How Pandemic Profits are Driving Consolidation in the Alcohol Industry

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, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and be well.Zach is reading: Wine Gadgets: The Good, the Bad, and the Downright UnnecessaryJoanna is reading: Could Now Be the Time for Baijiu to Shine?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and be well.Zach is drinking: Russian River Brewing "Damnation" Golden AleJoanna is drinking: Johan Vineyards "Sapience" Pinot NoirAdam is drinking: Leek Martini at Eleven Madison ParkInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and be well.Zach is reading: All Things Being Equal: the Triumph of the Four-Equal-Part CocktailJoanna is reading: Building a Purpose-Driven Backbar with Nightmoves’ Orlando Franklin McCrayAdam is reading: Remember When Campari Made a Raspberry-Flavored Clear Cordial?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 review VinePair 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 be well.Zach is drinking: The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 YearJoanna is drinking: Sazerac at Wolfgang's SteakhouseAdam is drinking: Mai Tai from Tip Top CocktailsInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and be well.Joanna is reading: What We Miss When We Write Off Warm SakeAdam is reading: No Sparklers, Please: Has Bottle Service Fizzled Out?Zach is reading: VinePair's Martini MadnessInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and be well.Zach is drinking: Upsidedown Wine "The Devil is a Liar"Joanna is drinking: Kobal Sauvignon BlancAdam is drinking: Forlorn Hope Trobairises PicpoulInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and be well.Zach is reading: The Bud Light Fiasco: How AB InBev Fell for the Gamergate PlaybookAdam is reading: Ask a Somm: Is It a Red Flag if an Older Vintage of a Wine Is Less Expensive?Joanna is reading: The Treacherous, Untold Toll Bartending Takes on the BodyInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and be well.Joanna is drinking: Huss Brewing Co. Scottsdale BlondeZach is drinking: Elysian Brewing Fields PremiumAdam is drinking: Bel Colle Riserva 10 Anni Barolo 2013Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, and review VinePair 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 be well.Zach is reading: New USDA Regulations Are Sparking Chaos for Small Organic Wine ImportersAdam is reading: AB InBev Loses Appeal In Legal Battle With Constellation Over the Definition of BeerJoanna is reading: How More Diverse Wine Experiences Are Bringing Travelers Back to Tasting RoomsInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 VinePair 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 be well.Zach is drinking: Saint Palo at Thick as ThievesAdam is drinking: Mai Tai with Latitude 29 Wiki Wiki Mai Tai MixInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.