Sipping to the Beat: Drinkify Pairs Tunes with Drinks

Can’t figure out what to drink while listening to music on Spotify? There’s a website for that. It’s called Drinkify.

Drinkify.org was “created in twenty-four boozy hours ” by Hannah Donovan, Lindsay Eyink and Matthew Ogle. They all met each other through music jobs at Last.fm and iTunes. At the event Music Hack Day in Boston they came up with the idea of combining music and alcohol— perhaps sparked by Donovan’s epic hangover from the night before.

Drinkify attempts to pair whatever song you’re playing with the perfect cocktail recipe. Just type in the artist, song or band, hit the “What should I drink?” and bam: Cocktail recipe.

Next to the drink recipe pop up pictures of the artist, along with a drawing of different kinds of glasses or bottles. The whole site is appealingly designed with retro flair.

Users can find many local bands from Chicago on the site. Drinkify’s suggestion for Save the Clocktower:

8 oz. Honey Vodka
8 oz. Bitters
Combine in highball glass and serve. Stir slowly.

The band members of Save the Clocktower are amused by the suggestion because none of them drink vodka. But they do have a sweet tooth, so they say they enjoy that honey is in the recipe, and they think the drink would definitely complement their music—at least it would loosen up the listener to have a fun time.

Another drink suggestion for a local band was “Midwest Hype:”

6 oz. Coke
6 oz. Zubrówka Vodka
6 oz. Cranberry juice
Combine in highball glass and serve.

Max Kepler, the drummer from the band, thinks that it’s “an interesting choice. We do love vodka.” But he has his own recommendation too: He suggests listeners enjoy a double tall Red Bull and vodka (seeing as they play late) or a strong mojito.

Finally, Drinkify suggests that people drink this eggy concoction while listening to Brighton MA:

12 oz. Microbrew
12 oz. Egg whites

Combine in highball glass and serve. Stir quickly.

The guitarist Joe Darnaby thinks the drink is a pain in the ass. “No one should have to go through an entire carton of eggs to make one drink. Plus where am I going to find a twenty-four-ounce highball glass?” He also worries that this drink will make someone hurl, and he’d prefer they not associate ralphing with listening to the band.

It’s unlikely Drinkify creator Donovan will be offended, though. Her own favorite part of the site, she says, is “How eerily right or hilariously wrong it can be about the drinks.”

But for all of you out there wondering what to drink without vomiting when you’re listening to Brighton MA, Darnaby has a suggestion of his own:

4 fingers of Laphroaig (or another heavily peated scotch)
1 or 2 ice cubes
Serve in a tumbler. Best drunk slowly. Or cannonballed. (Caylie Sadin)