VinePair Podcast

Adam, Joanna, and Zach ponder what this upcoming summer will teach us about drinks trends, including if rosé can avoid the general malaise in the wine category, if any cocktails can steal the Martini's shine, and what in the world will beer do? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any quest...

In light of recent data showing that America's most expensive cities are seeing college-educated residents leave in high numbers, Adam, Joanna, and Zach speculate on how this might affect the restaurant and bar industries - perhaps driving prices even higher in those cities while creating more enticing opportunities in other cities with lower costs of living. Please remember to subscribe to, rate,...

Joanna returns just in time to discuss the recent spate of celebrity RTD launches with Adam and Zach. Will these succeed in the same way that many celebrity spirits brands have? Is it a problem for these RTDs that they likely won't get on-premise placements? Will NPH come talk with us about his espresso martini? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,...

Introducing Taplines, a brand-spankin’-new podcast about the modern history of American beer, only on the VinePair Podcast Network. Each week, contributing editor and columnist Dave Infante will interview a different guest about a triumph, tribulation, or turning point in the evolution of the United States’ multibillion-dollar beer industry. This week, the Original Lite Beer from Miller hit Americ...

Adam and Zach ponder why gin, despite its general popularity, seems singularly unable to break into the luxury spirits space, in particular high-end bottles and the conspicuous consumer set. Is it because it needs to be a cocktail ingredient, or because it's not barrel-aged, or what? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you ge...

On the heels of the recently released Top 50 Cocktails list, Adam and Zach discuss what this global survey of top bars and bartenders can tell us about what is going on in the world of spirits, including the continued surge of interest in Italian spirits, the role of tequila in craft cocktails, and much more. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, St...

Adam and Zach examine why natural wine's fortunes have reversed so dramatically, including discussing audience fatigue with the style, diminishing coolness, and the perhaps inevitable outcome of every purported wine revolution. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiq...

Adam and Zach take a look at the changing landscape of the tequila industry, as celebrity-driven brands continue to surge while collectors, aficionados, and members of the trade look to more traditional expressions. With only so much agave to go around, what does the future of tequila look like? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whe...

Adam and Zach puzzle over the growing number of higher-end private label wines and spirits on offer at certain retailers, trying to figure out who the audience for these pricey bottles attached to chain store brands is. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or...

Adam and Zach respond to a listener question about how to create an optimal wedding bar program, with discussion around pre-batched cocktails, what kinds of spirits to include, and why having multiple bar locations is crucial. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiqu...

Grudgingly, Adam and Zach discuss the recent controversy surrounding Bud Light's association with Dylan Mulvaney and the mealy-mouthed statement the company released in response. After explaining the backstory, they explore why it is that brands can no longer appeal to unity and an apolitical commonality, particularly if they're also interested in marketing to marginalized communities. Please reme...

Adam and Zach discuss the recently debuted line of tequila seltzers from High Noon : why they chose that term instead of "ranch water," why the tequila inside matters, and how come so few other companies or brands have gotten behind tequila seltzers. Then, they taste the grapefruit, passionfruit, strawberry, and lime versions. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Pod...

Adam and Zach discuss an essay Adam wrote decrying Napa Valley's lack of nightlife options, and how that could cause the iconic wine tourism region to struggle to attract younger visitors who see a fun night out as a crucial part of a vacation. Can Napa be content being a destination wine region that goes to sleep at 9 pm, or does something need to change? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, an...

Adam is back, and he and Zach are discussing the one bottle the wine world loves to hate , Caymus. Why has this one wine been singled out for so much scorn: is it truly as heinous as some make it out to seem, is this just jealousy talking, or is there more going on? Then, of course, they taste it. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or w...

Zach and VinePair managing editor and Cocktail College host Tim McKirdy investigate a trend of bars offering "elevated" takes on low-brow cocktails like the Screwdriver and Long Island Iced Tea - do these drinks serve as valuable enticements that bring in would-be drinkers via social media or press coverage, or do they serve to confuse drinkers who find the rest of the bar's offerings to perhaps b...

Zach and VinePair managing editor and Cocktail College host Tim McKirdy discuss the interesting challenge that new spirits face on the American market through the lens of Singani63 , a Bolivian grape spirit being championed by Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh, then Tim chats with Soderbergh about his lengthy struggle to get this spirit into the domestic market. Please remember to s...

Zach and VinePair managing editor and Cocktail College host Tim McKirdy answer a listener question about industry discounts, free drinks, and whether they're still something that should be expected or anticipated in the modern bar and restaurant landscape, as well as discuss the ethics surrounding comped drinks and meals as members of the media. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review Vi...

Zach and VinePair managing editor and Cocktail College host Tim McKirdy discuss a recent piece by Aaron Goldfarb about the future of non-alcoholic cocktails, and what it might take for a non-alcoholic cocktail to become a modern classic. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, commen...

Zach and VinePair managing editor and Cocktail College host Tim McKirdy discuss an ongoing trade dispute between the European Union and Australia centered around the term "Prosecco," and whether it refers to a place, a grape, or both. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments,...

Zach is joined by VinePair managing editor and Cocktail College host Tim McKirdy, as well as special guest Sean O'Leary , about the incredibly messy divorce playing out between Sazerac Company and Republic National Distributing Company, which started with Sazerac terminating its contract with RNDC last December, then filing suit against them for breach of contract in January, and now RNDC counters...

With Adam out due to the birth of his daughter (!), Zach is joined by VinePair managing editor and Cocktail College host Tim McKirdy to discuss whether the current Martini craze has gone too far, and what it might mean for the drink if it has indeed done so. Plus, Zach talks about his experience at Taste Washington . Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spo...

Zach is joined by VinePair managing editor and Cocktail College host Tim McKirdy to talk about Guinness's enduring appeal, how daring advertisements helped cement its popularity, and what exactly constitutes the perfect pour. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critique...

Adam speaks with Didier Mariotti, cellar master at Maison Veuve Clicquot , about the iconic Champagne house's approach to winemaking, and in particular how he crafts their tête de cuvée bottlings of La Grand Dame and La Grand Dame Rosé. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comment...

In the wake of the stunning news that Silicon Valley Bank was shut down by federal regulators on Friday, Adam and Zach convene for a Sunday evening emergency podcast to talk about how this is affecting a huge number of wineries in California, as well as what it might mean for the famed Wine Industry Report. Then for the normal Monday episode they discuss the recent moves that seem to signal Anheus...

You've all seen this in a movie or a TV show: a character pours a slug of whiskey from a crystal decanter, neat, and hands it to another character, as if this is a normal business interaction or custom. Adam and Zach respond to a listener question about the verisimilitude of this kind of act, why it became so common on screen, and why more modern portrayals of drinking might be moving in a differe...