Why it works: Cream and vodka work together. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 202 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Terminator
Ingredients
Directions
Pour carefully, in order given, into cordial glass. Ensure each ingredient floats on the preceding, without mixing.
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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Cream + vodkatop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together202 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Coffee + creamtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,339 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
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Coffee + vodkatop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked 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
- Coffee liqueur
- Adds coffee sweetness and flavour as the dense base layer of the drink.
- Irish cream liqueur
- Adds creamy sweetness and fat, forming a smooth layer above the coffee liqueur.
- Sambuca
- Adds a strong anise aroma and sweetness as a middle layer.
- Grand marnier
- Adds orange flavour and sweetness, contributing a fruity layer.
- Vodka
- Adds alcohol strength and a clean, neutral flavour as the top layer.
The step that matters
Pour carefully, in order given, into cordial glass. Layering depends on differences in sugar and alcohol content, which set each liqueur's density. Pouring slowly over the back of a spoon or similar lets each layer float on the one below instead of mixing.
“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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