Many fruits have natural flavor companions: apple and cinnamon, strawberry and banana, cherry and vanilla. We know and love these pairings because they are familiar and we use them all the time in our food and drinks. But there's more out there and discovering new flavor combinations is half the fun of mixing drinks.
Whether you're a cocktail connoisseur, a professional bartender, or a budding drink mixer, this study of flavor pairings is a valuable resource. It was created by European mixologist, Humberto Marques who has been developing creative cocktails with unique tastes for many years.
Marques' Eucalyptus Martini is a showstopper and his Cranberry Peanut Buttered Hot Rum recipe is a winter delight. Yes, eucalyptus, and peanut butter... if that doesn't get you thinking, I'm unsure what will.
A Mixologist's Study of Flavor Pairings
Not only has Marques been delighting drinkers with genuine flavor experiences at bars like his own Curfew in Copenhagen, he has investigated the finer points of flavor. His study of flavor pairings is one of the most extensive from any individual and unquestionably noteworthy.
Certain fruit flavors work better with others and many of these recommendations are surprising. For instance, did you think that pomegranate and cucumber could be mixed into a single drink? Has the combination of banana and hazelnut crossed your mind?
In his extensive study, Marques has gone beyond the common fruits like apple, orange, and berries. He also shares with us his thoughts on more exotic fruits like feijoa, persimmon, and tomatillo. These are especially challenging ingredients, especially if you have little experience with them. Where do you begin?
How to Use the Pairing Recommendations
The cocktail world is filled with experimentation. We have thousands of ingredients to choose from and that leads to even more possibilities as they are combined in our drinks. If you're curious about where to begin with a new fruit or how to liven up one that's very familiar, use Marques' study to guide you in a certain direction.
Flavors play off one another in very unusual ways and Marques has done much of the hard work for us. Inspiration abounds in this list, so explore it and try some of the pairings while developing your own cocktail recipes. You will be surprised at many of the results.
This guide is not limited to cocktails and mixed drinks. It can also be used with food recipes and when pairing food with drinks. The point is that the combinations work well together and what you decide to do with them is fair game. Have fun and enjoy the adventure!
Favorite Fruit Flavor Pairings
We will begin our study of flavor combinations with some of the most common fruits. These are the fruits that make an appearance in our drinks most often. While we think we know what to expect, there's often a surprise waiting.
Apple pairs well with: caramel, cardamom, chestnut, cinnamon, citrus, cranberry, currant, ginger, hazelnut, mango, maple, rosemary, walnut
Apricot pairs well with: almond, black pepper, caramel, cardamom, ginger, hazelnut, honey, orange, peach, vanilla, plum, Sauternes, wine
Banana pairs well with: brandy, caramel, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, dark rum, ginger, hazelnut, honey, Madeira wine, mango, molasses, papaya
- Explore the Banana Cocktail Collection
Blackberry pairs well with: apricot, black pepper, champagne, cinnamon, citrus, hazelnut, lemon, other berries, peach, plum, Port wine
Blueberry pairs well with: lemon verbena, other berries, cardamom, mango, lemon, hazelnut, ginger, fig, lavender, other citrus
Cherry pairs well with: apricot, black pepper, chocolate, citrus, nectarine, peach, plum, Port wine, vanilla
Coconut pairs well with: banana, Brazil nut, caramel, chocolate, citrus, Kaffir leaf, lemongrass, pineapple, other tropical fruits
Cranberry pairs well with: apple, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, mango, mint, pear
Grape pairs well with: brandy, chocolate, citrus, ginger, raisin
Grapefruit pairs well with: basil, black pepper, caramel, citrus, mint, rosemary, thyme, tropical fruit, vanilla
Lemon pairs well with: apricot, berries, black pepper, cardamom, cherry, citrus, ginger, nectarine, peach, plum, prickly pear, tropical fruit
Lime pairs well with: apple, berries, cherry, ginger, papaya, plum, strawberry, tropical fruit
Melon pairs well with: berries, champagne, citrus, lemongrass, lemon verbena
Orange pairs well with: almonds, basil, berries, brandy, cherry, chocolate, cilantro, cinnamon, coffee, cranberry, fig, ginger, grape, hazelnut, mint, nutmeg, persimmon, pineapple, vanilla
Pear pairs well with: almond, apple, caramel, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, ginger, hazelnut, Port wine, vanilla, walnut
Pineapple pairs well with: basil, caramel, cilantro, coconut, macadamia, rosemary, rum, tropical fruit
Pomegranate pairs well with: apple, citrus, cucumber, mint, tropical fruit
Raspberry pairs well with: apricot, cinnamon, citrus, ginger, lemon, nectarine, other berries, peach, plum, rhubarb, thyme, vanilla
Strawberry pairs well with: apple, black pepper, chocolate, citrus, coriander, mint, rhubarb, vanilla
Exotic Fruit Flavor Combos
Less common in mixed drinks, it can be difficult to know where to begin if you come across one of these fruits. They may catch your eye at the market, but how do you add them to a cocktail? You will quickly find that this is a priceless guide to mixing the more exotic and less-used fruits into your drinks.
