On a recent visit to the Starbucks Reserve store, one of my favorite Downtown Naperville haunts, I had one of those moments where your subconscious tendencies come rushing to the surface. I pulled up my stool, ordered my flat white, and noticed that we were getting into Pumpkin Spice season. I fit my headphones snug against my ears and started playing radio-friendly classic rock when it hit me. If I ordered a Pumpkin Spice Latte I would be listening to something else.
I’ve always taken notice of my surroundings and how they might dictate my choice of music, but I never gave my choice of beverage too much thought. Once I got to thinking about it, though, I started exploring the connection. Without touching on every drink known to mankind, I jotted down a few thoughts on my recycled paper napkin:
- Regular Coffee and Soda – Classic Rock like The Doors or Bob Seger
- Pumpkin Spice Latte – Soft Rock aka “Yacht Rock,” adult oriented rock
- Tea – Classical or something deeply progressive
- Mixed drinks like Pina Coladas, Bloody Marys, and Mimosas – Reggae and Caribbean styles
- Beer – Hard Rock/Heavy Metal and Blues (and a pint of Guinness for Irish drinking songs)
- Lemonade and Kool-Aid – 80’s Pop like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, Disco
- Whiskey and hard liquor – Country and some Hard Rock
- Wine – Jazz and slow R&B
- Spiced Cranberry Apple Cider – Deep, rich Soul. Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and Michael McDonald come to mind.
- Eggnog – Well, Christmas music, of course!! I absolutely love eggnog, but I’m not sure I could drink it without “Jingle Bells” playing!
The list could go on and on, but I found it fun to match my drink to my music. In fact, I ended up spending the day at Starbucks, sending songs and drinks into the fitting rooms of my mind. After a few hours (and multiple trips to the restroom) all of my drinks had been tailored nicely and were ready for a night on the town.
How do your drinks match with your musical tastes?
Editor’s Note / Dr. Music by Scott Itter inspired some of our memorable thoughts in this month’s PN Commentary while thinking about the month of November and singing “Over the River and through the Wood” on the way to the Mitchell family reunion on Thanksgiving Day.
Furthermore, whenever I hear Jingle Bells these days, I’m reminded of a clever billboard that appeared many years ago along I-88. “Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells! Don’t forget the J & B.” —PN
