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SOUND ADVICE
PREMIX cocktails in advance. As
guests arrive, pour the drinks into
a glass pitcher with plenty of ice.
Pull out a bar spoon and stir the
cocktail where your guests can
hear and see you. The sound of
the spoon hitting the pitcher and
the ice cubes knocking together
conveys freshness, and seeing
you do it makes your guests feel
like they’re in capable hands.“PREPARATION sounds—
think shaking, stirring, and
pouring noises—are crucial
to an ambience of apprecia-
tion,” Duffy says. For instance,
grinding peppercorns or salt
conveys the impression of just-
made food, so do those steps
in earshot of your guests. With
Champagne, pop that bottle in
front of guests—let them hear it!FOR MUSIC, Duffy suggests start-
ing with music in a higher pitch
to bring out sweeter flavors in
drinks and make people comfort-
able. Her choices include Mozart,
specifically The Magic Flute, or,
in a non-classical vein, Minnie
Riperton or Caribou. With food,
switch to minor-key strings to
make food taste saltier. And brass,
she finds, brings out umami notes.