Adam, Joanna, and Zach debate whether growth in craft light lagers portends a shakeup in the American beer landscape, and why these local and regional beers might be able to resonate with beer drinkers in a way that macro lagers are struggling to. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach debate whether American wineries are in general making too many different wines and styles in a given vintage, and if a tighter focus with fewer offerings would help them in the marketplace, particularly in distribution or even with media coverage. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, …

Adam, Joanna, and Zach speculate on the future of the Paloma - can it be another standard bearer for tequila, or does the divergence between the drink's original formulation with grapefruit soda and more upscale versions with fresh grapefruit juice make it harder to take worldwide? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple…

Adam is joined by GALLO executive vice president and general manger spirits Britt West to discuss his history in the alcohol industry, and where in particular he sees the tequila market going, from the conversation around additives to bottle shape to interest in cristalino expressions. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on A…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss rosé's sales slump - are people sick of it or do they just have more choices for easy-drinking summertime fun? Can certain brands, regions, or multinationals find a new way to make rosé surge? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and …

Adam, Joanna, and Zach break down GALLO's acquisition of Montucky Cold Snacks, then are joined by restaurateur, consultant, and VinePair contributor Dave Foss to discuss his recent piece about how unbeknownst to most diners, elevated menu prices in bars and restaurants are being driven by a surge in labor costs that have created new challenges for …

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the many competitions and judgings that wine, beer, and spirits producers can enter: do medals or high scores really shift consumer behavior, or does the fact that there are so many of these scores, points, and medals floating around rob them of their ability to have much impact? Please remember to subscribe to, rate,…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a recent San Francisco Chronicle piece about the purportedly dire situation facing California winemakers, and propose that the current struggles are more an aftereffect of the pandemic than a cataclysmic shift in how Americans feel about wine, but also that small winemakers absolutely need to be more honest about t…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether individual wineries and even entire regions should be focusing more on their local and regional markets, as well as trying to bring in tourists, as opposed to attempting to get their wines into markets around the country: is that a fruitless chase that ends up costing more money than it could ever generate? Pl…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about whether successful luxury wine brands have an obligation to help make wine less snobby and more approachable, and speculate on who exactly that responsibility does fall on. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episo…

Zach is joined by Sarika Singh, Kat Hantas, and Nicole Hantas-Emanuel, the co-founders of infused tequila brand 21Seeds, to discuss their origin story, how they have expanded their focus to the on-premise world, and what's changed and what hasn't since their 2022 acquisition by Diageo. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on A…

Joanna and Zach are joined by VinePair contributing editor and Taplines host Dave Infante to break down the surprising level of optimism present at the just-finished Craft Brewers Conference. With stagnant sales for craft beer, what exactly prompted all these good vibes? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, …

Joanna and Zach discuss America's most popular cocktail, the Margarita. Specifically, can anything with agave in it be a Margarita, and is their an appetite for high-end versions of the cocktail? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach ponder some recently-reviewed blanco tequilas that check in at well over $100 retail: is there really a market for unaged spirits at that pricepoint, and if so, who are these brands targeting? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to listener questions about the potential for craft cider to grab a bigger slice of the pie, and make predictions about what the drink of Summer 2024 will be. Plus: is the Martini an indoor-only cocktail? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your ep…

In response to a ton of listener feedback, Adam, Joanna, and Zach weigh on a recent slew of social media posts from a famous sommelier-turned-winemaker who claims that the American restaurant industry is being criminal for not better supporting American wine...and a lot of other noise. They have thoughts. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and …

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss VinePair's recent Martini Madness tournament, then explore why it feels like cocktail bars and restaurants are focusing on different kinds of cocktails: what's driving that divide, and should restaurants be trying to keep up? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whe…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach ponder why sustainability is such a central part of the conversation around wine, from vineyard practices to alternative packaging, while the same considerations almost never come into the broader conversation around spirits. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever yo…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the curious case of the rise of functional beverages - drinks that rely on adaptogens, nootropics, and other buzzy ingredients to create an aura of healthfulness and safe stimulation, despite many of the ingredients being untested and lightly studied. Then, they try two examples from category leader Kin Euphorics. Ple…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about recent and significant increases in the prices of several cult Napa Valley wines: will these increases alienate even the very wealthy who form the core audience for these wines, or is the prestige priceless for that set? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple P…

First, Adam shares an update on a breaking news story about Mexican authorities raiding the home of Tequila Matchmaker, then Adam, Joanna, and Zach talk about why despite its ubiquity and success in Europe, the Gin & Tonic will never be a drink that works in American cocktail bars or for premium gin brands. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, an…

Adam and Zach discuss the various things they learned while traveling last week: how Las Vegas is perhaps the ideal place to get the pulse of what America, writ large, wants to drink, and why a city like Boise is an exciting and dynamic place to drink, even if it's off the radar of many enthusiasts. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review…

Adam and Zach are joined by VinePair's managing editor Tim McKirdy to discuss recent conversations around the end of the alleged piquette trend, and why Tim was highly skeptical of any such trend all the way back in July of 2021. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes…

NOTE (9:15 AM 3/18) - THE ORIGINAL UPLOADED AUDIO WAS DE-SYNCED AROUND THE LISTENER QUESTION - IT IS NOW FIXED. SORRY FOR THAT - ZACH. Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about why cocktails have usurped by-the-glass wine in many restaurant beverage programs, even when in many cases wine might be more affordable or potentially off…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss why so many of the biggest companies in beverage alcohol continue to compare current sales and trends to the peak of the pandemic, despite the fact that most of that entire period was a total anomaly. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episod…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about how local and regional media cover wine and the drinks industry more broadly: can they do more than just report on openings and closings, and how does that work when there's often a lack of expertise? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach debate what rights a cocktail creator should have, from menu attribution to financial compensation when their drink is bottled or canned. The law might read a certain way, but is it fair to creators? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and s…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about by-the-glass wine, and whether curious wine drinkers can continue to rely on it to discover new wines. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to po…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the puzzling state of the soda market: why did a self-proclaimed "good for you" brand shell out for a Super Bowl ad, and what exactly does the American public want from this drink in a world of nearly infinite carbonated beverages. Also, Spiced Coke why? In doing so, they taste the aforementioned Poppi Classic Cola, a…

