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.

A journey through the linguistic melting pot we call English

10 everyday words we borrowed from other languages

Image: Glen Carrie

English is like that friend who travels the world and comes back with souvenirs from every country, except instead of collecting snow globes, our language has been collecting words for over a thousand years. From Viking raids to Indian spice routes, English has never met a foreign word it didn't want to adopt. Here are ten everyday words that packed their bags and moved to English permanently.

Image: Dennis Klein

You probably slather it on fries without thinking, but "ketchup" traveled incredibly far to reach your table. The word comes from Chinese "kê-tsiap," originally a fermented fish sauce from Fujian Province. British sailors discovered this tangy condiment during the 1600s trading adventures and brought both recipe and name back home.

The transformation from fish sauce to tomato condiment happened gradually as recipes traveled through Southeast Asia to America. By the 1800s, American cooks had swapped fish for tomatoes, creating today's sweet red sauce.

Image: Karolina Grabowska

"Barbecue" comes from the Caribbean Taíno people. Their word "barbacoa" described slow-cooking meat on raised wooden platforms over fire. When Spanish explorers arrived in the New World, they adopted both the cooking technique and the name, which eventually became English "barbecue."

The Taíno were indigenous people whom Columbus first met in 1492. From Carolina pulled pork to Texas brisket, we're all participating in a 500-year-old culinary tradition.

Image: Matthew Tkocz

Next time you're lathering up, thank Hindi for "shampoo." The word comes from Hindi "chāmpo," meaning "to massage." Originally, it didn't involve hair cleaning—it described full-body massage techniques popular in Indian bathhouses. British colonial officers discovered this relaxing practice and brought the word to England.

The transition from massage to hair-washing happened gradually. By the 1860s, British hairdressers used "shampoo" for washing and massaging scalps with soap and water. Commercial shampoo wasn't invented until 1930, but the word was already established.

Image: Jessica Loaiza

Few words brought humanity as much joy as "chocolate," thanks to the Aztecs. It traces back to "xocolātl" in Nahuatl, the Aztec language. This wasn't sweet candy—it was a bitter, frothy drink made from cacao beans, often spiced with chili peppers, served to warriors and nobility. Spanish conquistadors initially weren't impressed by this strange, bitter beverage.

Everything changed when someone added sugar. Spanish monks in Mexican monasteries began sweetening the drink, creating an instant hit among European aristocracy. The word traveled with the recipe, reaching England and evolving into the familiar "chocolate" pronunciation we know today.

Image: C. Shi

Your comfortable nightwear has surprisingly exotic origins. "Pajamas" comes from Persian and Urdu "pāy-jāma," literally meaning "leg garment." These weren't originally sleepwear—they were loose, comfortable pants worn during the day in India and Persia. British colonials adopted them as cool, practical clothing for hot climates, but they gradually became associated with bedtime.

The sleepwear transition probably happened because these garments were perfect for home relaxation. By the early 1900s, pajamas became standard nightwear for well-dressed Americans and Europeans.

Image: Hu Chen

When you think "safari," you picture jeeps bouncing across African savannas, but the word comes from Arabic. "Safar" simply means "journey" or "travel," used throughout the Middle East and North Africa long before anyone photographed lions. The word entered Swahili as "safari" and reached English through European explorer accounts in East Africa.

The romantic safari notion as an African wilderness adventure was largely created by writers like Hemingway and 1920s wildlife photographers. What started as simply "trip" in Arabic became synonymous with exotic adventure and wild animals.

Image: Kike Vega

The ancient practice filling modern studios gets its name from the Sanskrit "yoga," meaning "union" or "to yoke together." This referred to uniting mind, body, and spirit through physical postures, breathing, and meditation. For thousands of years, yoga remained within Hindu and Buddhist traditions in India, practiced by dedicated spiritual seekers.

The journey from ancient ashrams to suburban fitness centers began in the 1960s when Eastern spirituality became popular in America. What started as a profound spiritual practice evolved into everything from "hot yoga" to "goat yoga." Whether achieving enlightenment or just touching your toes, you're participating in a 5,000-year-old tradition.

Image: Henrik L.

Long before Hollywood fame, "zombies" were part of Haitian folklore. The word comes from "zonmi" in Haitian Creole, derived from "nzambi," meaning "god" in several African languages. In Vodou tradition, zombies weren't flesh-eating monsters but people whose souls were captured by sorcerers, leaving them trance-like. This was considered worse than death.

The word entered English through early 1900s ethnographic studies but took off after 1932's "White Zombie" starring Bela Lugosi. Hollywood transformed the concept from tragic spiritual victim to shambling, brain-eating creatures.

Image: Chelsea Audibert

"Vanilla" might mean "boring" today, but it has unexpectedly spicy origins. It comes from Spanish "vainilla," diminutive of "vaina," meaning "sheath" or "pod." Spanish conquistadors described vanilla orchid pods that the Aztecs used to flavor chocolate drinks. The shape reminded them of female anatomy: "vaina" was also a sexual euphemism.

Spanish essentially called it "little sheath," with intentional innuendo. This exotic spice was so rare and expensive that it was reserved for royalty. How it became "plain" is mysterious—probably because vanilla became America's default ice cream flavor. Ironically, something once exotic and suggestively named is now considered the boring option. Aztecs, who valued vanilla above gold, would be mystified by our casual attitude.

Image: NASA

Our final word returns to the Caribbean and Taíno people. "Hurricane" comes from "huracán," their storm god's name. This deity controlled powerful cyclones that regularly devastated Caribbean islands. Living in "Hurricane Alley," the Taíno had extensive experience with these massive storms and their destruction.

Spanish explorers encountering these devastating systems adopted the Taíno word along with a healthy respect for the storms. The word spread through European languages as more sailors experienced these tropical nightmares. It's fitting we still use the original Taíno word because, despite modern meteorology and satellite tracking, hurricanes remain as mysterious and powerful as the ancient storm god they're named after.