Name: International Incident
Ingredients: 1/4 oz Vodka; 1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur; 1/4 oz Amaretto; 1/4 oz Hazelnut Liqueur; 1/2 oz Irish Cream Liqueur

Why it works: Coffee and hazelnut work together. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 86 recipes. Both carry 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine, which smells roasted, earthy. The science ↓

International Incident

Ingredients

Directions

Shake with ice and strain into shot glass.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Coffee + hazelnuttop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together86 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, earthy).
Vodka + creamtop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together202 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Coffee + creamtop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together2,339 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
Hazelnut + creamtop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together332 recipes

Shared aroma: octanal (fat, soap).
Vodka + coffeetop 23% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together65 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Vodka: Provides a neutral alcoholic base that carries the other liqueurs without adding much flavour.
Coffee liqueur: Adds sweetness and roasted coffee flavour that anchors the shot.
Amaretto: Contributes almond-like sweetness and aroma.
Hazelnut liqueur: Adds nutty sweetness and aroma that rounds out the layers of flavour.
Irish cream liqueur: Adds dairy-based fat and creaminess that softens the alcohol and gives body.

“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.