The pairing library
Every pairing here is drafted by the press below and corrected at the bench; client builds are written against the client’s menu and stay theirs.
The dish
scored on ten axes
The engine
Proof #b0940e
drafts two tiers, deterministic
The bench
Christina tastes and corrects
The card
signed, laminated, on the pass
Set a dish · seven fixtures
Or move the axes
Dominant demand axis
umami
demand 0.63 = umami 0.90 × 0.70
Proof of pairing
Warm tomato consommé, kombu
amuse · japanese
Dish intensities: acidity 0.50 · richness 0.20 · salinity 0.35 · umami 0.90. Dominant demand axis: umami, demand 0.63.
Signature pour
Amuse Zero: Umami Accord
Verified 0.0%| kombu dashi (non-fermented, cold-brewed) | 60 ml | umami echo |
| tomato water, clarified | 30 ml | glutamate bridge |
| still water | 30 ml | dilution |
Batch of 8 at 120 ml · combine all components in a mixing glass over ice, stir 20 rotations, strain into chilled glass.
18°C / 64°F · celadon ceramic cup · toasted nori ribbon
Savory umami depth in the beverage amplifies the dish's umami, lengthening the finish.
Reserve pour
Amuse Reserve: Fermented Umami Study
<0.5% ABV class| NA sake-style (fermented rice water, <0.5% ABV) | 60 ml | fermented umami depth |
| kombu dashi (non-fermented, cold-brewed) | 30 ml | umami echo |
Batch of 8 at 90 ml · pour fermented base gently into chilled glass, add accent component, serve immediately without ice to preserve effervescence.
17°C / 63°F · celadon ceramic cup · toasted nori ribbon
Engine draft, unsigned
Proof #b0940e · Austin · 7-26
Seared foie torchon, verjus gel
Proof #69f04d · engine draft, unsigned
starter · french · test menu
Dish intensities: acidity 0.40 · sweetness 0.30 · bitterness 0.10 · richness 0.95 · salinity 0.50 · tannin 0.10 · spice 0.10 · herbaceous 0.10 · umami 0.60. Dominant demand axis: acidity, demand 1.48.
ink - the dish, 0–1 · red - demand on the glass, dominant = full measure · overprint - echo
Bright acidity in the beverage cuts the richness of the dish, resetting the palate between bites.
Signature pour
Starter Zero: Acidity Accord
Verified 0.0%| verjus blanc | 45 ml | bright unfermented grape acid |
| yuzu citrus water (1:4 dilution) | 30 ml | citrus lift without sweetness |
| still water | 45 ml | dilution bridge |
Batch of 8 at 120 ml · combine all components in a mixing glass over ice, stir 20 rotations, strain into chilled glass.
8°C / 46°F · Riedel Viognier white wine glass · lemon verbena leaf
Reserve pour
Starter Reserve: Fermented Acidity Study
<0.5% ABV class| NA sparkling wine (fermented, <0.5% ABV) | 60 ml | fermented acid structure, certified <0.5% |
| verjus blanc | 23 ml | bright unfermented grape acid |
Batch of 8 at 83 ml · pour fermented base gently into chilled glass, add accent component, serve immediately without ice to preserve effervescence.
7°C / 45°F · Riedel Viognier white wine glass · lemon verbena leaf
Smoked yuzu sorbet, shiso
Proof #2e7e13 · engine draft, unsigned
dessert · japanese · test menu
Dish intensities: acidity 0.90 · sweetness 0.60 · bitterness 0.20 · richness 0.20 · salinity 0.10 · tannin 0.10 · spice 0.10 · herbaceous 0.50 · umami 0.10 · effervescence 0.20. Dominant demand axis: acidity, demand 0.63.
Signature and reserve · identical to the draft above
A different dish plate, the same demand argmax: version one maps both test dishes to the acid accord. The red bar is what the correction pass exists to re-rank.
What a client library looks like
Four to eight courses, two tiers each: a signature pour, verified 0.0%, nothing in the glass ever fermented; and a reserve pour in the <0.5% class, one certified ferment for depth, labeled as what it is. Each build ships as a laminated spec card with batch quantities, prep timing, hold characteristics, glass, and garnish, plus the sourcing line and the cost line.
A ferment never gets labeled 0.0%, even when it measures 0.0 on paper; the classifier enforces the downgrade automatically.
Photographs of the bench - batches, temperatures, corrections in the margin - ship with the first paying room. Nothing here is staged in the meantime.
Start with the audit
Free, delivered before any call: a labeling review of what you pour now, three swaps you can make this week, and a pairing sketch for one or two signature courses. Request it on the menu page.