# Best Drinks for Classical Listening



## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

There's little doubt that the right amount of ethanol can greatly enhance any listening experience: What is your favourite beverage or cocktail to sip as you settle in for a few hours of good listening? Like wine and meat, are there certain drinks that you match with certain composers?


----------



## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

Hm... good question. I personally think wine goes best with classical music in general, but I don't have any specifics.


----------



## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

A glass of White Grenache wine enhances my classical listening experiences.


----------



## karenpat (Jan 16, 2009)

Does coffee count?


----------



## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

coffee is always appropriate, maybe with some drambuie in it.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

^ alcohol free for three months

Green tea, or decaf coffee usually.


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Not that I drink them but a session on fruit-flavoured alcopops would remind me of the works of Gilbert & Sullivan - they look garish, are made up of unpleasant and often erzats ingredients, are too sickly-sweet and afterwards you wonder why you wasted so much money on them.


----------



## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

Art Rock said:


> ^ alcohol free for three months
> 
> Green tea, or decaf coffee usually.


you are in mainland and alcohol free for three months?? 

a viking beer for Sibelius, whisky for Vaughan Williams and vintage wine for Saint Saens.


----------



## Rob (Apr 20, 2010)

elgars ghost said:


> Not that I drink them but a session on fruit-flavoured alcopops would remind me of the works of Gilbert & Sullivan - they look garish, are made up of unpleasant and often erzats ingredients, are too sickly-sweet and afterwards you wonder why you wasted so much money on them.


Gilbert O'Sullivan! :lol:

To answer the OP: 
I prefer coffee when I listen to any kind of music. Then again, I have never really tried the combination of alcohol and classical music. How about some Newcastle Brown Ale and Gustav Holst tonight, then?


----------



## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

I drank a very small amount of very strong coffee once and had a major epiphany about Mahler 8, and the first part finally made total sense to me. So I swear by coffee.


----------



## Rob (Apr 20, 2010)

World Violist said:


> I drank a very small amount of very strong coffee once and had a major epiphany about Mahler 8, and the first part finally made total sense to me. So I swear by coffee.


Hehe. The same thing happened to me while listening to Myaskovsky's 6th last week.


----------



## Edward Elgar (Mar 22, 2006)

Art Rock said:


> ^ alcohol free for three months


Alcohol free for two years and three months, beat that!


----------



## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Edward Elgar said:


> Alcohol free for two years and three months, beat that!


Alcohol free for almost nineteen years.


----------



## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

World Violist said:


> I drank a very small amount of very strong coffee once and had a major epiphany about Mahler 8, and the first part finally made total sense to me. So I swear by coffee.


I've only had that sort of experience with non-musical epiphanies. I was also very sleep-deprived at the time.

So... what part of it didn't you understand, and how did you resolve it? From what I've read, he was trying to emulate a Bach motet.


----------



## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

I've tried to lay off the drinking habit over the past several months. So I mostly listen to music with coffee, water, and/or mountain dew.


----------



## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)

Coffee and Speyside scotch (at the same time. Separate, not mixed)


----------



## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Coffee for me. Alcohol is so expensive & I can think of lots of other exciting things to spend my money on.


----------



## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Kopachris said:


> So... what part of it didn't you understand, and how did you resolve it? From what I've read, he was trying to emulate a Bach motet.


It was a structural thing; I had heard it before but it never made any structural sense until I realized everything was tied into the first few chords. And then I listened to it while I was still on the caffeine "buzz" and everything just fell into place and nothing sounded random like it did before.

I don't think he was trying to emulate a Bach motet per se, but it emulates Bach's overall way with music, and it's probably some of the best counterpoint written since Bach.


----------



## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Are you talking about the whole first movement?


----------



## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

emiellucifuge said:


> Are you talking about the whole first movement?


Yep. blahblahblahcoffee...


----------



## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

World Violist said:


> Yep. blahblahblahcoffee...




Thats interesting, for me the first movement was much easier to 'get' than the next one.


----------



## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

emiellucifuge said:


> Thats interesting, for me the first movement was much easier to 'get' than the next one.


The first movement had always struck me as a bit off, probably because most of the recordings I had heard were super-fast let's-see-how-fast-I-can-make-500-people-play-a-fugue type recordings that weren't focusing on anything else, so I had mostly to parse out the structure for myself, which was not easy. I had heard slower ones but I still had that mental block, and then I had that coffee and I felt like listening to it and it felt like a new piece.

I dunno. The second movement was always much more natural for me to grasp as an overall "arch."


----------



## Dejital (Feb 17, 2011)

Ei wie schmeckt der coffe susse !


----------



## Pieck (Jan 12, 2011)

Edward Elgar said:


> Alcohol free for two years and three months, beat that!


Alocohoal fri fpr tu ours


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Pieck said:


> Alocohoal fri fpr tu ours


One of the most hilarious posts ever!:lol:

:tiphat:

Now, seriously, for me, nothing beats champagne for this purpose.