Asian Pear pairs well with: almond, apple, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, honey, macadamia, nutmeg, raisin, vanilla
Blood Orange pairs well with: almond, cardamom, chocolate, cinnamon, clove, fig, ginger, honey, other citrus
Currants, Black and Red, pairs well with: cassis, chocolate, citrus, dark rum, Port wine, sloe gin
Elderberry pairs well with: apricot, fig, honey, lemon, mandarin, other berries, peach, plum
Feijoa pairs well with: banana, berries, cinnamon, citrus, mango, vanilla
Fig pairs well with: almond, black pepper, cinnamon, citrus, hazelnut, pear, Port wine, vanilla
Gooseberry pairs well with: citrus, hazelnut, honey, other berries, white chocolate
Guava pairs well with: citrus, coconut, huckleberry, kaffir leaf, pineapple, strawberry, tropical fruit
Kiwi pairs well with: apple, banana, berries, cherry, citrus, coconut, mango, tropical fruit
Kumquat pairs well with: berries, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, persimmon, plum
Lychee pairs well with: citrus, ginger, gooseberry, tropical fruit, vanilla
Mandarin pairs well with: cardamom, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, fig, ginger, nutmeg, tropical fruits, vanilla, star anise
Mango pairs well with: apple, banana, berries, caramel, citrus, coconut, melon, Sauternes, tropical fruits, vanilla
Papaya pairs well with: citrus, black pepper, lime, mango, tropical fruit
Persimmon pairs well with: apple, black pepper, cinnamon, citrus, kumquat, pear
Plum pairs well with: almond, cinnamon, citrus, chestnut, black pepper, hazelnut, honey, Port wine, vanilla
Prickly Pear pairs well with: citrus, lime, tomatillo, tropical fruit
Rhubarb pairs well with: apple, apricot, berries, black pepper, citrus, ginger, nectarine, peach, plum, strawberry
Tomatillo pairs well with: berries, citrus, mango, prickly pear, tropical fruit
Nut Flavor Pairings
Quite often, your pairing search begins not with a fruit, but with a nut and that often comes in the form of a liqueur, syrup, or other sweeteners. To reverse rolls, Marques has developed a few suggestions for those nutty flavors and some of these create fascinating tastes.
Almond pairs well with: apple, apricot, banana, caramel, cherry, coffee, fig, honey, orange, peach, pear, plum
Chestnut pairs well with: apple, caramel, chocolate, coffee, pear, vanilla
Hazelnut pairs well with: apple, apricot, banana, berries, caramel, cherry, chocolate, citrus, fig, mandarin, peach, pear, plum
Walnut pairs well with: apple, apricot, banana, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon, nectarine, peach, pear, plum, rum
Herbs, Spices, and More Flavor Combinations
Beyond fruits and nuts, we also use a few herbs and vegetables in our drinks. This is the short list of flavor combinations and just the beginning. To really explore adding herbs to your mixed drinks, read Marques' Herbs and Spices in Mixology. It's another excellent pairing guide filled with valuable advice.
Carrot pairs well with: anise, brandy, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, walnut
Cilantro (coriander) pairs well with: apricot, berries, cherries, citrus, nectarine, peach, plum, tropical fruit
Ginger pairs well with: almond, apple, apricot, banana, berries, Brazil nut, caramel, chocolate, citrus, coconut, grape, hazelnut, passion fruit, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, tropical fruit
Kaffir Leaf pairs well with: banana, citrus, coconut, lemongrass, tropical fruit, watermelon
Lemongrass pairs well with: cherry, berries, citrus, coconut, ginger ,guava, kaffir leaf, coconut, tropical fruit, vanilla