About ten years ago, consumers began selling empty bottles of Pappy Van Winkle on Ebay that would eventually be used to defraud future enthusiasts. Authenticating rare and valuable bottles of wine and whiskey has long been an issue, but today a new company called proof-it has found a modern solution. Not only can it protect against fraud, its tags can instantly send any sort of media to any sort of smart phone—right there in the store. Proof-it founder and CEO Vince Anido joins this episode to talk about the future of consumer engagement in the wine & spirits industry.

Lately, I've been asking myself why so many new Bourbon brands are still coming to market when the American whiskey bubble has already started to pop. Then I realized, perhaps not enough people are aware of the massive whiskey sell-off that is currently (and quietly) underway in our industry. Bourbon writer and historian Chuck Cowdery joins the conversation to discuss the gluts of the past, and the coming bust he sees on the horizon.

Over the last few years, the desire to drink a wine or whiskey from a special place or prized location has become so profound that's it forced the entire industry to respond. Today, there are more single vineyard wines than ever before, more single barrel whiskies being sourced and labeled from specific parts of the warehouse, and countless liquids put into bottle with a clever marketing story as to their unique "terroir," even if the products themselves are not all that special. Napa winemaking legend Steve Matthiasson joins us this episode to talk about the importance of human intervention in the production process and why our own personalities matter when it comes making something truly special.

The recent news that France paid more than 200 million Euros to destroy surplus wine sent a shockwave through the industry, as did Boozehound author Jason Wilson's most recent article in the Wine Enthusiast covering the story. With wine consumption dropping drastically among younger generations, the industry is facing an existential crisis: is there still an audience for $10 bottles of everyday wine? Jason Wilson joins us to discuss his article and his thoughts on the subject.

Limited merch drops have become the norm for sneakers, vinyl, clothing, jewelry, and now allocated whiskies. With COVID accelerating the evolution of online shopping and social media influencing, more whiskey drinkers than ever are tuned into the world of limited edition bottles, to the detriment of everyday items. But can the whiskey industry adapt to a new reality of everyday consumers no longer wanting the core flagship items? What will happen when people stop buying the same brands more than once? Robin Robinson, author of The Complete Whiskey Course, joins the discussion on this episode.

Most conversations about quality concerning wine and spirits rely heavily on personal preference and stylistic choice, but when it comes to Tequila these discussions become troublesome. Because so many Tequila drinkers today still don't know about "the big lie," exchanges on social media can become emotional and even personal in the face of the truth. Advocates of non-additive Tequilas have a simple message: don't shoot the messenger! The Tequila Collective's Robert Gerard joins us to discuss his experiences on Instagram and other platforms.

If you've ever wanted to start your own whiskey business, in the episode we discuss the difficulties of distribution and the scope of running logistics for your booze company. David touches briefly on bots destroying retail websites, and Nicolas Palazzi joins in to share the secrets of running a successful distributor.

While other parts of California's wine country have changed with the times, something about the Santa Cruz Mountains remains firmly rooted in the past—and it's not just the winemaking! Santa Cruz as a city has a lure and a lore that continues to captivate new generations while remaining faithful to the nostalgia of previous ones. It's a very special part of the state, devoid of pretense and full of humility, from the mountain vineyards down the Pacific Coast Highway through Steinbeck Country. K&L Domestic Wine Buyer Ryan Woodhouse joins us to discuss the history of Santa Cruz's winemaking culture and what makes the coastal city his favorite place in the world.

Since the ascent of Pappy Van Winkle and Buffalo Trace Distillery soon after, the culture surrounding today's hottest Bourbons has homogenized around a small set of similar tastes and ideals. While that formula worked out for Kentucky's largest producers, will it continue to be successful for small brands moving forward? Distiller Todd Leopold joins the conversation to add his thoughts on diversification in the whiskey market.

In this episode, we discuss private label whiskies for some of America's largest retailers including Costco, Trader Joe's, and Total Wine: how they work, what's in them, where they are sourced, and more. Alexander Murray CEO (and Scottish rugby superstar) Chris Cusiter joins the conversation to add his perspective as well.