Why it works: Lime and mint match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 846 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Kentucky Mule
Ingredients
Directions
Build over cubed ice, top with ginger beer.
Tear and rub mint leaves, place and stir drink.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Beer | 1/4 cup (60ml) for cooking | 43 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Peppermint | 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.
-
Lime + minttop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together846 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Lime + gingertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,621 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Ginger + minttop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together647 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Bourbon
- Provides the main spirit base and its warm, oaky flavor.
- Fresh lime juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the drink and balances the ginger's sweetness.
- Ginger beer
- Adds spicy ginger aroma and carbonation for fizz and lift.
Swap the mint
The recipe marks mint as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lime, ginger):
- Corianderfits better
- Cardamomfits better
- Cuminfits better
- Mintthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against lime, ginger. 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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