Flavor Pairings - The New Rage

With the introduction of its Freestyle machines in 2009, Coca-Cola provided a simple yet sophisticated experimental platform in which consumers could play with hundreds of flavor pairings to discover their own perfect palate pleaser.

With a decade of consumer data from those smart machines, Coca-Cola has been able to analyze what flavors consumers believe pair well together in various beverage systems. This information was certainly used to decide upon the launching of several new flavors for Diet Coke: Ginger-Lime, Blueberry-Acai, and Strawberry-Guava to name a few; as well as flavors for AHA Sparkling Waters: Lime + Watermelon, Strawberry + Cucumber, Black Cherry + Coffee, Citrus + Green Tea, Blueberry + Pomegranate, etc.

Components of Flavor Pairings – Subtly Twisting the Familiar

Over the past 30 years, I have worked for 7 different flavor companies and, without going into details, I can tell you that there has been little variance among the top-selling flavor types from company to company. Amid the constant clamor for new and different flavor types, the best-selling flavors by volume have always been and continue to be the traditionally familiar sweet, fruit and spice notes: Vanilla, Cherry, Chocolate, Lemon, Peach, Raspberry, Blueberry, Cinnamon, Caramel, etc. True, over time, various other familiar fruit and flavor notes have flashed to significance (Kiwi, Mango and Watermelon, as examples), but even these newcomers are commonly known flavors. The point is, flavors that appeal to consumer masses must first be familiar to that mob.

With a foundation in the familiar, a flavor pairing can greatly improve the appeal of a product line largely because the progressive block of consumers is always interested in trying new things. Knowing this, CPG companies often introduce new varieties of products to keep the image of their brands fresh and interesting, especially in high growth categories where the competition is fierce and the barriers to entry are not difficult to evade. So, how do you decide what new flavor pairings may be appropriate for your next line extension? That’s the million-dollar question that is difficult to answer. However, as a well-established creator and manufacturer of concentrated flavor top notes with years of experience with pairing flavors, abelei offers these recommendations and accompanying chart (yes, it's old school but it's data-driven) which you may find helpful as brainstorming tools in your development process.

Fruits With Non-Fruits

Fruits With Other Fruits

Recommended Themes for Flavor Pairings

abelei flavors work with literally hundreds of food and beverage companies across a broad range of beverages, foods and nutritional products. We are also diligent observers of the edible products market landscape and new developments. In boiling it all down to a digestible entree, these realities regarding flavor pairing are evident:

• Soft Fruits, particularly berries, are often paired with Citrus fruits to heighten the perception of acidity, which consumers seem to desire as a balance to the sweetness.
• There is a noticeable increase in the use of spice notes with familiar fruit flavors to perhaps create an association with home-baked pies and desserts-like comfort triggers without the calories.
• Flowers that started showing up on fine-dining plates as garnishes are increasingly being fused with familiar fruits and spice notes. This is particularly effective when the fruit has a compatible floral nuance of its own, for example, Strawberry and Lychee.
• There is a growing interest in using Botanicals with Fruits, especially in products that are health and wellness-oriented or are geared towards a more “sophisticated” crowd.

abelei hopes the above pairing information and charts are helpful to your New Product Development process. If you would like more information or free flavor samples to jump-start your projects please call me, Troy Gooding @ 847-924-5855, email tgooding@abelei.com or click here to complete and submit your online request for flavor samples.

Merry Pairings!