Name: Homemade Cointreau
Ingredients: 3 cups sugar; 2 cups water; 2 oranges, sliced; 1½ lemons, sliced (add a little pulp); 1 quart vodka

Why it works: Orange and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,634 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Homemade Cointreau

Time1 week, then 1 more week

Ingredients

Directions

Mix all ingredients together. No cooking necessary.
Let it set for 1 week, stir; set 1 week more, stir again and it is ready to use.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

123Calories

2 gProtein

0 gFat

31 gCarbs

Counts 3 of 5 ingredients. The other 2 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
Orange	1 medium (131g)	62
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Lemon	juice of 1 lemon (48ml)	12
Water	not in our table	0
Vodka	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.

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.

Orange + lemontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together10,634 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Sugar + vodkatop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together327 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together53,532 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Lemon + vodkatop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together264 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Sugar + orangetop 20% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together19,212 recipes

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

Sugar and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 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

Sugar: Sweetens the liquor and balances the alcohol's sharpness.
Vodka: Acts as a solvent that draws flavor and aromatic oils from the fruit.
Oranges: Peel and pulp supply bright citrus flavor and aroma.
Lemons: Add sharp acidity and extra citrus aroma.