Aim

The complex aromas of cocktails provide a unique and interesting model system to evaluate the effects of alcohol matrix and aroma-aroma interactions on human aroma perception and partitioning and release of aroma compounds. Here, we study the interactions that occur in an Old-Fashioned cocktail when different types of whiskeys are mixed with different styles of bitters.

Methods

The interactions are studied in two ways, namely, by sensory descriptive analysis to evaluate changes in human aroma perception, and by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to study the volatile profiles individually and upon mixing.

Results

Several aroma descriptors showed significant additive and suppressing interaction effects between bitters and whiskeys, and unique sensory characteristics were introduced by both bitters and whiskeys. Volatile compounds also showed suppressing and enhancing effects upon mixing of bitters with whiskeys.

Conclusions

Such behaviors point towards chemical mixture effects and the enhancements in two compounds cannot be attributed to just the addition of certain bitters as the effects differ among the four whiskeys.

Implications

These interactive sensory effects suggest further questions of interest about the inherent sensory complexity of foods and beverages; if sensory qualities in even simple cocktails, such as an Old-Fashioned, only exist upon mixing and for specific combinations of bitters and whiskeys, further unique interactions could be envisioned for more complex mixtures.

中文翻译：

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威士忌矩阵中苦味剂的香气感知和化学作用：模拟老式

目标

鸡尾酒的复杂香气提供了一个独特而有趣的模型系统，用于评估酒精基质和香气-香气相互作用对人的香气感知以及香气化合物的分配和释放的影响。在这里，我们研究了当不同类型的威士忌与不同类型的苦味酒混合时，老式鸡尾酒中的相互作用。

方法

通过两种方法研究相互作用，即通过感官描述性分析来评估人类香气感知的变化，以及通过顶空固相微萃取和气相色谱-质谱法分别研究和混合后的挥发性曲线。

结果

几种香气描述物显示了苦味和威士忌之间显着的加和抑制作用，苦味和威士忌都引入了独特的感官特性。挥发性化合物还显示出苦味与威士忌混合时的抑制和增强作用。

结论

这种行为指向化学混合物的作用，并且两种化合物的增强不能仅仅归因于某些苦味剂的添加，因为四种威士忌的作用不同。

含义

这些互动的感官效应提示了有关食品和饮料固有的感官复杂性的其他有趣问题。如果什至是简单的鸡尾酒（如老式）中的感官品质仅在混合时存在，并且针对苦味和威士忌的特定组合，则可以预见到更复杂的混合物会进一步发生独特的相互作用。