2-phenylethanol (2-PE) is an important aromatic compound with a rose-like fragrance widely used in food industry and cosmetic manufacture. In order to obtain "natural" 2-PE, the genetically modified budding yeasts were developed and applied for the 2-PE production. The gene ARO8 encoding transaminase and the gene ARO10 encoding decarboxylase in the Ehrlich pathway were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288c. The activities of transaminase and decarboxylase were both enhanced in the corresponding recombinant strains. Consequently, the 2-PE yield in the recombinant strains with ARO8 and ARO10 were increased by 9.3 and 16.3 %, respectively, than that in the wild strain. A co-expression vector harboring ARO8 and ARO10 was then introduced into S. cerevisiae S288c, generating the recombinant strain SPO810. The fed-batch fermentation results indicated that the 2-PE yield in SPO810 reached 2.61 g L(-1) after 60 h of cultivation, which was 36.8 % higher than that in the wild strain. These results demonstrated that the 2-PE production was significantly improved by enhanced expression of the two key enzymes encoded by ARO8 and ARO10 in the Ehrlich pathway, providing new perspectives for enhancing "natural" 2-PE production in S. cerevisiae.