The rotatory strength of inclusion complexes of various methyl-substituted phenols (phenol, p-cresol, 2,6- and 3,5-dimethyl-, and 2,4,6- and 3,4,5-trimethylphenol) with beta-cyclodextrin are calculated by a combination of molecular mechanics and semiempirical methods, and the results are compared to the respective experimentally induced circular dichroism spectra. In general, experimental results are nicely reproduced, although symmetry breaking in the cyclodextrin, i.e. deviation from the ideally truncated cone-shaped structure, and the conformational flexibility of the complexes contribute essentially to sign and strength of the induced circular dichroism.