A PERFECT PAIRING

Which song goes perfectly with a lilac wine? 10 music & drink matches

Image: Ahtziri Lagarde

They encourage introverts, accompany us in our dark moments, unleash joy, and forge new friendships. They can also cause problems and regrets the next morning. Music and drinks have developed a successful partnership since humans learned how to sing and distill alcohol, and the first bartenders walked the earth with their confident smiles. Let's enjoy—responsibly— these glorious songs that evoke, or are inspired by, some of our favorite drinks.

Image: Francisco Galarza

This 1958 invitation to the party needs no further explanation. Or lyrics.

Everything you need to know is in the title. As soon as it starts, his guitar intro has already taken over your feet, and that possessed sax commands you to get up from your seat.

Do not resist, just dance and enjoy! The spirit of "Tequila" is among us.

Image: Kelsey Knight

An absolute classic. Originally written by Neil Diamond in 1967, this somber acoustic ballad tells the story of someone who comes to the conclusion that drinking red wine is the only way to forget his troubles.

Then UB40 arrived.

Reconceived into this irresistible reggae version, the UB40 rendition reached No. 1 on the UK charts twice and sold more than a million copies.

Neil Diamond himself stated it is one of his favorite covers, and he has performed it many times, using the lighthearted Birmingham band's reggae base.

Image: Elise Bunting

A glass of champagne, a little whiskey, and as much beer as it takes. Suddenly, the jukebox plays this universally loved country anthem from 1990. Before you know it, you find yourself singing along with your newly found best friends at the bar. Those who, like you, know exactly what to do to chase the blues away.

Image: Dylan de Jonge

It may seem difficult to keep up with this bright, energetic punk ballad as rivers of whiskey flow, in the company of Irish poets and dozens of pints of beer. However, let's gather our courage and venture forth "Any which way the wind may be blowing."

Anything is possible in the company of the legendary Shane MacGowan and the rogue poetry of The Pogues.

Image: Joel Brodsky (photographer)

"Well, show me the way to the next whiskey bar. Oh, don't ask why," asked Jim Morrison in 1967.

Another brilliant cover, this time by The Doors, of a song originally composed by none other than Bertolt Brecht!

It was originally written for the opera 'Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny,' which curiously premiered in Leipzig, in the then Weimar Republic.

Image: Terry Vlisidis

"Lilac wine is sweet and heady like my love." Many artists have put their hearts into this recipe, from Eartha Kitt to Jeff Buckley and Miley Cyrus.

But it is in the unforgettable voice of the Great Nina Simone that, as happens with most quality wines, this intimate celebration of melancholy only gets better over time.

Image: stux

It's the late 80s. The best hour in the office, after-office in the pub. "And what a good place to be!"

An unforgettable music video, complete with those silly dance moves and claymation animation. A wonderful sense of self-conscious ridicule, typical of British humor.

One of those magnetic songs that drags you to the dance floor and puts a smile on your face.

Image: Efren Barahona

Everybody puts their glasses up with this invigorating celebration of the weekend's arrival, the opposite of the despondency and moody blues that usually surround the topic.

Someone might argue that there is too much product placement for a single song. But in her own words, "People gonna talk whether you're doing bad or good."

So, let's cheer on that!

Image: Andrea Piacquadio

Tom Waits' voice rises from the back of the room, standing for the sleepless, losers and nighthawks who drink in vain to forget their troubles.

His words craft a noir painting, constructing a small and precise masterpiece that speaks to those who, like him, simply don't fit in.

Let us be guided by his raspy, drowsy voice, which has not yet given up.

Tonight, the drinks are on Mr. Waits.

Image: Zoltan Tasi

After this journey through so many drinks and songs, the latter item proposes a quasi-philosophical question: "What should we do with a drunken sailor, early in the morning?"

The song's lyrics vary but usually contain some variant of the question. And each successive verse suggests a method of sobering or punishing his off-duties behavior.

Also known as "What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?" or "Up She Rises," it is one of the best-known songs of the shanty repertoire, and it was sung onboard sailing ships at least as early as the 1830s.

Mother Nature’s worst treats

Warning: These natural toxins are tiny, sneaky, and terrifyingly lethal

Image: Davide Baraldi

You might not think of frogs, mushrooms, or even seafood as a threat, but nature has a sneaky side. Scattered around the world are creatures and plants that pack a punch so powerful that just a tiny dose could mean big trouble. Don’t worry—this isn’t meant to scare you off your next walk in the woods or dinner reservation. It's just a peek into the wild world of Mother Nature's most toxic offerings.

Image: David Clode

Tetrodotoxin is the deadly little secret hiding inside certain pufferfish. It’s so powerful that top chefs in Japan need a special license to prepare the famous dish "fugu." One venomous bite, and it can block nerve signals faster than you can say "sushi." Most people get poisoned by eating the wrong part of the fish—definitely not a do-it-yourself project.

Image: Bernd 📷 Dittrich

The rosary pea plant produces seeds that look like shiny red beads with a black eye. Pretty? Sure. Deadly? You bet! Inside is abrin, a toxin so strong that a single seed can be fatal if chewed. Fortunately, the hard shell makes accidental poisoning rare. Still, maybe better keep your crafty beadwork non-toxic.

Image: CDC

You may know botulinum toxin as the stuff that smooths out wrinkles, but in its natural form, it’s no beauty treatment, quite the opposite. Produced by bacteria in low-oxygen conditions (like poorly canned food), this toxin can paralyze muscles and shut down breathing. Thankfully, modern food safety keeps this menace mostly in check.

Image: David Clode

Maitotoxin sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but it’s real, and so is the danger. It comes from microscopic sea creatures called dinoflagellates. When these plankton are eaten by fish that wind up on our plates, people can get seriously ill. So yes, your seafood might be carrying secrets.

Image: Péter Kövesi

Death cap mushrooms come with a warning in the name. Just one bite can damage your liver beyond repair. They look a lot like edible mushrooms, which is where the danger lies. Rule of thumb: unless you're 100% sure, leave wild mushrooms in the wild. It’s not worth the risk!

Image: Annie Spratt

Foxgloves are lovely in the garden but pack a chemical called digoxin that can damage your heart. While it's used in medicine for people with heart conditions, getting the dose wrong is where things tend to go south. Best to admire this plant from a safe distance, no nibbling.

Image: Rachel Horton-Kitchlew

Aflatoxins are toxins made by moldy fungi that love grains, nuts, and other stored foods. They hit the liver quite hard and have been linked to cancer. Thankfully, the U.S. has regulations that keep your cereal and peanut butter nice and safe. Still, toss anything that smells funky.

Image: Naoki Suzuki

Strychnine is that classic murder-mystery poison, and it's the real deal. It comes from the strychnine tree, native to South Asia, and it causes severe muscle spasms. It has a history as both a pesticide and a (bad idea) tonic. These days, it mostly shows up in crime novels or the occasional shady drug mixture. Let’s just hope it stays in the literary field.

Image: William Warby

Poison dart frogs are bright and beautiful—a built-in warning sign to predators. Their skin secretes batrachotoxin, a substance that can stop your heart cold. Interestingly, the frogs don’t make the toxin themselves; they get it from their diet. So, this is what they mean by "you are what you eat," right?

Image: Karyna Panchenko

Ricin comes from castor beans, which are also the source of castor oil. Luckily, processing the beans gets rid of the toxin. Still, if the raw beans are crushed or chewed, the results can be deadly. Don't panic! The oil is safe. Just don't go snacking on the plant itself.