----------



## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Pieck said:


> Alocohoal fri fpr tu ours


I don't think I've laughed this much at a TC post in a long time. As they say... thanks for sharing.


----------



## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

Dejital said:


> Ei wie schmeckt der coffe susse !


Egg how tastes the coffee sweet? The coffee tastes like sweet eggs?

*Checks Google Translate*

Eggs taste like sweet coffee?


----------



## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Ugh, coffee... don't think I've ever finished a full cup of the stuff in my life. Don't like the taste, makes me pee weird...

Myself: Dry martini, cabernet sauvignon, or whiskey in any form!


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I got pretty drunk yesterday after England beat France in the rugby match. Now I'm brooding over how many CDs I could have bought instead.


----------



## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Coffee for energetic, passionate pieces,
tea for happy or light but contemplative pieces,
white wine for opera,
red wine for sentimental pieces,
mid-strength quality beer for robust, powerful pieces,
strong quality beer for powerful and contemplative, dark pieces,
strong spiced spirits or port for the most difficult, challenging pieces,
and bad bulk beer for nothing. Don't drink that stuff.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Coffee of course, as I am a caffeine based life form. 

On those very rare occasions when I drink alcohol, maybe once a year, I like what Europeans (I think) call whiskey and what we Americans refer to as single malt Scotch, neat. My favorite is Glenmorangie. A sip of that alternated with a nibble of 70% cocoa is so sublime, I can't be doing that and focusing deeply on the music though.


----------



## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

In theory a good glass of red wine.

In practice I watch opera in the evening with a cup of Earl Grey. At least it's leaf tea and not a tea bag. I listen while walking so it's water then.


----------



## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

A hot cup of back tea, and the occasional sip of bourbon. It depends on the occasion. Caffeine lends itself more than alcohol to the enjoyment of classical music, in my opinion. Nothing gets me going in the mornings more than [a little] caffeine and Shostakovich.


----------



## Sanctus Petrus (Dec 9, 2010)

Rennaisance + water (Vittel)
Baroque + dry white wine or medium + sweet Alsace
Classical + champagne or red claret
Romantic + red wine Burgundy style
20th century + Glennfarclass
21th century + coffee African with some sour touches


----------



## wingracer (Mar 7, 2011)

To those who are off the sauce, I applaud you. As the son of an alcoholic, I know what that can be like.

As for me, I seem to have avoided my father's one vice. I can enjoy a drink every once in a while but for the most part, I would rather go without.

But for a good stretch of evening listening, I could go for a good Irish Coffee.


----------



## delallan (Jan 4, 2011)

I drink alcohol so seldom these days... for me, I listen to music or watch opera with a pot of tea; Earl Grey or green or chamomile. Or a nice cappuccino or latte!


----------



## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Sanctus Petrus has the right idea, but I'll go with different drinks:

Medieval - mead, if you can get it; if not, beer
Renaissance - beer
Baroque - coffee, black and strong
Classical - champagne
Romantic - wine
Modern (1890/1950) - whiskey
Contemporary - chocolate goldfish (a cocktail of milk and Coca-Cola)


----------



## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

science said:


> Sanctus Petrus has the right idea, but I'll go with different drinks:
> 
> Medieval - mead, if you can get it; if not, beer
> Renaissance - beer
> ...


I agree with you choice for Baroque... but I'm looking at your thing for contemporary and it looks ghastly.


----------



## wingracer (Mar 7, 2011)

I had never heard of it so I looked it up. I think I agree with WV, sounds ghastly, haha

Chocolate Goldfish
Drink Type: Cocktail - C
Ingredients

1 oz. Amaretto (more Amaretto drinks)
1 oz. Baileys Irish Cream (more Baileys Irish Cream drinks)
2 oz. Milk (more Milk drinks)
4 oz. Coca Cola (more Coca Cola drinks)
Instructions
Layer in order. Pete says: be sure to pour in that order and be careful, the Coke usually foams a lot. One quick stir. The milk will curdle a bit, and it isn't exactly pretty, but it tastes great.


----------



## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I will definitely try one someday, just because of this. 

I was thinking - what drinks fit the era? Cocktails, Coke, so a cocktail with Coke, but then to match the music it needs to be something that would glow under blacklight, so I thought it should have milk in it, so I googled it, and found that. It sounded a bit scary to taste, so I thought it was the perfect analogy to the music: the truth is (probably) if we tried it, pretty soon we'd all love it and we'd wonder why more people don't join us!


----------



## Saul_Dzorelashvili (Jan 26, 2010)

Watermusic...

Only if you can *Handel* it...


----------



## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

Dry sherry: amontillado [with or without Edgar Allan Poe's blessing!], or, especially, dry oloroso.

