Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Gin

Top flavour pairings and gin recipes, revealed through the hidden methmatics of flavour.

Gin is defined by the unmistakable accents of resin and pine, yet its initial sourness is only the opening gambit. Beneath lies a sophisticated tapestry of delicate cedar, hints of balsam, and the bright spice of coriander, contributing remarkable depth. The magic of the kitchen unfolds when we pair gin with ingredients that let these nuances sing.

To illuminate these harmonies, we embarked on an ambitious journey, analysing thousands of ingredients. Each was meticulously deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, allowing us to pinpoint precisely which notes complement in both classic and unexpected ways. Our analysis reveals, for example, how pheasant's gamey tones enrich gin, and how salmon roe's glutamic notes create a surprising synergy with its turpentine sweetness.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. herbal, floral, and woody) enhanced by layers of subtle aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim for a mix of core traits to build balance, and select complementary aroma notes to create harmony.

The Flavour Code

To understand how flavour notes harmonise, we analysed more than 50,000 popular ingredient combinations. By exploring these pairings, we identified specific flavour notes that frequently occur together, indicating they share a harmonious relationship.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Resin Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of resin is strongly associated with the flavour of glutamate. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a glutamic flavour, such as salmon roe, when pairing with the resinous notes of gin.

The recipe below provides inspiration for pairing gin with salmon roe.

Harmonious Flavours Of Gin

Just as our analysis shows that resin and glutamic flavours combine harmoniously, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavours present in gin. For instance, the piney flavours of gin are strongly associated with mossy and ironny notes.

The notes associated with the various aromas of gin can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of pheasant offers many of the accents complementary to gin, including gamey and glutamic aroma notes. Because the flavour profile of pheasant has many of the of the features that are complementary to gin, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of pheasant across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with gin.

Recipes That Pair Gin With Pheasant

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the accents that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of gin, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of gin, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the aroma notes complementary to gin.

Which Fruit Go With Gin?

Choose fruit that resonate with its brightness or carry its citrus floralness. Red bell pepper and dried fruit offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Sultana add a gentle, oniony brightness, while greengage introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace fruit that harmonise with gin's turpentiness. The addition of coconut, with its subtle adipose notes, can complement the resin beautifully, while avocado lends a unctuous richness.

How Flavonomics Works

We've pioneered a unique, data-driven approach to decode the intricate art of flavour pairing. Our goal is to move beyond intuition and uncover the science of why certain ingredients harmonise beautifully. This rigorous methodology allows us to provide you with insightful and reliable pairing recommendations.

Our analysis begins with over 50,000 carefully selected recipes from acclaimed chefs like Galton Blackiston, Marcello Tully, and Pierre Lambinon. This premium dataset ensures our model distils genuine culinary excellence and creativity.

Each ingredient from these recipes is deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, creating a unique numerical "flavour fingerprint." This quantification allows us to apply advanced analytical methods to identify complex patterns between flavour notes.

We identify popular ingredient combinations that frequently appear in our recipe database. Regression analysis is then performed on these pairings to statistically validate and pinpoint truly harmonious flavours.

These insights drive our predictive model, which allows us to take any ingredient (e.g., Gin), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.