Think about one of your favorite music tracks. Hear it in your mind. What makes you love it? For me, I don’t only think of the song itself- the melody, lyrics, and harmony. I also think of the sound and instrument choices used by the producers or songwriters to give the track the specific sonic identity they want. I think about the artistry of the mixing engineer, blending all of the colors together in the perfect way so as to draw the listeners attention to just the right sounds at the right time. The way the song pushes and pulls you into different mindsets or emotions. All of that together is what makes a good track.
As a musician, mixing engineer, and coffee aficionado, I view coffee the same way.
The coffee itself is the song- melody, harmony, lyrics, whatever makes a good song to you. The core of the track. The intricate flavors of the roast, and the strength of the brew. Just like a good song, you can listen to it on it’s own, the acoustic version, and appreciate the beauty of the writing. With craft coffee, the flavor of the coffee itself IS the starting point to a great brew, and it can stand on it’s own. You can’t hide it.
If the coffee itself isn’t good, I suppose you can try to mask it. And we’ve all been there! There have been times on long drives when I just want the flavor of “coffee” and I’ve pulled over anywhere to grab a good ol’ cuppa joe to satiate that craving. But let’s be real for a second. You know that if a song is not your vibe, no matter how many cool instruments they throw on, or how well it’s mixed, you still aren’t going to crave listening to that track. Same for coffee. It may fill the need for caffeine, or maybe just the placebo of drinking a warm coffee on a cool morning- but you probably won’t go back for that same cup a second time. You know when you taste good coffee, because something in you craves it again.
After you have a good coffee blend, and you know how to brew it- then comes the production of the track. As a producer picks instruments and sounds to bring their song to life, so too does the barista choose the right flavors to bring out or compliment the blend and the profile of the drink. Homemade syrups with the end goal in mind will create a thoughtful and tasteful beverage. Going for a fall vibe? How bout some maple syrup/spiced fruit/ cider flavors to compliment that warm dark coffee blend. You catch my drift. Everything down to the type of milk will affect the taste of the drink.
Then- the all important mixing stage. The culmination of the ingredients. How well the drink is blended together to pull out and showcase specific flavors. You can have the best flavors in the world, but if you have too much milk, or too little milk, or too little coffee, or any ratios are off in the slightest- the drink falls short of the finish line. The final blend will pull the whole drink together and give you that moment of pause and wonder when the drink touches your lips. For me- I like a coffee forward drink. A hint of sweetness and flavor. But I want the coffee leading the mix.
And of course the presentation of it all is the final tip of the iceberg. The part that everyone sees, not just the person drinking it. It is the final work of art that draws the eyes of the audience. When you walk in and you say – ooooh I want to try that. BEFORE you know what it even tastes like.
So next time you take a sip of your favorite coffee drink, think about all that went into it before it got to you, warm in your hands (or iced if you’re an iced coffee drinker). Let the flavors and the blends work their magic, let the mix make you smile. Then of course, enjoy it, just like you would a good track. Because at the end of the day- my reasons for loving art and coffee are the same- they bring me joy. And what is life without little moments of joy?
SARAH (MUSICIAN, MIXING/RECORDING ENGINEER, PRODUCER)