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A Question of Drinks

Felicity Carter and Lulie Halstead
A Question of Drinks
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  • Ep 14: Is Gen Z Giving Up On Alcohol? Part 2
    In this episode of A Question of Drinks, Felicity and Lulie continue their deep dive into Gen Z drinking habits. Is this generation truly rejecting alcohol — or are they just broke? Leaving no stone unturned, they dissect commercial reports from Barclays, Rabobank, and IWSR, comparing them with public health research that claims Gen Z is fundamentally different from previous generations. Discover how social media, economic pressures, and delayed adulthood are shaping drinking patterns. From Tinto de Verano cocktails made with cheap Pinot Noir to boarding school rebellions and prawn cocktail crisps, this episode blends hard data with sharp conversation. The hosts discuss: Whether social media is replacing alcohol’s social utility Why underage drinking has plummeted How economic models predict future alcohol growth The difference between moderation trends in Gen Z vs boomers Why brands must stop treating Gen Z as a monolith Join Felicity and Lulie as they ask: Is the drinks industry doomed or simply changing shape? In this episode: 04:43 Gen Z alcohol decline described as a long-term cultural shift 05:46 Alcohol losing its use as a tool of rebellion for Gen Z 12:50 Social media driving Gen Z to self-monitor and reduce drinking 15:10 Social media replacing alcohol’s role in making it easier to meet people 16:02 Asahi CEO links alcohol decline to rise of digital entertainment 21:04 Barclays predicts Gen Z alcohol spend will rise with disposable income 22:58 Rabobank says Gen Z drinks less not because they’re worried about health, but because they’re broke 31:00 IWSR data shows Gen Z alcohol consumption rebounding post-pandemic 34:44 Gen Z prefers temporary abstinence over long-term reduction 47:47 But it’s possible the cultural meaning of alcohol is changing despite sales data Got a question for us? Email us at [email protected] and it might just become our next episode. Meet Your Hosts: Lulie Halstead founded and led international consumer research and strategy consultancy Wine Intelligence, and led it to a su...
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  • Ep 13: Is Gen Z Really So Different When It Comes to Alcohol? Part 1
    It’s the question of the moment: why is Gen Z drinking less alcohol? Academics are wondering, banks are wondering, and the drinks trade doesn’t know what to think. In the first episode of a two-part deep dive, Felicity and Lulie tackle this hotly debated question head one. In Part One, they examine a major new academic study, Young People, Alcohol and Risk: A Culture of Caution, which argues that Gen Z's attitudes to alcohol mark a generational shift, not just a life stage delay.  From risk-aversion to the rise of the Clean Girl Aesthetic, this episode explores what might be behind the dramatic fall in drinking across high-income countries — and whether it's really as new as people think. Along the way, expect Lidl wine tastings, boxing metaphors, rage-baiting influencers, and a brief moment of intergenerational defensiveness. This episode covers: A major new academic study argues that Gen Z is fundamentally different from previous generations in how they perceive alcohol. The clash between cohort theory (generational difference) and life stage theory (age-based behaviour). Who is Gen Z? Two sub-groups are defined: those born 1995–2002 and those born 2002–2012, with markedly different digital and social upbringings. An overview of the level of fall in high-income countries like Australia, Sweden, and the UK, with researchers linking this to cultural change. The role of risk aversion as the defining trait of Gen Z. The rise of the “clean girl” aesthetic and Trad Wife content points to a cultural pull toward order, discipline, and nostalgia. Gen Z is also more emotionally distressed than earlier cohorts, with higher rates of anxiety and depression shaping lifestyle decisions. The study finds that Gen Z often views intoxication as inauthentic, with alcohol seen as a way to mask the ‘real self.’ While individual behaviour varies, the academic consensus is that this generation’s ambivalence toward alcohol reflects deeper structural shifts. Lulie has questions about all of this. Big questions. Got a question for us? Email us at [email protected] and it might just become our next episode. Meet Your Hosts: Lulie Halstead founded and led international consumer research and strategy consultancy Wine Intelligence, and led it to a successful PE exit. Today she is a renowned global beverage alcohol and wine sector specialist, focused on consumer behaviour, strategy, retail and hospitality. An accomplished keynote speaker, she has spoken...
