2023 has been a terrible year for the nectar of the gods
U.S. beer shipments fell more than 5% in the first nine months of the year and by year’s end are expected to hit their lowest level in a quarter-century, according to industry tracker Beer Marketer’s Insights.
“This is an industry-wide, five-alarm fire,” Craig Purser, president of the
National Beer Wholesalers Association, said in a speech to wholesalers at a
convention in October.
Consumer tastes are shifting. Over the past decade, the craft beer boom peaked, then the hard seltzer craze peaked. Now people are reaching for nonalcoholic beers and canned cocktails. And there is a generational shift happening: Younger adults drink less alcohol than older consumers, and prefer spirits to beer.
These stories have been gaining momentum all year, but none of them mention the obvious competitor: marijuana. People are smoking legal weed, preferring it as a healthier alternative to alcohol. I only have anecdotal evidence, but I have a lot of it.
The Bud Light Boycott Was Just the Beginning of a Crazy Year for Beer
A Bud Light boycott in 2023 reshuffled the beer industry, vaulting Modelo Especial to the top spot in America. At the same time, many people simply stopped drinking beer altogether.
Jennifer Maloney
Preparing Oneself for Dry January
Or Maybe Just a Damp January
If ‘dry’ January sounds daunting, try ‘damp’ January instead
Studies show that even a modest reduction in drinking can lead to improvements in blood pressure, mental health and liver health.
Anahad O’Connor, The Detroit News
The Croatian Immigrant Who Beat the French at Wine Died Earlier This Month
Mike Grgich, Who Grabbed Worldwide Attention With His Napa Chardonnay, Dies at 100
After emigrating from Croatia, the winemaker worked at top Napa cellars like Beaulieu Vineyard, Chateau Montelena and Robert Mondavi Winery before founding his own winery
Aaron Romano
If You Charge It, the Idiots Will Pay It
In a healthy hobby, people don’t demand the right to be gouged 1,000% of the list price for the ability to buy a product. But if hype gets out of control to the right degree, all bounds of logic or even traditional restaurant/bar operating procedure fly out the window.
Bourbon Price Gouging at Bars Is Getting Truly Ridiculous
Bourbon price gouging was already out of control at package stores, but it’s increasingly heinous in neat pours as well.
Jim Vorel
Woman Releases PSA for the Imbeciles
This is apparently a real public service announcement. I think vodka and Red Bull is a fine blend, but do people need to be told that one, maybe two, is the limit? This woman drank ten? It's gotta be a publicity stunt, right?
‘I feel like this is common sense…..’: Woman issues PSA after vodka Red Bulls land her in the hospital
A content creator recently went viral on TikTok after warning viewers against drinking too many vodka Red Bulls.
Brooke Sjoberg
