Music is best appreciated socially, and one of the best ways to socialize is over drinks with friends. Here’s a selection of 10 critically and commercially acclaimed musical releases and fitting drinks to accompany them.
These were coupled based on the records’ thematic content, energy levels, and peculiar types of musical craft as they compare to the taste, alcohol content, and more abstract social or symbolic associations of the drinks. In the interests of cultural relevance and wide accessibility, the list includes a mix of long-established classics and more recent hits that will be similarly remembered in the coming decades.
As a disclaimer, this list is not here to encourage binge drinking, and you should probably take things down a notch if you find yourself starting to slur lyrics during the inevitable sing-alongs that will ensue. That being said, here are 10 complementary means by which to responsibly inebriate yourself the next time you take a listen to some of your favorite music:
[new page= My Bloody Valentine – Loveless: India Pale Ale]
Shoegaze and India Pale Ale have more in common than you’d expect. The heavy walls of distorted sound on My Bloody Valentine’s genre-defining album bear more than a passing resemblance to the hoppy kick you get from the first sip of an IPA.
Beginners to either are usually turned off by the abrasive noise and bitterness, but learned consumers can appreciate the subtle nuances of both. IPAs are also suitably sophisticated beers for the renowned pubs of MBV’s native Ireland. Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo IPA is a crisp, mid-strength IPA for the smoother tracks like “Sometimes,” while something hoppier like Stone Brewing Co.’s Ruination will match the heavier songs like “Only Shallow” and “When You Sleep.”
[new page=David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: Jungle Juice]
Glam rock’s defining album should be enjoyed with the only beverage that comes close to matching David Bowie’s alternate persona in terms of sleaziness. 40-ounce malt liquor was another candidate for this spot, but it doesn’t have the Bowie-style flamboyance that sweet, bright red, party-friendly spiked fruit punch does.
Since jungle juice is usually prepared with a generous amount of cheap rum or vodka, it is right at home in the cheap venues where Ziggy Stardust rang in the apocalypse with brotherly love and rock 'n' roll.
[new page= Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion: Pink Lady]
Animal Collective’s most popular album should be accompanied by a bright cocktail that, like the band's music, derives its charm from its strangeness. Consisting of gin, grenadine syrup, and an egg white, the pink lady is just the drink.
The complex, sophisticated taste of gin and off-kilter addition of an egg white complement the interesting textures and sonic experiments on tracks like “In the Flowers” and “Brother Sport,” while the grenadine acts like the pop hooks in those songs to keep the drink fun and accessible.
[new page= Pink Floyd – The Wall: red wine]
The sharpness of red wines makes a great accompaniment to The Wall’s unrestrained anger, which is tempered by the fruity notes in the softer, introspective tracks.
There’s a massive assortment of different types and prices of red wine, so everyone should be able to find an enjoyable way to become “Comfortably Numb.” Your group might even want to purchase an economy-size box of wine for this listen, as you’ll likely go through a bottle or two before the end of this record’s almost-hour-and-a-half length. Just be sure to have a hearty meal before indulging in inebriation; how can you have any booze if you don’t eat your meat?!
[new page= The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet: cheap beer]
The Rolling Stones are renowned for delivering great blues rock with gritty, straightforward appeal, so their music is best enjoyed with a drink that matches its unpretentious aesthetic.
Their arguable magnum opus, Beggars Banquet, brings to mind the kind of dive bar that’ll keep the Budweiser flowing until its “Factory Girl” and boy patrons are swaying like the back beats on “Parachute Woman.” Celebrate the everyman along with the closing track, “Salt of the Earth,” by living simply and opening up a tallboy.
[new page= LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver: Irish coffee]
With track titles like “Drunk Girls” and “Dance Yrself Clean,” the now-defunct, New York dance-punk greats demand a high-octane drink. The whiskey in an Irish coffee has the punch needed to get the night started, and a cup of coffee will help keep it going from bar gigs to apartment afterparties to warehouse raves before stumbling home at 5 a.m. in true-to-form DFA style.
Plus, with the recent announcement of former frontman James Murphy’s new brand of espresso, you can make the drink an authentic LCDSS experience.
[new page= Radiohead - OK Computer: Whiskey, Straight Up]
Like whiskey, Radiohead’s OK Computer is a little off-putting at first, but widely popular because it’s so interestingly complex. Whiskey’s shocking initial harshness feels a lot like this albums immediate weirdness, but further sipping and listening help consumers to appreciate the intricate flavors and fascinating production techniques for what they are.
This album’s themes of modern-day alienation are well reflected in the drink’s rough, tongue-numbing taste, though it’d probably be best not to drink to this one alone so as to avoid the sort of downward emotional spiral that inspired this gorgeous piece of sonic art.
[new page= Belle & Sebastian - If You’re Feeling Sinister: Gin and Tonic]
Belle & Sebastian’s 1996 magnum opus tells of youthful love and rebellion with the sort of frank, gentle charm you’d expect from a Wes Anderson film. Rather than succumbing to stereotypes about what constitutes "fruity" music, it’s more fitting to acknowledge the sincere pathos of “Seeing Other People” and “The Fox in the Snow” with something on the stronger side.
Gin hits the tongue like a young person’s painful search for meaning, but the tonic water tempers its bitterness like the lovely acoustic melodies that displace those emotions on this album.
[new page= Vampire Weekend - Contra: White Russian]
Vampire Weekend’s much-beloved sophomore release is a piece of indie pop candy, so it’s best taken with a sweet drink that goes down as smoothly as frontman Ezra Koenig’s voice.
Composed of a combination of cream, coffee liqueur, and vodka, a White Russian is basically liquid ice cream. The drink’s easy flavor goes great with the album’s catchy synth rhythms, while the relatively high alcohol content will keep the atmosphere energetic to match upbeat songs like “Cousins” and “Holiday.”
[new page = The Beatles – Abbey Road: Champagne]
The Beatles’ canonization as the best rock band of all time demands a drink with a strong tinge of class. That being said, the Fab Four still know how to have a great time. The Beatles, like a bottle of freshly popped fizz, fit most social settings, from formal dinners to New Year’s Eve parties.
Champagne is as subtly beautiful as their soft songs like “Something” or “Because” and as bubbly as the bite-sized jams that make up Abbey Road’s B-side (or “Octopus’s Garden” if you want to go the more literal route). The vast diversity in the price ranges of champagne reflects The Beatles’ near-universal adoration across all walks of life.