Food & Wine USA - (03)March 2019

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MOTHERSHIP SCOTLAND
NA ERICKA DUFFY EDINBURGH
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ERICKA DUFFY CAN TELL YOU whether a drink is hot or cold just
from hearing it being poured, and which sounds—the slosh of
ice in the wine bucket, the uncorking of a bottle—can turn a
meal from average to extraordinary. Duffy’s CV ranges from
perfumer to barista, and one of her current roles is as a creative
consultant for Mothership Scotland, which owns a group of
top cocktail bars in Edinburgh. At Bramble, Lucky Liquor
Co., or The Last Word Saloon, you might drink a colorless,
30-ingredient tiki cocktail or a peated whiskey with bubble
gum–flavored bubbles. But one of the most crucial ingredients
isn’t in the glass at all—it’s in the air, in the bar’s soundtracks.
Sound has a surprising impact on the way we taste, and
the way we experience food and drink can be altered just by
manipulating the audio environment. Much of the research
on this subject comes from Charles Spence, PhD, an exper-
imental psychologist who runs the Crossmodal Research
Laboratory at the University of Oxford and is the author of
Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating. Spence’s experi-
ments test how sound, sight, and feel affect taste. His research
shows, for example, that loud noise mutes our sense of taste—
one reason why Bloody Marys are such a popular airplane
drink. A jet’s ambient roar squashes our ability to taste sweet
and salty, so we order something with more umami notes.
Espresso Martini
TOTAL 5 MIN; SERVES 1
Shaking the ingredients with
ice creates a foamy “crema”
atop this bittersweet coffee-
flavored martini from cocktail
guru Ericka Duffy. Be sure to
squeeze the orange peel over
the drink; the citrus-oil aroma
is essential for balance.
3 Tbsp. (^1 / 2 oz.) cognac
2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) coffee
liqueur, such as Kahlúa
2 Tbsp. espresso
1 Tbsp. simple syrup
Orange twist and coffee
beans, for garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add cognac, coffee liqueur,
espresso, and simple syrup.
Cover and shake vigorously
until frothy, about 30 sec-
onds. Strain into a chilled
martini glass. Squeeze
orange twist over drink and
add to lip of glass; float coffee
beans in drink, and serve
immediately.
THE
MAGICIAN
“WHAT I DO IS EPHEMERAL—DRINKS
GET CONSUMED, AND YOU’RE LEFT
ONLY WITH A MEMORY. IT’S THE
CLOSEST TO BEING A MAGICIAN THAT
I CAN THINK OF.” —ERICKA DUFFY
These ideas may seem far-fetched, but Spence and Duffy
sometimes work in tandem, with Duffy reporting back how
Spence’s research plays out in real time. “If the volume in the
bar is at a certain level,” she says, “I’ve found people are more
likely to order a certain kind of drink.” Nor is the effect solely
due to how loud the music is. At Bramble, the soundtrack is
upbeat hip-hop in major chords and higher pitches, which,
Spence’s tests suggest, brings out a sweeter perception of
taste. At Lucky Liquor Co., every record is played start to
finish, which means guests don’t just hear the bangers: They
also hear slower or sadder songs than bars usually play. This
can increase guests’ perception of bitter notes in cocktails,
and the drinks menu at Lucky Liquor Co., which changes
every 13 weeks, often includes ingredients like fennel seeds
and Greek yogurt.
One takeaway from all this, Duffy points out, is that chang-
ing the sound environment in your home can have an observ-
able effect on how much your guests enjoy your next dinner
party. When you’ve chosen a wine to serve with dinner, for
instance, consider the attributes of the wine you want to
highlight before hitting play. A complex wine’s nuances
might ask for baroque music. “I’d go with a symphony, like
Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz, parts of which are in
really deep, dark minor keys, because you want to pull out
some bitter, umami tastes,” says Duffy. “If you’re looking for
depth and funk, you’re going to want to use a complicated
piece of minor chords to draw that out.” Music can even help
fix your mistakes. If you took a chance on a new bottle and
it’s too sweet, put on low-pitched tunes (think Nick Cave) to
take away the sweetness. It’s a quick and easy fix, says Duffy:
“I’d switch the music before buying a new wine.”
A few hacks to the soundscape of your home can be a
cheap way to elevate your cocktail, glass of wine, or dinner
party from pedestrian to sublime. And, if your guests are
lingering too long, put on some up-tempo music so they
pick up their eating pace, then switch to something in a
minor key, to get them into their coats and out the door.
Minor notes suggest dusty, bitter attributes: the end of the
evening. They also work great for whiskey, though, so pour
yourself a good single-malt and relax once your guests have
gone. NELL McSHANE WULFHART

MAKE IT

CLICK IT Learn more about Duffy’s work at erickaduffy

.com, and for bar info, visit mothershipscotland.com.

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