1. Goal
This document shows how to build “house flavors” by stacking multiple concentrates. You’re not limited to single-note flavors like “Peach.” You can layer bakery notes, creamy notes, nut notes, etc., and lock that into a repeatable SOP.
You can then:
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Sell those blends as signature items.
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Protect them as internal IP.
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Deploy them consistently across beverages, shakes, frosting, fillings, etc.
2. Blending Philosophy
When you build a custom profile, think in three layers:
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Primary Note (Front of Tongue / First Smell)
The obvious identity. Example: Juicy Peach, Hazelnut, Strawberry, Lemon Meringue. -
Body / Texture Note
This is where you add ‘bakery’, ‘cream’, ‘frosting’, ‘caramelized sugar’, or ‘buttery’ depth. These notes make something taste like “peach cobbler” instead of just “peach.” -
Finish / Accent Note
Tiny additions (spice, toasted nut, vanilla backnote, maple warmth, etc.) that give a memory and make it feel “crafted,” not generic.
A good custom blend usually has:
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1 Primary
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1 Body
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1 Accent
3. Workflow for Creating a House Blend
Step 1. Choose the concept.
Example concepts:
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Peach Cobbler Shake
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Caramel Hazelnut Cold Brew
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Strawberry Shortcake Protein Cup
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Cinnamon Bun Latte
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Recovery Shake
If you can describe it on a menu, it’s a real concept.
Step 2. Draft the stack.
Pick 1 flavor for each layer:
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Primary
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Body
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Accent
Step 3. Bench test in a neutral base.
Use plain water or plain (unsweetened) milk/alt milk. Add one drop at a time, taste, record. Keep notes in % or drops per 12 oz so it’s repeatable.
Step 4. Lock the ratio.
Once you like it, write it like this:
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X drops Primary
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Y drops Body
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Z drops Accent
per 12 oz finished drink
Repeatability = IP.
Step 5. Brand/name it.
Never call it “peach + waffle + cinnamon.”
Call it “Summer Peach Cobbler,” “Cinnamon Roll Latte,” “Birthday Cake Shake,” etc.
That name becomes your differentiator.
4. Reference Blend Templates
4.1 “Summer Peach Cobbler”
Use for: Sparkling water, refresher, mocktail, protein smoothie.
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Primary: Juicy Peach
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Body: Waffle / Baked Crust / Vanilla Cupcake style note
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Accent: A light warm spice note (cinnamon-type profile) if desired
Starting bench ratio (per 12–16 oz drink):
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3 drops Peach
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1 drop Waffle / Cupcake
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0–1 drop warm spice note
Profile:
Bright peach up front → buttery pastry in the middle → hint of bakery warmth on the finish.
How to sell it:
“Summer Peach Cobbler Refresher — Big peach flavor over crushed ice, finished with a warm bakery note.”
Add optional sweetness with Super Sweet or Stevia version, depending on audience.
4.2 “Caramel Hazelnut Cold Brew”
Use for: Iced coffee / cold brew / nitro coffee.
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Primary: Hazelnut
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Body: Caramel / Toffee / Buttery Brown Sugar style note
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Accent: Vanilla / Frosting note (tiny)
Starting bench ratio (16 oz cold brew):
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2 drops Hazelnut
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1 drop Caramel-type note
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0–1 drop Frosting note
Profile:
Nutty coffeehouse hazelnut first, round caramel body, soft vanilla bakery finish.
Menu pitch:
“Caramel Hazelnut Cold Brew — Café-level flavor. Sugar-optional.”
Optional upsell:
“Make it dessert-sweet?” → 1 drop Super Sweet.
4.3 “Strawberry Shortcake Shake”
Use for: Protein shake, yogurt bowls, smoothie bowls.
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Primary: Strawberry
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Body: Frosting / Vanilla Cupcake / Whipped Cream type note
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Accent: Waffle / Baked Crust note (tiny) for “shortcake”
Starting bench ratio (per 12–14 oz shake):
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3 drops Strawberry
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2 drops Frosting / Cupcake
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0.5 drop Waffle (literally: 1 drop in ~24–28 oz batch, then split)
Profile:
Strawberry up front → whipped icing / bakery middle → shortcake finish.
Menu pitch:
“Strawberry Shortcake Protein Shake — All dessert. Minimal sugar.”
Perfect for gym/café: it screams “cheat meal,” but the macros stay clean if you don’t add sugar.
4.4 “Cinnamon Bun Latte”
Use for: Hot latte, iced latte, even oatmeal.
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Primary: Cinnamon Roll / Cinnamon Danish style note
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Body: Frosting / Icing note (gives “glaze”)
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Accent: Vanilla / Butter note
Starting bench ratio (12 oz latte or 1 cup oatmeal):
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2 drops Cinnamon Roll
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1 drop Frosting
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0–1 drop Vanilla / Butter
Menu pitch:
“Cinnamon Bun Latte — Cinnamon, icing, and warm bakery notes in every sip.”
Add optional 1 drop sweetener for a true “mall cinnamon roll” vibe.
4.5 “Chocolate Peanut Butter Recovery Shake”
Use for: Post-workout protein shake or meal replacement.
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Primary: Peanut Butter
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Body: Chocolate / Cocoa note
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Accent: Vanilla / Cream note to round bitterness
Starting bench ratio (14–16 oz shake):
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2 drops Peanut Butter
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2 drops Chocolate
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1 drop Vanilla / Cream
Menu pitch:
“Chocolate Peanut Butter Recovery — Big shake-shop flavor. Kept lean.”
This nails the “candy bar shake” positioning without loading sugar syrups.
5. Scaling and SOP Handoff
5.1 Bar / Café level
Write each house blend as “X / Y / Z drops per 16 oz drink.”
Train staff to follow that card. Store those cards at the station, not public-facing.
5.2 RTD canning / bottling
Convert drops → grams of each concentrate per liter.
Keep a locked SKU sheet for each house flavor. That’s your private formulation.
5.3 Frosting / Icing / Fillings
Exactly the same logic: build a house blend that tastes like “Birthday Cake Frosting,” then dose that blend into:
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Buttercream
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Cream cheese frosting
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Whipped topping
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Custard fillings
Now your cupcakes, bars, and filled pastries all carry a signature flavor line that nobody else can knock off easily.
6. Naming / Branding Guidance
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Name the experience, not the ingredients.
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“Summer Peach Cobbler”
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“Cinnamon Bun Latte”
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“Birthday Cake Shake”
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“Chocolate Peanut Butter Recovery”
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Add a short benefit tag:
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“Sugar-Optional”
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“No-Sugar-Added”
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“Macro Friendly”
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“Zero-Proof / Zero-Sugar”
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Example menu line:
“Birthday Cake Shake — Macro Friendly, Sugar-Optional”
That is memorable and defensible.
7. Final Notes
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Flavor-first, sweetener-second is the backbone. Offer sweetness, don’t force it.
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Write ratios down. Your ratios = your IP.
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Sell the emotional story. People don’t buy “2 drops Waffle”; they buy “Peach Cobbler Refresher.”
This is how you build signature SKUs and protect them — in beverages, smoothies, frostings, fillings, and beyond.
To explore ingredients ideal for custom blending, catalogs from brands like Capella Flavors offer a wide range of concentrated, food-safe options for both experimentation and production.
