There’s Bach’s Coffee Cantata and Mozart’s Champagne Aria, but Tasmanian composer Thomas Misson might have uncorked something new with a chamber work inspired by beer. It raises the obvious question – out of the four brews he’s writing about, which one is his favourite?

“I think Hefeweizen’s the more versatile beer; it’s probably the one I would feel like more often,” he tells Limelight. “But when I really want an American IPA, you know, nothing hits the spot better. It is Irish ale weather down here at the moment, though. “

Thomas Misson. Photo supplied

Misson’s Cicerone Suite will have its world premiere on 14 August, as part of Omega Ensemble’s New Now program (a cicerone is the beer equivalent of a sommelier). Misson is a bit of a foodie; the idea struck him at a time when he was exploring as many beer styles as he could.

“I guess during the process, I started to think there was a bit of a parallel between beer and contemporary classical music. Both of them had sort of been defined by their bitterness, or at least some kind of universally off-putting...