Why it works: Rum and banana work together. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 183 recipes. Both carry ethyl isobutyrate, which smells fruity, ethereal. The science ↓
Gorilla Milk
Ingredients
Directions
Shake with ice.
Pour into a hurricane glass 2/3 full of ice.
Top with a slice of banana.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Banana | 1 medium (118g) | 105 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Rum | 1/2 oz (15ml) | 32 |
| Coffee | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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.
-
Rum + bananatop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together183 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).
-
Rum + coffeetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together138 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Coffee + bananatop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together80 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl pentanoate (yeast, fruit).
-
Coffee + creamtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,339 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
-
Rum + creamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together842 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Light rum
- Provides the spirit base and a light rum flavour that carries the other liqueurs.
- Coffee liqueur
- Adds sweetness and coffee flavour.
- Irish cream liqueur
- Adds sweetness and creamy richness.
- Creme de banana
- Adds sweetness and the banana flavour.
- Light cream
- Adds richness and a smoother, fuller body to the drink.
The step that matters
Shake with ice. Shaking chills the drink and dilutes it slightly with melted ice. Cream blended this way becomes smooth and evenly mixed, rather than sitting in layers or tasting thin.
Swap the banana
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rum, coffee, cream):
- Vanillafits better
- Bananathe original
- Strawberryfits about as well
- Pineapplefits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against rum, coffee, cream. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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