Abstract
The coffee drinking experience undoubtedly depends greatly on the quality of the coffee bean and the method of preparation. However, beyond the product-intrinsic qualities of the beverage itself, there are also a host of other product-extrinsic factors that have been shown to influence the coffee-drinking experience. This review summarizes the influence of everything from the multisensory atmosphere through to the sound of coffee preparation, and from the typeface on the coffee packaging through the drinking vessel. Furthermore, the emerging science around sonic seasoning, whereby specific pieces of music or soundscapes, either pre-composed or bespoke, are used to bring out specific aspects in the taste (e.g., sweetness or bitterness) or aroma/flavor (nutty, dark chocolate, dried fruit notes, etc.) of a coffee beverage is also discussed in depth. Relevant related research with other complex drinks such as beer and wine are also mentioned where relevant.
Highlights
Coffee is one of the oldest of beverages, with the beans first cultivated in Ethiopia many millennia ago (Buffo and Cardelli-Freire, 2004)
The beverage that so many of us enjoy today reflects a complex combination of the genetics of the coffee plant, the roast, grinding, and extraction of the beans (e.g., Sarrazin et al, 2000; Glöss et al, 2013)
Knowing what we do about the fascinating world of “sonic seasoning” (Spence, 2017a; Spence et al, 2019a), it can be argued that it makes sense to match the music to the coffee, rather than leaving this opportunity to pair our experience up to chance
Summary
The coffee drinking experience undoubtedly depends greatly on the quality of the coffee bean and the method of preparation. Beyond the product-intrinsic qualities of the beverage itself, there are a host of other product-extrinsic factors that have been shown to influence the coffee-drinking experience. This review summarizes the influence of everything from the multisensory atmosphere through to the sound of coffee preparation, and from the typeface on the coffee packaging through the drinking vessel. The emerging science around sonic seasoning, whereby specific pieces of music or soundscapes, either pre-composed or bespoke, are used to bring out specific aspects in the taste (e.g., sweetness or bitterness) or aroma/flavor (nutty, dark chocolate, dried fruit notes, etc.) of a coffee beverage is discussed in depth. Relevant related research with other complex drinks such as beer and wine are mentioned where relevant
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