Ice Mint

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. Wine + brandytop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together2,427 recipes

   Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).

2. Peppermint + winetop 15% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together369 recipes

   Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).

3. Sugar + brandytop 19% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together11,939 recipes

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

4. Peppermint + brandytop 24% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together79 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

5. Peppermint + sugartop 29% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together2,082 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Sugar and brandy barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 11,939 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

Peppermint

Provides the main minty aroma and flavor of the drink.

Powdered sugar

Dissolves easily into the liquid to add sweetness.

Brandy

Adds a warm, aromatic note and a little alcohol flavor.

Wine

Adds a light fruity body and some acidity to the mixture.

Swap the peppermint

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, wine, brandy):

1. Cinnamonfits better
2. Clovefits better
3. Nutmegfits better
4. Peppermintthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, wine, brandy. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.