BEER-AND-MUSIC PAIRINGS
A Classic, Reinterpreted — We said that Chad Lawson’s take on Chopin is like a coconut porter by Oskar Blues. Chad Lawson said, “Of all the reviews/comparisons of my music, this is by far my favorite.” (actual Twitter quote)
Farmhouse Franck — An obscure French beer style helps us to appreciate the organ music of César Franck.
Rachmaninoff, Imperial and Stout — Both Sergei Rachmaninoff and American craft brewers find inspiration in the Russian Empire.
Fellow Travelers, 420, and the FBI — Lagunitas commemorates a police raid with a beer so grand it could have been an opera.
Brewsters, St. Brigid, and Bathwater Beer — Where other people saw a bathtub, St. Brigid saw an opportunity to make miraculous beer. Irish-style red ale is her kind of beverage.
Three for Three: A Baroque Trio for Bach’s 333rd Birthday —Bach loved numerology. What better to celebrate his 333rd birthday than three beers and a trio of composers?
Ralph Vaughan Williams Is the Green Man— When you want excellent English music, listen to Ralph Vaughan Williams. When you want excellent English beer, drink Green Man.
Sweelinck’s Drinking Songs — Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck’s keyboard variations on a popular drinking song give us a new perspective on American light lager.
John Cage in the Funkatorium — Sour ale complements the funkiness of a maverick American composer.
Julius Fučík’s Hi-Wire Act — A Czech composer’s marches demonstrate the boldness and sweetness you might find in a milk stout.
Schneider, Gershwin, and Ellington Have It Both Ways — Jazz and classical music go together like India pale ale and lager.
Bach Goes-a With Everything — Bach-inspired pop and fruity Gose trace their roots to Leipzig, Germany.
Beware False Friends — The Bach Akademie Charlotte inspires rumination on linguistics, the nature of sin, and the definition of craft beer.
Draft List — We’re thankful that people don’t serve beer the way they serve classical music.
COMPOSER BEER FACTS
How Much Beer Did Bach Drink? — On an all-expense-paid trip, J.S. Bach drank a six-pack’s worth of beer every day. We made a chart to put Bach’s drinking into perspective.
Martin Luther, Musician and Beer Connoisseur — Martin Luther wrote songs that we still sing today, and he enjoyed drinking local beer after work. People aren’t kidding when they say the Reformation opened the door to modern culture.
Martin Luther’s Beer Theses — We celebrate the 500th anniversary of Luther’s 95 theses by writing five more theses to summarize Luther’s thoughts about beer.