Sean Carroll

Maybe the most important thing I learned from that conversation was the contextuality of smells. Like something can be literally exactly the same smell. And not only do different people identify it differently, but the same person will react either positively or negatively, depending on what's going on elsewhere in their sensorium.

Maybe the most important thing I learned from that conversation was the contextuality of smells. Like something can be literally exactly the same smell. And not only do different people identify it differently, but the same person will react either positively or negatively, depending on what's going on elsewhere in their sensorium.

Yes, exactly.

Yes, exactly.

Yeah. And so I presume that this is also something that you need to take into account, but when you're, Taking into account, when you say the perfumery aspect, it's not that you're literally putting perfume into the cocktails. It's that you're thinking like a perfumer when you're balancing or deciding what plays nicely with other things in the cocktails.

Yeah. And so I presume that this is also something that you need to take into account, but when you're, Taking into account, when you say the perfumery aspect, it's not that you're literally putting perfume into the cocktails. It's that you're thinking like a perfumer when you're balancing or deciding what plays nicely with other things in the cocktails.

But despite the fact that perfumery is the inspiration, the thing I got out most clearly from that section was the music analogy of the high notes, the low notes, the middle notes, the bass notes.

But despite the fact that perfumery is the inspiration, the thing I got out most clearly from that section was the music analogy of the high notes, the low notes, the middle notes, the bass notes.

And so let's make it tangible with some kind of example. Do you have a good example of where this perfumery mindset is very helpful in thinking about the cocktail?

And so let's make it tangible with some kind of example. Do you have a good example of where this perfumery mindset is very helpful in thinking about the cocktail?

But it's way better. Old fashions. I'm sorry. I guess my musical tastes are showing through here. Yeah. But I do worry about myself. I have not thought that much about the olfactory side of things when it comes to cocktails. And I don't think I'm very good at distinguishing scents and things like that. Is this something where you can become better at it? Can you train?

But it's way better. Old fashions. I'm sorry. I guess my musical tastes are showing through here. Yeah. But I do worry about myself. I have not thought that much about the olfactory side of things when it comes to cocktails. And I don't think I'm very good at distinguishing scents and things like that. Is this something where you can become better at it? Can you train?

Or are people just different?

Or are people just different?

I see.

I see.

But that's a good kind of training. That conceptual map actually, I suspect, does help you distinguish between things that otherwise would be just lumped together somehow.

But that's a good kind of training. That conceptual map actually, I suspect, does help you distinguish between things that otherwise would be just lumped together somehow.

And then the fourth angle you take in the book is the bar owner's perspective on these things. And probably most of our listeners are not bar owners. Maybe some of them are out there. I don't know. But I'm going to pretend that some of our listeners are not cocktail people, and now you have inspired them. to become cocktail people or at least try some things out. Congratulations. You'll do it.

And then the fourth angle you take in the book is the bar owner's perspective on these things. And probably most of our listeners are not bar owners. Maybe some of them are out there. I don't know. But I'm going to pretend that some of our listeners are not cocktail people, and now you have inspired them. to become cocktail people or at least try some things out. Congratulations. You'll do it.