Name: Gin Punch
Ingredients: ½ pint genuine old gin; ½ cup maraschino; juice of 2 lemons; rind of 1 lemon (infused in gin); ¾ cup strong syrup; 1 quart seltzer water; ice

Why it works: Gin and syrup match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 127 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓

Gin Punch

Ingredients

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the gin, maraschino, lemon juice, and infused lemon rind.
Add the strong syrup and seltzer water, stirring gently.
Chill the punch in the refrigerator for one hour before serving.
Serve over ice.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

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.

Gin + syruptop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together127 recipes

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

Smell alikelow

Cooked together2,235 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Gin + lemontop 23% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together306 recipes

Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

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

What each ingredient does

Gin: Provides the spirit base and the main aroma of the punch.
Maraschino: Adds sweetness and a cherry-almond aroma that rounds out the gin.
Lemon juice: Adds acidity that brightens the punch and balances the sweetness of the syrup.
Strong syrup: Supplies sweetness that balances the acidity of the lemon and the bitterness of the gin.
Seltzer water: Adds carbonation, giving the punch lightness and a lively effervescence.