the layers from mixing, while pouring quickly or in the wrong order lets them blend.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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