A recommendation for anyone interested in beer.
In his latest book, Tasting Notes, beer writer Pete Brown explores how what you listen to affects the taste of the beer you are drinking. Matching beer or wine to food is commonplace, but beer and music sounds rather controversial. I’ve heard Pete talk on the subject and taken part in one of his beer-and-music matching workshops. I am convinced.
The first half (side 1) of the book explores how we taste and perceive flavour.
The second half (side 2) presents 45 pairings of songs and beers for you to try.
For those unconvinced, I would urge anyone here to try the following:
Pour a glass of Sierra Nevada Torpedo, or a similar New England IPA. Play Be My Baby by The Ronettes and note the taste of the beer, followed by No Time to Die by Billie Eilish. Do you notice that the beer tastes much sweeter with one song and much more bitter with the other?
Next, pour glasses of Chimay Blue and Schlenkerla Märzen. Taste each one while listening to Debussy’s Clair de Lune and Jimi Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower. Do you find that each piece of music pairs with a different beer?
I interviewed Pete on the subject for EBCU — you can find it on YouTube — and I also recommend his blog. Search for “Say Hello to Tasting Notes: The Art and Science of Pairing Beer and Music.”
Do any forum users have any beer and music pairings they care to share?