Beer Sampler at The Exchange Brewery
In the Adventures in Seeing workshop, we do an exercise with food that is designed to awaken all of our senses, not just the visual one. The more our senses are heightened, the more present and more memorable the experience will be. In the book, The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More than Human World, David Abram posits that the development of written language and thought has severed our connection to the immediacy of our sensual experience.
The life-world is the world of our immediately lived experience, as we live it, prior to all our thoughts about it. It is that which is present to us in our everyday tasks and enjoyments – reality as it engages us before being analyzed by our theories and science. The life-world is the world that we count on without necessarily paying it much attention, the world of the clouds overhead and the ground underfoot, of getting out of bed and preparing food and turning on the tap for water. Easily overlooked, this primordial world is already there when we begin to reflect and philosophize. ~ David Abram
I like how he differentiates the life-world from the mind-world. As an abstract thinker myself, I need practices to reconnect with my senses. Food is a great way to start because we all have to eat and eating is (or can be) a very sensual experience. Food is colourful and has flavours and textures. Preparing and cooking food produces sounds and aromas.
Slowing down and photographing the experience of a meal is a practice in presence.
I had an unexpected experience of opening the senses while sharing a craft beer sampler at a craft brewery in my town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. I’m not normally a beer drinker but it was a hot summer day, so my husband and I decided to go for a brew. We sat outside on the patio, where we heard birdsong and cars, glasses clinking, as well as the conversations of other patrons, the servers, and people walking by.
I loved the presentation of this sampler in a circle on a rough hewn board. Photographing from above gives a view of the soft hues from light tans to yellows to amber to dark brown. After the visual treat, it was an experience of smell and taste. For example, #2 at the very top was named Hefeweizen, described in the tasting notes as “the perfect union of hefe (yeast) and weizen (wheat). With pronounced clove and banana flavours from German-born yeast and a light, lively finish, this is the perfect summer beer.” At first, I caught a strong scent of banana with just a hint of spicy clove. The smooth, creaminess of banana came out in the taste as well. It was light, fresh, and tangy and cooled my throat. A few tastes later, the clove began to dominate, with the banana taking a backseat. This was interesting to me. Maybe the clove just needed the attention before it made its presence known?
It was a memorable experience because all of my senses were awake.
What if we had tasting notes for life?
I live in a town with many wineries and craft breweries where tasting notes are common. A well-written note first describes the the soil or terroir, the type of grape, and other fruits or florals present in the land. Climate conditions for that vintage are also a determining factor, as well as the maker’s process, as well as herbs and spices added in the aging and bottling process. Tasters are invited to swirl and smell and taste slowly and to describe their own experience. How does it feel in the mouth? What is the texture? Is it soft and creamy, or tart, or juicy? What lingers on the tongue afterwards? It’s an exercise in mindfulness.
There are many ways to open the senses other than food or drink. We can carry this idea of tasting notes over to other life experiences, for example, attending a music concert, taking a stroll on the beach, or having a barbecue with friends. Any experience will do, even sitting on your front porch or folding the laundry. What experiences open your senses the most? Imagine writing a tasting note about your experience. What did you see, hear, taste, touch, smell?
** Books mentioned have Amazon affiliate links, meaning I make a few cents if you purchase through my link. I only recommend books that I’ve read.