Does your drink really taste better at a gig?

You’ve got a drink in one hand, music in the air, and suddenly it all just clicks. The flavours feel brighter, the whole thing somehow more alive. Festival magic? Or science at work?

Music psychology, festival culture, and drinks expertise… these are things researchers like Adam Ockelford, Professor of Music at Roehampton University, have explored in detail. He calls it the effect of your drink tasting better at a gig: “sonic seasoning”.

Here’s how it works and how to try it yourself.

How music changes what you taste

Flavour isn’t just down to what’s in your glass, according to research in music psychology. It shows that what you hear shapes how you perceive taste. High-pitched tones can bring out sweetness, while lower pitches lean into bitterness or savoury notes. Tempo, rhythm, even the type of instrument can all nudge your brain toward different flavour profiles.

Professor Ockelford explains: “The easiest way is to experiment. Pour your favourite drink, then listen to two contrasting pieces of music while sipping. You’ll probably find the flavour feels different depending on the soundtrack. Bright, high-pitched, fast music often makes sweetness and freshness stand out, while slower, lower-pitched sounds can emphasise bitterness, depth, or warmth. There’s no special equipment needed, just a playlist and a drink in hand”.

Does your drink really taste better at a gig?

Of course, anyone who has been to a festival knows live music isn’t just sound. It’s atmosphere. It moves in sync with the crowd, ramps up emotion, and floods your brain with feel-good chemistry. That social, sensory high can make us feel bolder, brighter… why not the flavours we taste? A whisky’s peat might seem smokier, a Margarita’s citrus more electric.

Studies at Heriot-Watt University found people rated the same wine differently depending on the music playing: powerful and heavy under dramatic orchestral scores, soft and fresh with gentle strings. Similar experiments have shown the same effect with beer, chocolate, coffee, and spirits.

According to Professor Ockelford, drinks with layered or contrasting flavours tend to show the strongest response. “A good example is a Cointreau Margarita. Its citrus brightness and touch of sweetness can really sparkle alongside lively, upbeat music, while something smoother and slower can bring out its warmer, more complex notes. The same principle applies across many cocktails and spirits”.

Try it with whisky

Cocktails work brilliantly for sonic seasoning, but whisky offers a slower, more nuanced way to notice the changes. Some ideas:

Laphroaig 10 Year Old + ambient electronica: gentle synths and layered textures to bring out the maritime brine and citrus in the peat smoke.

Aberlour A’bunadh + rich jazz standards: slow, warm brass lines to coax out the sherry cask’s dried fruit and chocolate.

Bushmills 10 Year Old + bright acoustic folk: upbeat strumming and higher-pitched tones to lift the vanilla and floral top notes.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan + heavy rock: distortion and deep bass to accentuate the peppery heat and dark chocolate bitterness.

The same dram can feel entirely different with a simple playlist change.

Recreate the festival effect at home

You don’t need to be wedged into a festival crowd to test the theory. Set up a tasting at home. Line up a couple of drams or cocktails, pick contrasting playlists, and see how the flavour shifts. Invite friends over and compare notes. It’s as much a social experiment as it is a sensory one.

Professor Ockelford notes that the effect is strongest while the music is playing: “It’s very much about being in the moment, with your senses working together. That said, some people find that the impression lingers. If you’ve just experienced a Margarita with sparkling music, the drink may seem a little brighter for a while afterwards. But in essence, sonic seasoning is a way of enhancing enjoyment through the here-and-now connection between sound and taste”.