Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Tonic Water

Exquisite tonic water flavour pairings and recipes, revealed through data science.

Tonic water is defined by the flavours of quinine and grapefruit, but beneath its bitterness lies a complex symphony of subtle flavour notes, such as gentian root, cedar, and hints of blossom, giving it remarkable depth. The true alchemy of the kitchen unfolds when we pair tonic water 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 chamomile's chamazulene tones perfume tonic water, and how caster sugar's saccharine notes create a surprising synergy with its medicinal bitterness.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. acidic, floral, and herbal) 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.

Flavour Pairing Method

To understand exactly which flavours harmonise, we compiled a database of over 50,000 ingredient pairings commonly used in cooking. We then analysed these pairings, identifying the specific flavour notes that frequently appear together.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Cinchona Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of quinine is strongly associated with the flavour of sugar. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a sugary flavour, such as caster sugar, when pairing with the cinchona aroma notes of tonic water.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing tonic water with caster sugar.

Harmonious Flavours Of Tonic Water

Just as our analysis highlighted that quinine and pencil-lead flavour notes are often associated, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the notes present in tonic water. E.g. the grapefruity notes of tonic water are often used with gentian and chalky notes.

The accents associated with the various notes of tonic water can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of chamomile offers many of the notes complementary to tonic water, including chamomile notes. Because the flavour profile of chamomile has many of the of the features that are complementary to tonic water, they are likely to pair very well together.

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

Recipes That Pair Tonic Water With Chamomile

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the aroma notes that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of tonic water, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

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

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., Tonic water), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.