It might sound like a joke, but I’m serious when I’m saying that music is one of the ingredients that influence the flavor of a beer. There are in fact experiments done by scientists at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and KU Leuven together with Brussels Beer Project, which show that the palate is located in the brain.

While we here in C R A F T E D are not sensorial science professors we are sure of something: we take music and beer very seriously. This is why we love to savor and share our beers while we listen to great songs, such as the exquisite and considered selection that the great Cory Smith has compiled for the “Bottle Share Playlist” series.

Cory Smith is a writer and photographer focused on the craft beer scene. His start in craft beer began at a local bar near his home in Brooklyn, exploring whatever was on tap. As a way of keeping track of those beers, he stumbled on the idea to combine beer with another passion—photography—which led to an Instagram account documenting his exploration of the craft beer world.

Over time, the photography began to transform, focusing less on the beer and more of the people and places behind the beer itself. This lead to a focus on writing and conveying stories about the industry.

In 2016, he linked up with Good Beer Hunting as a contributing writer and photographer. His work for GBH has not only covered some of the most notable breweries in America—Other Half, Allagash, The Veil, and Hudson Valley Brewery to name a few—but also larger stories blending travel and beer in places like Spain and Iceland.

He recently relocated to Copenhagen after spending 13 years in New York City and continues to contribute to GBH, Pellicle, Punch and others, while also working directly with breweries for their photographic and branding needs.

Those of us who follow and admire Cory know that he is a true master of storytelling, capable of provoking emotions through his pieces. His focus for the creation of this new playlist is an example of it:

“Maybe I was overthinking it a bit, but I wanted this playlist to not just be a collection of songs that I like. I think that playlist would be very different, though granted everything on this list is something I like quite a bit. Instead, I thought about what it was to serve—a night hanging with friends, talking about anything and everything over a few beers.

So in a sense, this unfolds in chapters. The first portion is more of a quiet bed of music. The night is young and everyone is catching up with one another. The music shouldn’t be too disruptive. The next few songs are more analog and more upbeat. The night is becoming a little more lively and the music reflects this. Finally we move back into a more digital and beat-heavy world, but one that’s different from the earlier part of the night, not as soft, a bit more intrusive and wanting you to pay attention.” (Cory Smith)