Best Lists
The Best Mint Shisha Mixes
Mint turns up in more shisha mixes than anything else, partly because it is on every menu and partly because it genuinely improves most things it touches. It also flattens more bowls than any other family, because people treat it like a flavour when it is really a tool.
These seven are the highest-scoring mint pairs in the database, all checked against the engine and all smoked. Scores are out of 60.
The List
- 1
Grape and Lemon Mint
Al Fakher · scores 57/60
The highest-scoring pair anywhere in the database, mint or otherwise, and it is two flavours sitting on nearly every menu in the country. Grape brings body and a soft sweetness that would get cloying alone. Lemon Mint cuts straight through it with citrus first and cooling second, which is why it works where a plain mint would just chill the bowl. If you order one mix off this list, order this.
Ratio: 70 grape / 30 lemon mint
- 2
Ambrosia and Lemon Mint
Fumari · scores 57/60
Level on score, and a better bowl if you like things sweeter. Ambrosia is Fumari doing what Fumari does: a bright, layered fruit that tastes more expensive than it is. The Lemon Mint keeps it honest. Worth seeking out specifically, because Fumari menus are less common and this is a genuinely different smoke from the Al Fakher version above.
Ratio: 70 ambrosia / 30 lemon mint
- 3
Lemon Mint and White Gummy Bear
Fumari · scores 57/60
The third 57 in a row, and the sweetest of the trio. White Gummy Bear is confectionery in a tub and would be far too much on its own by the second coal change. Paired with the Lemon Mint it turns into something that tastes like a proper summer bowl rather than a bag of sweets. This is the one to hand to somebody who says they do not like shisha.
Ratio: 65 gummy bear / 35 lemon mint
- 4
Blueberry and Mint
Al Fakher · scores 53/60
The default. If you are handed an unfamiliar menu and want to stop thinking about it, this is the order. Blueberry is round and dark enough to hold a session, mint lifts it, and the whole thing is nearly impossible to get wrong. Not the most interesting bowl on this list. Comfortably the most dependable.
Ratio: 75 blueberry / 25 mint
- 5
Mango and Mint
Al Fakher · scores 53/60
Softer and sweeter than the blueberry, and better in warm weather. Mango on its own goes flat surprisingly fast, so the mint is doing real work here rather than just cooling. Keep the mint low, because mango is the more delicate of the two and disappears entirely if you overdo it.
Ratio: 80 mango / 20 mint
- 6
Strawberry and Mint
Al Fakher · scores 53/60
The one everybody tries early and then unfairly writes off. Strawberry is the most commonly badly-made flavour in shisha, so it depends heavily on the brand. Done properly, with the mint held right back, it is clean and genuinely refreshing. Done badly it tastes like a milkshake. Stick to a brand you trust.
Ratio: 75 strawberry / 25 mint
- 7
Love 66 and Mint
Adalya · scores 53/60
The Adalya entry, and a good argument for their whole range. Love 66 is a mixed fruit that is already doing several things at once, so the mint here is a finishing touch rather than a partner. Works particularly well late in an evening when a plain fruit bowl would feel like hard work.
Ratio: 80 love 66 / 20 mint
How These Were Picked
Every pair above is scored by the same engine that runs in the app: category fit, sweetness balance, cooling, harshness and known clashes, out of 60. Nothing here is sponsored, because nothing on this site is.
Where two mixes scored level I have ranked on how easy they are to actually find on a menu, which is why the Al Fakher pairs sit above equally good ones from smaller brands.
The Mint Mistake
Almost every bad mint bowl is the same error: too much mint. It is a cheap flavour, it is always in stock, and it feels like more must be better. It is not.
A quarter of the bowl is plenty. A fifth if the mint is a proper 5 out of 5 cooler. Past that you are not tasting a mix, you are tasting cold. Full method in how to mix shisha flavours.
Common Questions
What is the best mint shisha mix?
Grape and Lemon Mint, at 57 out of 60, is the highest-scoring mint pair in a database of 869 flavours. Both are widely available, which makes it the most useful answer rather than just the highest scoring one.
How much mint should you put in a shisha mix?
About a quarter of the bowl, and a fifth if the mint is rated 5 out of 5 for cooling. Mint is an accent, not a base. More than a third flattens whatever it is mixed with.
What goes well with mint shisha?
Fruit, above everything else. Grape, blueberry, mango and strawberry all pair reliably. Mint also works with sweet and citrus flavours, but avoid pairing it with another cooling flavour or you end up with a bowl that tastes only of cold.