Spirited Coffee Punch

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.

1. Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together19,187 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).

2. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together35,032 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

3. Coffee + vanillatop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,391 recipes

   Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).

4. Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together43,450 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

5. Coffee + milktop 10% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together2,202 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4-heptenal (creamy, biscuit).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

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

What each ingredient does

Instant coffee granules

Dissolve to give the punch its main coffee flavor and color.

Sugar

Adds sweetness to balance the bitterness of the coffee.

Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur

Adds deeper coffee and aroma notes while contributing some sweetness.

Vanilla ice cream

Adds creaminess, body and sweetness as it melts into the chilled coffee.

2-percent milk

Adds creaminess and softens the coffee's bitterness.

Whipped cream

Adds fat and richness as a light, cool topping.

The step that matters