On & Off

Asian Flavors and Hospitality in Beverage Service

Asian flavors may be a top beverage trend for 2025, but Ashley Castillo, food and beverage director of the Westin Atlanta Gwinnett hotel, was ahead of the curve on this one. She joins us in this episode to talk about what she learned from a year spent in Asia and how she has been translating that to the hotel's beverage program, as well as the drinks her guests are enjoying now and general trends she's seeing.

Nonalcoholic Beer Trends and Picks

Nonalcoholic beer is on fire, with many consumers opting not to imbibe alcohol at all or choosing to drink less. The market has responded with a number of NA options in craft styles. Katherine Benecke, the general manager of New York beer hall and sports bar Treadwell Park, weighs in on the state of alcohol-free beer, what consumers want and her current NA favorites.

Top Beverage Alcohol Hospitality Trends of 2025

We talk top beverage alcohol hospitality trends for 2025 with the folks at af&co. and Carbonate, two San Francisco-based agencies that recently presented their 17th annual Hospitality Trends Report. Tune in to hear why pistachio is the flavor of the year, along with other top trends like Freezer Martinis, Sotol, Banana cocktails, lagers vs. IPAs, the continued growth of THC drinks, and more!

Beverage Trends and Tech

Today’s consumers are no longer choosing between comforting classic flavors and adventurous exotic tastes; they’re demanding both. To learn about some of the trends and flavors driving change in the beverage industry, and the operational challenges in delivering on them, we talk with Jason Valentine, chief strategy officer at the beverage automation platform provider Botrista.  This episode is sponsored by National Retail Solutions.

Gen Z Drinking Habits

How much alcohol does Gen Z actually drink? And what exactly are they drinking? Will these trends maintain long term, or will they shift as Gen Z consumers get older? For answers to these critical industry questions, we interviewed Nick White, the research lead for the consumer research platform Attest.

Opposite Day at On & Off

In this episode, Kyle and Melissa switch their usual roles: Kyle discusses wine while Melissa talks whiskey. Can Kyle pronounce a single French word correctly? Will Melissa stomach an Old Fashioned? Tune in as the editors take turns pretending to be the other person as they dish on recent NY tasting events they attended, Kyle reviewing the 2024 Beaujolais Nouveau while Melissa drinks whiskey cocktails with Milam and Greene and Ammunition Whiskey, meeting Kelly Reilly of Yellowstone fame.

Alcohol Travels and Trends

Hosts Melissa and Kyle talk about recent press trips and alcohol events, digging into major liquor store trends in the Midwest, Madeira wine, higher-proofed Irish whiskey, vintage-dated rum, cocktails made with beer AND/OR wine, and more. Then towards the end, Kyle shares work travel stories about New England sarcasm performing poorly in the Midwest, and why you shouldn't eat fettuccine alfredo on the open ocean.

Alcohol Shipping and Ecommerce in 2024

The world of alcohol shipping and ecommerce continues to evolve rapidly, settling into a new era in our post-Covid world. What's the current state of these two industries and their legal challenges? And what's next? For answers, we interviewed Jaci Flug, partner in the Hospitality, Alcohol, and Leisure Industry Group at Greenspoon Marder LLP, and previously general counsel and senior vice president at Drizly.