Let’s be honest – booze has always been popular. Even if you think of the time of the Prohibition, you will understand that there were people who spent their weekend nights hiding in a bar, secretly drinking. Now, the times have certainly changed, as alcohol is not only a means of entertainment; there are more and more people who are true connoisseurs of the matter. So, basically, it’s safe to say that booze is a way of life. Things like trying to find the new best alcoholic drink, enjoying all the sips of a glass of whiskey, travelling the country in order to find the best kind of alcoholic drink that you love, and socializing with people who share the same interests as you do are quite popular right now. But why is booze so popular right now and how does this differ from previous years?
Craft beer is still huge
We’ve always loved beer, even in the medieval times when ale was super popular. However, things are slowly changing, and it’s not lager beer that’s very popular at the moment. Craft beer is the new thing. If you take New York as an example, there were only eight craft breweries in the city, while right now there are more than 400. Yes, that is how much craft beer is popular. Another advantage of the rise in popularity of craft beers is the fact that all of the people who enjoy the taste of good, home-brewed beer can actually find what they’re looking for in any part of a major city. Which furthermore means that making and producing good beer is definitely a science of its own.
Drinking is gender-neutral
Another great difference that one can notice is the fact that drinking is finally gender-neutral. Not only do women taste and drink strong alcoholic drinks such as gin or whiskey, but they are continuing to grow in financial stature and actually make the purchasing decisions in the household, including alcohol. More and more men are slowly switching to gender-neutral drinks, and some alcohol brands even encourage women to consume their products.
Clubs for alcohol lovers
Imagine a place where all alcohol lovers gather, not to get extremely drunk and blackout, but to actually enjoy every sip of their drink. They gather also to talks and learn about the process of production and tell interesting stories from the industry. These clubs are open for all members no matter their previous knowledge and are welcoming to whoever is interested in becoming more experienced in spirits. Even though whiskey clubs are the most popular ones, the scene is broadening and now you can find clubs like Spirit Pannonian that focus on all spirits, and their gatherings and tastings range from calvados to gin, rakija (Serbian fruit brandy) and of course whiskey. Alcohol-lover clubs such as these do not only organize different alcohol tastings, but they also work very hard to promote good and new alcoholic drinks, write and post their reviews and even organize barmen trainings.
There are different trends
One might think that drinking is a plain activity – you just take your favorite alcoholic drink, pour it into a glass and chug it down. Even though this might be true to a certain extent, there are some amazing new trends in alcohol drinking. The most prominent trend right now is called mixology, and not only does it combine alcohol with food, but a good mixologist will also make some of the most unusual cocktails that you simply have to try out as it’s an experience of its own. Apart from that, it’s also very important to know what drink is trendy right now. For example, if you get the chance to try the pink or flavoured gin, make sure you take a photo of it and post in on all social networks.
Alcohol Influencers
Speaking of social networks, who would have believed that we would have alcohol influencers in 2019? After all, if we have lifestyle, fashion and food influencers, why not have the ones that will recommend a certain drink to us? Drinkstagrammers (alcohol influencers that use Instagram as their main platform) are huge right now, mostly due to the fact that many drink companies invest a lot in styling their cocktails. It’s not only the taste that matters now – if you can make it aesthetically appealing, why wouldn’t you? How cocktails look is slowly becoming as important as how they taste.
You might think that drinking is a very simple activity, and this is where you would be wrong. If you really want to enjoy alcohol, you need to know what to pay attention to. After all, this indeed is an experience of its own. It’s not about getting drunk, it’s about drinking.
