Adam and Joanna discuss whether companies that are making obvious dupes or copies of popular drinks are being smart or just trying to cash in on a trend. Can you copy and become more premium? Does it matter if the packaging is nearly identical? Does it matter what part of the drinks space you're in? 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Joanna is drinking: Foradori Teroldego

Adam is drinking: Martini at Horse Inn

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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Adam and Joanna respond to a listener question: are RTDs actually a fad? Despite emerging in the late 2010s and becoming a significant part of the beverage alcohol industry in the 2020s, is it possible that they don't have staying power, or have they shown that there's a significant audience for convenience, flavor, and accessibility? 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Joanna is reading: The Karaoke Bar Is Finally Taking Cocktails Seriously

Adam is reading: How Cocktail Kingdom Grew From a Small Bar Supply Shop Into a Global Cocktail Powerhouse

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the renewed speculation that Jack Daniels manufacturer Brown-Forman might be for sale: while the family-owned company rejected two reported offers in April, rumors continue to swirl that they're on the market. Will Pernod-Ricard or Sazerac remain interested? Which drinks company makes the most sense as an acquirer, and how can they attempt to rebuild and grow the brand, especially outside the United States? 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Zach is drinking: Upsidedown Wine Roussanne

Joanna is drinking: Dogwood & Thistle Monticello Rosé

Adam is drinking: Thierry Richoux ‘"Les Cailles"’ Irancy 2017

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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Traditionally, summer (and the 4th of July specifically) have been opportunities for drinks brands of all kinds to (sometimes literally) wrap themselves in the American flag to move product. Yet even with the country's 250th anniversary just days away, it seems like relatively few are doing so this year. Is that because the current American political landscape is so fractious? Is patriotism and American pride at a low point, especially amongst the types of folks who tend to make that kind of decision? Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss that, plus how that kind of branding compares to more overtly targeting one political party or movement. 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Zach is reading: Is It Time to Retire the Oversized Steakhouse Martini?

Joanna is reading: VinePair's Best New Bartenders Class of 2026

Adam is reading: Why Is New York City’s Hottest Cocktail Bar Serving Steak Frites?

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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Busy restaurants have imposed time limits on diners for decades. Yet bars have, historically, operated in such a way that once you get a seat, and as long as you're behaving, you can generally stay as long as you like. Well, in this new era of reservation-only bars, some are starting to impose time limits on patrons. Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether this is inhospitable, how bars should communicate this policy, and why bars in particular struggle to juggle the seating plans for a given evening. 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Zach is drinking: Henschke "Hill of Grace" Shiraz

Joanna is drinking: Frozen Cherry Cola at Kinda Nice

Adam is drinking: Old King Cole Martini at Maison Premiere

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the siren's song of online wine sales, and in particular the idea of affiliate marketing and referrals. So many businesses have taken aim at this potential market, yet when even Amazon decides that selling wine online is a non-starter, why do people continue to try? What are the specific challenges that make selling wine (and other beverage alcohol) online so difficult. Plus, an extended discussion of flavored whiskey. 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Zach is reading: With the Industry Under Pressure, Should Bartenders and Sommeliers Finally Join Forces?

Joanna is reading: Why Is Everybody Making Blackberry Whiskey?

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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With two Gen Z-directed movies lighting up the box office, it turns out that despite the doom and gloom, young people do want to go to the movies...if the movies are made for them. Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss what the drinks industry might be able to learn from this recently phenomenon, and whether in fact it can be applied at all. 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Zach is drinking: Pacifico

Joanna is drinking: Vesper from Bar Goto

Adam is drinking: Champagne Bollinger

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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Many winemakers the world over aspire to make world class wines. Yet the wines that are generally regarded as such have never been more expensive or difficult to source. So - can you make great wine if you almost never get to drink it? That's what Adam, Joanna, and Zach debate: can you even know what your wine is capable of if you don't know what the absolute pinnacle of the category tastes like? 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Zach is reading: How Social Media Propelled the ‘Cult’ Wine World Into Absurdity

Joanna is reading: Wine Is Swinging for the Fences With Sports Advertising — Is It Working?

Adam is reading: One Tequila Brand Has an Official World Cup Bottle. The Others Have Pricey Knock-Offs

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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