Will Americans Ever Embrace the Hotel Bar?

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the etiquette of splitting checks: is this something that only young adults can and should do? Is there a threshold point where it becomes acceptable? Do things like Venmo make this better or worse? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: The Bull Case for Sierra Nevada’s Under-the-Radar ‘Hype Brewery’ LineJoanna is reading: The Crazy Origin Story of the East 8 Hold-Up, a London-Born Vodka Cocktail Rising in PopularityAdam is reading: A Restaurant’s Off-Menu Wine List Should Feel Special, Not ExclusiveInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes, it feels like a product needs a brand refresh. A new label, a new design, a new bottle -- something. Yet as Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss, moving away from an established design aesthetic can serve to confuse and even alienate consumers - did you not just change the packaging but the product inside as well? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: 2014 Gramercy Cellars "Forgotten Hills" SyrahJoanna is drinking: Dewar's Distillery Edition ScotchAdam is drinking: Chopin Family Reserve VodkaInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Zach contemplate whether collecting beer, spirits, and wine has gone from a hobby associated with class and refinement to something that comes off as weirdo behavior. Did craft beer nerds delude themselves into thinking there would be a market for decade-old beer? Are there just too many specialty bottles of whiskey? Do people actually want to drink old wine? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: A Timeline of Craft Beer’s Darling StylesAdam is reading: Rare Beer Was Once a Collector’s Dream. Now, It’s a Liability.Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recession indicators abound, from robust inflation to consumer sentiment. Within the hospitality industry, it's the rise of all-you-can-eat restaurants and drinks specials. How can bars and restaurants entice wary consumers, and does "value" always have to mean "cheap as hell?" Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Project 9 Brewing Czech Dark LagerJoanna is drinking: CHO Wines "Dreamer's Reserve" Pinot NoirAdam is drinking: Las Jaras Pinot NoirInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With recent doomerism about the most popular red grape variety in the world, Adam, Joanna, and Zach take stock of Cabernet Sauvignon - is it in fact going through a bit of an identity crisis, or does its continued status as a red wine behemoth belie those concerns? Additionally, can producers and regions that built their success on the backs of a bold, ripe, assertive style of Cabernet actually pivot to more restrained, lighter styles, or will they make everyone unhappy. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: The 25 Best Scotch Whiskies for 2026Joanna is reading: VinePair's 2026 Next Wave Award FinalistsAdam is reading: Parker’s Heritage Is One of the Most Compelling Lines in Whiskey. What’s Next for the Label?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Adam back from his European adventures, he, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether America's general dismissal of hotel bars as nothing more than places for mediocre drinks and clandestine assignations is changeable. If Londoners can continue to view hotel bars as legitimate spots for top cocktail bars, why can't Americans? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Ashes & Diamonds "Saffron Vineyard" Cabernet SauvignonJoanna is drinking: Gin Martini at SailorAdam is drinking: Martini at Satan's WhiskersInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach ponder Grupo Campari's latest stateside foray into the spritz space - SARTI Rosa. Can this new aperitivo further expand their hold on the spritz category? Why do they think this flavor (blood orange, mango, passionfruit) and color (pink) are the right ones for the market? Is it kind of weird to be launching a spritz in September? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: As Climate Change Shifts Harvest Earlier, Winemakers Face a New Set of Challenges Beyond the VineyardJoanna is watching: The Great American Wine TourAdam is reading: Does Hospitality Suffer When a Top Cocktail Bar Goes All-in on Reservations?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inspired by a couple of recent pieces about restaurant green and red flags, Joanna and Zach are joined by VinePair contributor Dave Foss to discuss some of their red and green flags on restaurant menus and when they sit down to dine. From a cohesive menu to considered pricing to...soup (?), what are the signs that you're in the right (or wrong) spot? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Dave is drinking: Bodgeas Los Bermejos Listan RosadoZach is drinking: Pink Squirrel at At RandomJoanna is drinking: Heidi Schröck & Söhne BeerenausleseInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of yet another flare-up in the trade war/war of words between the United States and Canada, Joanna and Zach discuss the current state of Canada's boycott of American drinks, and ponder what it will take to get those brands back into the Canadian market if relations ever normalize. Will Canadian drinkers re-embrace drinking American, or will years of bad blood and changed habits make it much harder for future efforts? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: We Asked 9 Wine Pros: What’s the Most Underrated American Wine Region?Joanna is reading: The Psychology Behind Food Towers: Why Are We Drawn to Tiered Meals?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanna and Zach are joined by VinePair managing editor Hannah Staab to discuss the merits and ethics of the "secret" wine list: special bottles that for one reason or another aren't listed normally, but might be available if you know the right person or ask the right question (or stalk the wine bar on Instagram). Is this a harmless and fun way to reward wine lovers and devotees, or is it yet another way to promote snobbery and elitism within wine? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Brandy Old Fashioned (Press) at Ishnala Supper ClubJoanna is drinking: Vale of Cashmere at FOLK BrooklynHannah is drinking: Damien Guadagnolo Côtes du Jura PoulsardInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.