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  • Ep 12: Lies on the Label and Other Wine Crimes
    Felicity and Lulie investigate the murky world of wine and spirits fraud — from harmless fakes to lethal counterfeits. They start with historic wine scandals that rocked Austria and Italy in the 1980s, where illicit additives led to injury and even death. From there, they explore the modern world of counterfeiting: billionaires tricked by fake Romanée-Conti, questionable Thomas Jefferson bottles, and the infamous case of Rudy Kurniawan, whose kitchen doubled as a counterfeit factory. Lulie introduces her framework for understanding deception in drinks — “fake, fraud or faux” — and the duo discuss how fakes can turn up anywhere, as in the case of $10,000 fake whisky served in a luxury Swiss hotel. Also covered: Counterfeit bulk wine sold as French The Gallo Pinot Noir scandal Methanol poisoning in Southeast Asia Why counterfeit spirits can blind or kill Efforts to authenticate bottles using technology and carbon dating How fake wine might still be sitting in collections around the world Plus: undercover sommeliers, Elvis impersonators, and cheap wine confessions. Got a question for us? Email us at [email protected] and it might just become our next episode. Please note: the story of the Jefferson bottles and Hardy Rodenstock is covered in public record sources including The Billionaire’s Vinegar. No assertion is made about events not publicly documented. Meet Your Hosts: Lulie Halstead founded and led international consumer research and strategy consultancy Wine Intelligence, and led it to a successful PE exit. Today she is a renowned global beverage alcohol and wine sector specialist, focused on consumer behaviour, strategy, retail and hospitality. An accomplished keynote speaker, she has spoken at more than 70 international events over the past 20 years. Felicity Carter is an award-winning wine and drinks journalist, editor, speaker trainer and content strategist. She led Meininger’s Wine Business International to become the world’s most must-read wine trade magazine, and was founding Executive Editor of The Drop/Pix, which the Wall Street Journal named one of the most trusted sources of wine information. A regular keynote speaker, she was named a 2024 Industry Leader by WineBusiness Monthly. 
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  • Ep 11: Who Really Invented Champagne?
    In this fizz-filled episode of A Question of Drinks, Felicity Carter and Lulie Halstead investigate one of the wine world’s most persistent myths: who really invented Champagne? Was it Dom Pérignon, as the marketing legends claim — or were British scientists and merchants bottling bubbly decades earlier? Expect exploding bottles, legal firestorms, Russian oligarchs, Stalinist innovation, and a blind tasting study that might permanently change how you see cheap sparkling wine.   What we cover: The overlooked role of English scientist Christopher Merret (1662) in documenting secondary fermentation. Why British coal-fired glass furnaces mattered more than French monks. How Champagne marketing reinvented history and created global brand dominance. The 1911 Champagne riots and how they shaped today’s AOC protections. Champagne Jane vs. the CIVC: When trade protection becomes personal. Why Californian 'Champagne' still exists — and the legal loophole keeping it alive. What really happened when Belgian customs seized Gallo André 'Champagne' on its way to Nigeria. Stalin’s role in democratising sparkling wine. Consumer preferences: Do drinkers actually like Champagne best?  Sugar, calories, and labelling. Plus: Lulie tastes Chinese wine in Hong Kong. Felicity finally tries Guinness (but did she like it?). Australia goes soft, with Wagyu for dogs and "Paw-kies" on menus. To contact us: Got a burning drinks question? Or just want to tease Felicity about Guinness? Email us at: [email protected] Meet Your Hosts: Lulie Halstead founded and led international consumer research and strategy consultancy Wine Intelligence, and led it to a successful PE exit. Today she is a renowned global beverage alcohol and wine sector specialist, focused on consumer behaviour, strategy, retail and hospitality. An accomplished keynote speaker, she has spoken at more than 70 international events over the past 20 years. Felicity Carter is an award-winning wine and drinks journalist, editor, speaker trainer and content strategist. She led Meininger’s Wine Business International to become the world’s most must-read wine trade magazine, and was founding Executive Editor of The Drop/Pix, which the Wall Street Journal named one of the most trusted sources of wine information. A regular keynote speaker, she was named a 2024 Industry Leader by WineBusiness Monthly.
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  • Ep 10: Why Are So Many People Signing Up for Wine Education?
    Why are so many people suddenly fluent in tannins, terroir, and Tokaji? There is an explosion of interest in wine education — and not just in the wine trade. Thousands of enthusiasts are signing up for wine courses, regardless of difficulty or cost. What’s driving this new thirst for knowledge? Is it fun, status, or the chance to bond with others? s not just about work: many are taking courses for fun, for status, or to bond with others. The episode dissects the appeal of rigorous wine courses, from the WSET diploma to the notoriously difficult Master of Wine, and what motivates people to sign up even when pass rates are low and costs are high. This episode also touches on how education is becoming a new kind of cultural capital, replacing the arts as a marker of sophistication. It features features personal stories, educational psychology frameworks like the Human Givens model, and historical insights into how institutions like the WSET and the Court of Master Sommeliers evolved.   Meet Your Hosts: Lulie Halstead founded and led international consumer research and strategy consultancy Wine Intelligence, and led it to a successful PE exit. Today she is a renowned global beverage alcohol and wine sector specialist, focused on consumer behaviour, strategy, retail and hospitality. An accomplished keynote speaker, she has spoken at more than 70 international events over the past 20 years. Felicity Carter is an award-winning wine and drinks journalist, editor, speaker trainer and content strategist. She led Meininger’s Wine Business International to become the world’s most must-read wine trade magazine, and was founding Executive Editor of The Drop/Pix, which the Wall Street Journal named one of the most trusted sources of wine information. A regular keynote speaker, she was named a 2024 Industry Leader by WineBusiness Monthly.  
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About A Question of Drinks

Why do we drink what we do? Is it just the taste — or are there other drivers behind what's on the shelf? Drinks data expert Lulie Halstead joins writer and editor Felicity Carter to explore the economic, technological and social turning points that determine what's in the glass.
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