Podcasts The Mess Hall

Has The Alcohol Industry Lost A Generation?

Published Date: September 9, 2026
Episode:

On this episode of The Mess Hall, Mike and Maeve share the hospitality moments that stood out on a trip to Tampa, from a bubble-wrap save in the Columbia Restaurant gift shop to a $50 tableside mozzarella that was well worth the price. Then wine and spirits data expert Alli Meyer joins us to dig into what’s really happening with alcohol: whether Gen Z is drinking, how brand proliferation and inventory gluts hurt the category, why wine lists and shelves stopped focusing on what things taste like, why sweet and flavored products get looked down on when people clearly want them, and why smaller bottle sizes might be the fix we’re not pushing hard enough. Plus, Alli answers our five questions

Latest Episodes

Has The Alcohol Industry Lost A Generation?

Has The Alcohol Industry Lost A Generation?

September 9, 2026
On this episode of The Mess Hall, Mike and Maeve share the hospitality moments that stood out on a trip to Tampa, from a bubble-wrap save in the Columbia Restaurant gift shop to a $50 tableside mozzarella that was well worth the price. Then wine and spirits data expert Alli Meyer joins us to dig into what's really happening with alcohol: ...
Read More
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In this episode of The Mess Hall, Mike and Maeve dig into the freshest data from their 2026 Consumer Needs Mid-Year Update Survey. They share the findings that surprised them most: why younger consumers say 2026 has gone better than expected and what that streak of American optimism means for food innovation, plus they unpack consumer ...
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Can We Measure Food Craveability?

Can We Measure Food Craveability?

May 28, 2026
In this episode of The Mess Hall, Mike and Maeve check in on their 100 Recipe Challenge, a year-long project to cook 100 new recipes from cookbooks they've collected. They compare progress, debate the merits of following recipes to the letter versus trusting your gut, share their favorite and least favorite dishes so far, and go down a rabbit ...
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