Adam and Zach discuss why no one throughout the wine industry, from producers to wholesalers to retailers and restaurants seems to have a good handle on how to sell wine right now. With changing demographics, distributor consolidation, and uncertain demand in restaurants, maybe doing things "the way we've always done it" is a bad idea. Please remem…

Adam and Zach are joined by VinePair assistant editor Hannah Staab to discuss why influencers remain so contentious within the world of food and drinks, and why the attention they bring to restaurants and bars isn't always seen in as favorable a light as traditional press attention. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Appl…

Joanna and Zach take a look at the landscape of working conditions in the hospitality industry, and wonder why they're still relatively poor despite high demand for skilled labor: why unionization efforts fail and why high profile organizations are still having to fight to raise the tipped minimum wage. Could part of a solution be a new vision for …

Joanna and Zach discuss the conflict between the American drinking public's desire for bold, recognizable flavors, and the resistance of the wine industry to meet that demand, in light of the impressive success of Stella Rosa's new line of spicy wines. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whereve…

Please attend the first-ever LIVE taping of Cocktail College on Sunday, February 18th at Sunken Harbor Club in Brooklyn, NY. Tickets here. Adam, Joanna, and Zach explore whether modern-day drinkers, journalists, and industry members should care about keeping historically important drinks, styles, and regions economically viable, even if they strugg…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the ways in which group-think can negatively impact the drinks industry, from nearly-identical wine programs and back bars to companies and brands being afraid to take risks. Plus, a brief discussion of Zach's latest piece on generational succession in American wineries. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and revi…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss data that shows that people are going out earlier in the day and concentrating their drinking on the weekends. What are bars and restaurants supposed to do in the Early Bird Economy: can they create more demand for later seatings, or do they just have to concentrate on the times and days when people want to go out now…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach suggest that more wineries should (where possible) add full-service dining options to their amenities, as doing so allows restaurants to showcase their wines in an ideal setting and also keep guests on-site longer, both crucial to bringing in visitors and boosting wine sales. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review …

Joanna and Zach marvel at the fact that airlines and hotels increasing their non-alcoholic options is being spun as some totally new form of travel instead of another reminder that as long as people will pay premium prices for non-alcoholic drinks, vendors will stock them. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts…

Joanna and Zach discuss the growing prominence of hop water in the NA drinks space: what kind of drinker are these products aimed at, are they hoppy enough for beer lovers, and is their steep price point a barrier to further growth. Then, they taste one of the more widely-distributed versions, the Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher. Please remember to subsc…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether bartender snobbery is a real issue, and if it threatens the ascendency of cocktails in the American drinking firmament. If we concede that sommeliers, and the entire culture around them, served to turn some drinkers away from wine, will bartenders do the same? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review …

Adam, Joanna, and Zach explore the possible reasons behind Uber's surprising decision to shut down the alcohol delivery platform Drizly just over two years after acquiring it. Does this mean that there's no market for alcohol delivery, or did Uber just want to eliminate a competitor. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on App…

Adam and Joanna speak with Michael Tipps about the upcoming Bar and Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas (March 18-20), including how Tipps first got involved, what potentially attendees can expect to get out of the experience, and why Las Vegas is the ideal setting for this event. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcast…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach wonder if rising restaurant wine prices are due to a raft of new, arguably predatory loans that have targeted restaurants of late, offering quick infusions of cash in exchange for a cut of all credit card transactions. Do operators think that guests are less likely to notice price hikes when it comes to booze? Please remember…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach reflect on the fact that after years of trying to hype up Sherry, the wine trade seems to have largely forgotten about it, relegating it to producing casks for Scotch and an occasional cocktail ingredient. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes,…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach examine recent survey data that shows that, contrary to popular belief, the audience for non-alcoholic drinks is overwhelming made up of people who also drink alcohol, and that the growth in the NA sector is not in fact a sign that more Americans are turning away from alcohol, but in fact are looking for other interesting dri…

Adam, Joanna, and Zach are joined by VinePair assistant editor Hannah Staab to discuss her recent article about a growing trend of wine programs that exclusively serve American wine: to what extent is it driven by a lack of consumer demand, to what extent does it reflect bias within the wine industry, and to what extent is it a byproduct of our com…

To kick off 2024, Adam, Joanna, and Zach share some of their predictions for the drinks industry in the new year, including a banner year for Mexican spirits, even outside of agave, continued confusion around what consumers want with regards to ABV in various drinks, and the continued erosion of wine as a restaurant mainstay. Please remember to sub…

To close out 2023, Adam, Joanna, and Zach highlight some of the biggest stories in the drinks industry from the year that was, including a crisis in the wine industry and the concurrent ascendancy of spirits, changes in the hard seltzer landscape, a massive quagmire for Bud Light, and lots more. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review Vin…

On this special episode, members of the VinePair team share some of their favorite drinks and most memorable drinking experiences of 2023. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Than…

With holiday season in full swing, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the shady world of unregulated hangover cures, and why we just can't help ourselves when it comes to trying to dodge the consequences of a boisterous night out. Plus, an in-depth discussion of family holiday traditions. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Ap…