Sonic Seasoning and Other Multisensory Influences on the Coffee Drinking Experience

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.

Gastrophysics: Getting creative with pairing flavours

“…In part, this is linked to the rise of sensory marketing in recent decades (Hilton, 2015 Yeoh & Allan, 2020) and, more particularly, the emerging fascination amongst many younger consumers with Sensploration (Leow, 2015). This interest has also been supported by a growing number of interventions from food delivery companies, chefs (Spence, Levitan, & Youssef, 2021), baristas (Spence, 2020b(Spence, , 2021a and food and beverage brands (Spence, 2019a(Spence, , 2021a. there would, for example, seem to be great potential for home food delivery services, where the take-away, or meal kit, is delivered together with a curated music selection (e.g., a…”

“…The world of flavour-music pairing has been most extensively discussed in relation to wine (De Luca, Campo, & Lee, 2019; see Spence & Wang, 2015a, b, c, for reviews). That said, there has also been an explosion of interest in sonic seasoning in the world of coffee, from both championship baristas through to Korean coffee-shop where customers sitting at the counter are offered a pair of wireless headphone to listen to music specially chosen to match their choice of coffee (see Spence, 2020bSpence, , 2021a. This approach to the sonic accompaniment to the experience of drinking coffee is one that has also been trialled by the mainstream purveyors of coffee such as Starbucks in the UK (Spence, 2011b), and, more recently, Keurig in the US .…”

“…The track was made available online for consumers to listen to while drinking the company's new coffee product offering at home. Meanwhile, early in 2021, Keurig came out with a series of five Spotify playlists to augment five of the coffee blends that they sell, this time supported by research by Spence and Felipe Reinoso-Carvalho (see Spence, 2021a). The underpinning idea in both of these cases was to offer sonic seasoning to consumers in the home environment.…”

Impact of music on the dynamic perception of coffee and evoked emotions evaluated by temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) and emotions (TDE)

“…seasoning tracks. Ultimately, one of the aims of sonic seasoning research is to pick, or 501 select, music combining elements carrying crossmodal flavor associations to enhance the 502 desirable taste qualities, and capable also of enabling "emotional sonic sensation transfer" 503 to enhance the overall multisensory experience(Spence, 2021).Temporal dominance of sensations and emotions were efficient tools for describing 507 and comparing the impact of music on the perceived taste and auto declared emotions 508 during the coffee drinking experience.…”

Delivering the Multisensory Experience of Dining-Out, for Those Dining-In, During the Covid Pandemic

“…Having realized just how important the atmosphere is to the experience of eating and drinking (see Spence and Piqueras-Fiszman, 2014), food and drinks brands are increasingly doing everything in their power to optimize the sonic backdrop when the consumer tastes their products. It really can make all the difference (see Spence, 2020dSpence, , 2021b, for a couple of recent examples).…”