VinePair Podcast

With the 2022 VinePair Next Wave Awards announced, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the stories and importance of a few of the winners, like Bar Program of the Year ( Double Chicken Please ), Advocate of the Year ( Tahiirah Habibi ), and Brewery of the Year ( Athletic Brewing Co. ). Then, they taste products from three more winners: Hirsch Vineyards , Lunar Hard Seltzer , and Tequila Fortaleza . Ple...

With backlash against " funky wines " coming from within the natural wine movement, Adam, Joanna, and Zach take a well-earned victory lap for having foreseen this exact moment , then talk about why some of natural wine's most important advocates and influencers are pushing back against "funky." Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wher...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach have a bit of fun discussing the ubiquitous habit of champion athletes to douse their teammates or selves with Champagne, beer, or other drinks immediately after winning a title, as well as how alcohol brands have seized upon these moments to do a bit of self-promotion. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherev...

Zach speaks with master distiller Conor O'Driscoll and brand ambassador Bernie Lubbers from Heaven Hill Distillery about their Seven-Year Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon : what the bottled-in-bond label means , why this whiskey is special, and how best to enjoy it. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send a...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach chat about how craft beer is slowly moving back towards the 12-ounce can , and explore why craft glommed on to the 16-ounce tallboy despite the fact that it makes for an inferior drinking experience. Plus, a brief discussion on the recently-released World's 50 Best Bars list. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or...

In light of the death of Fred Franzia , founder of Bronco Wine Company and the man responsible for bringing " Two-Buck Chuck " to the masses, Adam, Joanna, and Zach talk about the challenges the wine industry has with the notion of "gateway wines," and whether those who dismiss their importance are not reflective of most people's wine journey. Then, the team each tries one of their gateway wines....

Adam, Joanna, and Zach contemplate a recently-released "diet vodka," and how the newest entries in the no/low alcohol category are less and less appealing. 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 suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and b...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss what the future holds for Bourbon, including whether dessert-influenced bottles will grow in popularity and scale, as well as if the ever-increasing number of single-barrel bottlings and other limited releases will continue to draw customer and collector attention. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whe...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach contemplate what's behind the growth of tableside cocktail service , as well as what kinds of drinks best fit into the format. 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 suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the continued rise in popularity of spicy drinks, including how the Spicy Margarita started the trend and a broader cultural appreciation of and lust for spice has carried over into the drinks industry. Then, they try this summer's viral hit, spicy rosé. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you g...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss some of the recent expansions for iconic cocktail bars like Dante , Death & Co. , and The Dead Rabbit : can they keep the quality high even in newer, larger settings? What is the end game for this kind of expansion? Can someone create the Shake Shack of bars? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or where...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach are finally reunited just in time for football season so they can discuss the centrality of tailgating as a part of football drinking culture, why it varies so much around the country and from college football to the NFL, and how it's suddenly become big business. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you...

Zach speaks with Misty Kalkofen, Director of Education for Another Round, Another Rally, and Kevin Denton-Rex, Head of Mixology and Education for Pernod Ricard USA, about the origins of the BarSmarts program as well as how it's been recently revamped to meet the needs of today's bartenders. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever...

Adam returns from his Italian vacation and shares the details about his travels, then he and Zach discuss a phenomenon he noticed on his trip, that many of the most critically acclaimed cocktail bars seemed geared towards and frequented by Americans. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any ques...

Joanna and Zach discuss why despite their popularity on store shelves and with drinkers, many wine professionals and media members seem dismissive of red blends. Then, they try one of the most popular and thus somewhat controversial red blends, The Prisoner . Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send...

Joanna and Zach discuss hard cider's attempt to borrow from hard seltzer in a bid to revitalize the flagging category, why hard cider's momentum fizzled in the last decade, and what a path forward for craft producers might look like. 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,...

Joanna and Zach take note of the surprising resurgence of the Piña Colada , and discuss why such a seemingly rich and indulgent drink is connecting with a new generation of drinkers. Then, naturally, they try one. 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 sugges...

Spurred on by a pair of viral videos , Joanna and Zach discuss the question of whether or not the drinks industry is going too far with recent creations and trends, as well as why at this exact moment these innovations are connecting to drinkers and brands alike. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the interesting phenomenon of high-alcohol craft beers surging in popularity : why are these double and triple IPAs so appealing right now, and how did this catch the beer industry a bit by surprise. Then, the team tastes one of best sellers, New Belgium Brewing's Imperial Voodoo Ranger. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Sp...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss why labor shortages and restaurant closures remain the norm for the industry even as many of the Covid-19 related constraints are no longer in place, and try to figure out if the labor pool has actually shrunk or if more restaurants and bars need to rethink their service models. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, St...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the popularity of themed shots like the Green Tea Shot : why their audience is bigger and encompasses a larger age range than you'd think, and why a certain kind of bar specializes in them. Then, the team tries their very own Green Tea Shots. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your epis...

In wake of the somewhat surprising news that Haus is going under, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss where the direct-to-consumer vermouth (or low-alcohol spirit) brand went wrong, why finding investors is tricky, and how the pure DTC model is difficult for all categories but particularly for beverage alcohol. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitc...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether or not there's actually a market for craft or distinctive vodka, or if the category remains the realm of smoothness and minimal flavor. Then, they try one of those craft vodkas, the Vestal Unfiltered Vodka. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the frenetic wine auction market, particularly around wines from Burgundy - why has such speculative fervor has focused on that region, who is driving it, and can it last? Plus, a conversation about donuts. 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...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach react to the news that the TTB has proposed a Standard of Identity for American Single Malt Whiskey, a meaningful step in creating an official definition for the category, and discuss why it is that this style is the fastest-growing domestic whiskey style. Then, they try two examples: the American Single Malt from Copperworks Distilling and the Quintessential from Cedar Ridg...