Music with deep bass causes beer to taste bitter, while light pop makes it taste sweeter, according to new research.
The study, conducted by scientists at Vrije University in Belgium, found that participants who were given the same beer while listening to different kinds of music transferred their ‘experience and feelings about the music to the beer’ they were tasting.
The volunteers tasted three different beers in a range of styles from pale ale to dark, with alcohol content that varied from 4.5 to eight percent ABV. They were exposed to three different kinds of background music, and asked to taste and rate each beer while listening to each one.
Overall, the three different musical soundtracks influenced the participants’ rating of the beers’ taste and strength.
Researchers found that a ‘Disney-style track’ caused people to rate the beers as tasting sweeter, while deep, rumbling bass made beer taste more bitter.
‘The results demonstrate that soundtracks that had been specially developed to evoke a specific taste can effectively be used in order to influence the participants' beer tasting experience,’ they concluded.
An individual's musical tastes may also come into play: 'While listening to the pleasant sweet soundtrack, the participant transfers his or her experience and feelings about the music to the beer that they happen to be tasting,' the researchers added.
The study, conducted by scientists at Vrije University in Belgium, found that participants who were given the same beer while listening to different kinds of music transferred their ‘experience and feelings about the music to the beer’ they were tasting.
The volunteers tasted three different beers in a range of styles from pale ale to dark, with alcohol content that varied from 4.5 to eight percent ABV. They were exposed to three different kinds of background music, and asked to taste and rate each beer while listening to each one.
Overall, the three different musical soundtracks influenced the participants’ rating of the beers’ taste and strength.
Researchers found that a ‘Disney-style track’ caused people to rate the beers as tasting sweeter, while deep, rumbling bass made beer taste more bitter.
‘The results demonstrate that soundtracks that had been specially developed to evoke a specific taste can effectively be used in order to influence the participants' beer tasting experience,’ they concluded.
An individual's musical tastes may also come into play: 'While listening to the pleasant sweet soundtrack, the participant transfers his or her experience and feelings about the music to the beer that they happen to be tasting,' the researchers added.
