Music Can Make Your Beer Taste Better, Study Finds

A study led by Dr. Felipe Carvalho of Vrije Universiteit Brussel found that sound can affect the way people perceive taste.

For the study participants tasted each beer twice and rated their experience, each time listening to different kinds of background music. They were not aware that they were tasting the same beer twice. Beers ranged from pale ale to dark, with alcohol contents of 4.5 to eight percent ABV, details Eater.

Participants rated the beers as tasting sweeter when listening to a "Disney-style track," while deep, rumbling bass sounds had participants reporting the beer as more bitter.

The researchers conclude, "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."

These results show that there is potential for sound to enhance eating and drinking experiences.

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