Why it works: Lime and agave match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 134 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓
Cucumber Viper
Ingredients
Directions
Muddle the first four ingredients.
Add the rest and top with ice.
Shake and strain into a martini glass or over rocks in an old fashioned glass.
Dust with chili piquin.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Agave | 1 tsp (7g) | 21 |
| Cucumber | 1/2 cup sliced (52g) | 16 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
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.
-
Lime + agavetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together134 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Lime + orangetop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together937 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Cucumber + limetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together649 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Cucumber + agavetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together35 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Orange + agavetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together91 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cucumber
- Adds fresh, cool, vegetal aroma and flavor when muddled.
- Partida blanco tequila
- Forms the spirit base, providing the drink's main body and agave flavor.
- Lime juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the drink and balances sweetness.
- Gran torres orange liqueur
- Adds sweetness and orange aroma that rounds out the spirit.
- Agave nectar or sugar cube
- Adds sweetness to balance the lime's acidity and the spirit's bite.
The step that matters
Shake and strain. Shaking with ice chills the drink and dilutes it slightly, softening the alcohol. Straining removes ice fragments and cucumber pulp so the drink stays smooth and clear.
Swap the orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cucumber, lime, agave):
- Avocadofits better
- Blueberryfits better
- Coconutfits better
- Orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cucumber, lime, agave. 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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