Rob Buckhaven - The Alcorithm: A revolutionary flavour guide to find the drinks you’ll love

Rob Buckhaven had always wanted to make a career out of what he loved doing, hence his working life is centred around drinks. As Drinks Columnist for the Metro newspaper, Rob has the perfect excuse to regularly try out new tipples and flavours, tasting his way through the good, the bad and the ugly so his readers dont have to. Hes been award-shortlisted for it as well, justifying the distinction he received in his wine and spirit MBA from the INSEEC Business School in Bordeaux. When he isnt writing, Rob is training sommeliers, hospitality industry professionals and everyday drinks enthusiasts, and can also be found hosting tasting theatres at food and drink shows around the country. He does much of his tasting from his home in West London, where he lives with his long-suffering, though well-watered, fiance Tom. Where do I start? That takes me back to what I said to my beloved fiance, Tom, at the beginning of the writing process.

My first acknowledgement therefore has to go to Tom, who has listened to me incessantly, provided a shoulder when I needed it, has been an ever-present source of encouragement and great ideas and who hasnt left me yet, which speaks highly to his character. My parents, Simon and Charlotte, and my sister Katie have always been my biggest fans, as I am theirs they are my best friends, my rocks in life and throughout this process, and I love them beyond words. Without them I wouldnt have the confidence in my abilities and The Alcorithm wouldnt exist, pure and simple. My scientific consultant, Dr Ian Whitehead, must come next; his advice, collaboration on The Alcorithms format, boundless enthusiasm, availability to chat through anything at any time has been incredible. Ian not only helped school me in the tenets of flavour science via his encyclopaedic knowledge on the subject but also on how to communicate it engageingly to the masses. I am almost lost for words for how to thank my editor at Penguin Michael Joseph, Ione Walder, which isnt like me.

Iones patience, enthusiasm, empathy and guidance, not to mention just being a lovely human being, has been a constant reassurance and major part of how The Alcorithm has turned out so aligned with the ideas we initially discussed. A big thank-you to Cathryn Summerhayes, my literary agent at Curtis Brown, along with Jess Malloy. They have made the process feel like a partnership, offering me their support and guidance each step of the way. As a consultant on the cocktails within the book, bar owner, mixologist and friend Chris Dennis was ready to help and happy to impart his knowledge, at a time when he was busy with his own projects, for which I am extremely grateful. Tony Milanowski, for taking the time to read through the first proofs and give your expert feedback, thank you. Mark and Sarah Driver, who have supported me from the very start of The Alcorithm, gave me the crucial time I needed to write.

I wont forget your kindness. John, Teddy and Adrian, thank you for all your encouragement. Theodore and Rufus, for being my two lovely nephews. Clara, my bestie, thank you for supporting me always. My gratitude to Here Design for absolutely nailing The Alcorithms design brief. et al., Characterization of Volatile Compounds in Mentha Spicata L. et al., Characterization of Volatile Compounds in Mentha Spicata L.

Dried Leaves Pino, Jorge Antonio & Quijano, Clara Elizabeth, Study of Volatile Compounds from Plum and Estimation of their Contribution to the Fruit Aroma Sawamura, M. & Lan-Phi, N. T., Chemical and Aroma Profiles of Different Cultivars of Yuzu Essential Oils Zhou, Meixue et al., Analysis of Volatile Compounds and their Contribution to Flavor in Cereals If you likeFloral, youll love

If its good enough for Prince Harry, it gets its own section in my book; heck, Ive even included his wedding cakes combination of lemon and elderflower. Technically a blossom, elderflower couldnt get more English if it sang God Save the Queen while delivering a floral-fruity trumpet fanfare. Its largely down to rose oxide, a compound unsurprisingly found in roses, plus the lime-blossomy ]. Elderflower & Cantaloupe Melon Cantaloupe is the breakout star of the melon mafia, beloved for that unctuously sweet, juicy flesh that contains more complex volatile aromas than other varieties.

These qualities come courtesy of ]. Elderflower & Cereal Im one of those people who whacks Cornflakes in the oven to release those toasty, grainy notes we love to crunch for breakfast. Science-wise, baked flavours are brought to us by the reaction of browning ingredients via heat. Cereals nuttiness is neatly contained in a particular compound that also moonlights in fresh bread, steamed jasmine rice, buttered popcorn and the flavours of Genever [Gin, ]. Elderflower & Lemon Sherbet Sherbet lemons are living proof that we never really grow up. It just doesnt get old, the sherbet hitting our tongue, citric acid causing our saliva glands to gush, the bicarbonate of soda creating the coveted fizz.

Its basically our childhood in a lozenge. ] buzzes with lemon sherbet and elderflower exuberance. Elderflower & Red Cherry Theres a shedload going on in a cherry; its almond-like, woody and faintly floral with a lick of creamy cinnamon. Interestingly the red cherry shares compounds with elderflower, which explains their pally partnership. Its a full house of flavour compounds, with a couple of standouts in the form of a chemical that brings a sweet-floral bouquet and another for its woody almond-skin notes. Compounds bringing in freshly clipped grass notes, rose and allspice also firmly feature, with Beaujolais [Red Wine, ] playing a particularly strong red cherry and elderflower game.

Elderflower & Yellow Peach Unpacking peachs aroma compounds requires a team of highly trained concierge staff, since theres around forty of them. Compunds, not staff. The headline compound behind that patented peachiness, also present in apricots and strawberries, is ], as a neat way of finding both flavours in a glass. If you likeFloral, youll love

Valentines Day relies on roses pronounced flouncy aromas to rise over our frisky pheromones. Luckily, to pick up a roses scent we need the equivalent of half a teaspoon in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, so a little goes a long way. Rose oxide brings aboard the sweet florals among hundreds of compounds found in roses, with another one packing a citrus uppercut to aromatic Argentinian Torronts [White Wine, ] is bursting with those rose and lychee notes.

Rose & Black Cherry Its a small world when it comes to the uncanny flavour connect shared by rose and black cherry. Our fruity friend contains four compounds made up of bitter almond, sweet clove, rose and citrus notes, which all moonlight in rose oil. Talk about double-dipping. Black cherry has the benefit of a warming smidge of cinnamon spice, and even the fruits blossom shares a pine-like compound with rose for yet another cosy connection. Maraschino and Cherry Brandy are our go-to cherry and rose-flavoured beverages [Fruit Liqueur, ]. Rose & Dark Chocolate You cant make this stuff up: chocolates roasty notes contain the same chemical that gives roses their fragrance.