Champagne works too, as long as it's very dry.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

I still go for my favorite a good sized glass of single malt whisky and a cigar or pipe

fine companion to music


----------



## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Couchie said:


> *There's little doubt that the right amount of ethanol can greatly enhance any listening experience*: What is your favourite beverage or cocktail to sip as you settle in for a few hours of good listening? Like wine and meat, are there certain drinks that you match with certain composers?


*There's little doubt that the right amount of ethanol can greatly enhance any listening experience -- ???*

*WTF?? **There is little doubt that a mind-numbing depressant is surely Not The Thing to 'enhance' anything except diminished perception.*

I smell a rationale here.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

^ can send you blind too - speaking from experience here !!

just go to Bali and order a cocktail - if your game, comes inclusive of free ethanol chaser!


----------



## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

A good scotch or bourbon on the rocks and a fat jynt! What else?


----------



## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

Alcoholic drinks are good for nothing... I suggest apricot's juice


----------



## Mordred (Mar 15, 2012)

Port with Beethoven
Champagne with Mozart
Straight Vodka with Shostakovich


----------



## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Let's see who the drinkers are. This data will be used later by "Law and Order: Internet Division." Bling bling! A big "joynt," eh, KRoad? This information will be included in your dossier.


----------



## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Perhaps a bit of the old moloko plus to sharpen up the senses?

That is plus drenkrum, vellocet and synthemesc.


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Most of my favorite music would go well with beer and Bratwurst


----------



## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

SiegendesLicht said:


> Most of my favorite music would go well with beer and Bratwurst


Now _that's_ romantic...


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

KRoad said:


> Now _that's_ romantic...


Oh, but it certainly is.


----------



## TinyTim (Feb 16, 2013)

For me it depends upon the piece of music. As an avid tea drinker, here are a few cuppa pairings to my taste:

Bach's French Suites performed by Elena Kuschnerova: Darjeeling (First Flush)
Mozart's Concerto for 2 pianos No. 10 (Murray Perahia and Radu Lupu): Golden Yunnan
Beethoven's Hammerklavier Piano Sonata performed by Craig Sheppard: Assam 
Chopin's Preludes performed by Maurizio Pollini: Ceylon
Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries: Camel's Breath Pu'erh (a strong, earthy tea) 

And so it goes. Make of this what you will.


----------



## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

Coffee red wine regular water if it is something modern:lol:


----------



## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Edward Elgar said:


> Alcohol free for two years and three months, beat that!


Me, I am clinically allergic: 
Ergo no big deal or effort to stay away from, &
No badge of merit for having beaten a personal daemon.

Due to having the allergy, a Teetotalist my entire life, now heading into my 'senior' years 

Because of that perspective, perhaps I see alcohol more clearly as "Just another drug," and an endemically misused drug at that.

If you could imagine a thread about Marijuana or Hallucinogens with the same tenor as this one, it would likely be shut down in one moment.

Because of the near universal social acceptance of alcohol use, we have here a standing thread on Alcohol and what can only be called "Alcohol Culture," whereas a thread on "Drugs and Drug Culture" would more than likely be instantly shot down.

Such an overwhelming majority of injuries or deaths in the workplace, on the road, and from violent personal interactions have alcohol as part of the story... more so by percent than any other substance generally used. One would think the species would get a clue


----------



## Schubussy (Nov 2, 2012)

Ayahuasca.




Nah, I really just drink tea a lot.


----------



## etkearne (Sep 28, 2012)

I can't drink alcohol because I take medications with which even one serving of alcohol would probably put me into a coma. I never liked the "dulled" feeling of even slight alcohol intoxication anyways.

However, I do enjoy coffee quite a bit. I usually don't drink it while listening to music, but when I visit my one friend who also likes classical, we almost certainly get a mug of coffee ready before I share with him any new pieces or composers I have recently gotten interested in. So, I suppose I do have some sentimental memories of "drinks" and music. He has one of those strange "Keurig" (may have spelled that brand-name wrong) devices that brews the coffee "by the cup". I don't think I would like having one, as the little coffee-ground containers are kind of expensive (but if you like it and can afford it - I see why), but it is a neat machine to use.


----------



## Jord (Aug 13, 2012)

When listening to Minimalism or Atonal music i prefer to drink bleach


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

^ That's just nasty nasty nasty, but do you drink bleach often?


----------



## jtbell (Oct 4, 2012)

jurianbai said:


> a viking beer for Sibelius


Many years ago, I read a newspaper review that claimed that Sibelius is best listened to with a bottle of brandy nearby (to keep you warm).


----------



## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

I only drink Holy Water when listening to Bach, a glass of Amarone for Berio, a shot of Green Moskowskaya when I listen Shostakovich and a wee dram of 1973 Ardbeg when I listen to good old Ralph VW! 

/ptr


----------



## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Xaltotun said:


> white wine for opera


maybe for L'elisir d'amore. I dare you to drink white wine for Boris Godunov


----------

