This is pretty much the explanation---the decline in alcohol revenue mirrors the rise in cannabis sales. The alcohol decline started in 2012, when the first states legalized marijuana.
Also, help for alcohol abuse is more accessible and socially accepted than ever before. Sober movements overall are having a moment in the US, even though some traditional recovery membership like AA is slightly declining.
Exactly. Add in tip + tax and you're not leaving without spending ~$40 for two cocktails and ~$60 for 3 cocktails. Many, if not most, people sit at bars doom-scrolling on their phone and generally are anti-social. It's just not a fun, enjoyable experience most of the time.
There are so many other ways to self medicate now! Why be a lonely drunk when you can be a social media trolling energy drink swilling porn addicted sports gambler
I could be wrong, but I thought the "third place" thing more specifically refers to a pretty local institution such as a tavern or coffee shop where people meet regardless of club/team affiliation(s).
There may be more coffee shops now, but there are a LOT less neighborhood bars - or at least it sure seems that way in my Chicago neighborhood where one can see evidence of long closed bars on every other block.
The Third Place is dead not just because of the lack of available physical locations that offer this sort of thing, but because folks are less willing to interact with strangers around them.
The last good place for this were bars, being alcohol is a social lubricant and all; but, being I don't drink anymore, I don't frequent them at all. Then there's the whole, "I live in Minnesota," where strangers simply generally do NOT talk to one another here in any depth except to discuss the weather and this is not an overgeneralization; if anything, it's understating the reality as people don't say hello or even recognize your mere existence with a nod or wave.
I've starting thinking that the constant use of "there are no third places anymore!" is more cope and deflection of blame than an actual description of reality, often from people who want to use The Man or The System as a scapegoat for their own lack of socialization. There are still tons of third places, people are choosing to stay home instead of using them.
It's the same with "The Village" when deciding not to have kids. Everyone is allowed to move back to their hometown, or ask family to move closer. It's not always simple to do, but it's a choice people make not to.
I could take a $200,000/annual pay cut to move back to my hometown and live in an area devoid of things to do; but, you're right: I choose to move away and live somewhere that offered my children things I did not have and thus choose not to do that. I am also not sure how I could have my parents make the choice to live in an area that's more egalitarian and diverse; however, you're right, again: they choose not to.
I suspect there is more to this story. Post pandemic, I wonder if there are more people drinking on their lonesome as a coping strategy with fewer people drinking socially because it is too expensive to do so.
My father was in the former category, and ultimately it was alcohol that killed him. He thought he was a moderate drinker, not an alcoholic, and I doubt he would have self-reported drinking 'heavily' with his beer-goggles on. As far as he was concerned, he had always enjoyed a glass of wine with a meal, to have spirits as a 'night cap' and beer on sunny afternoons.
I saw the progression, and I went the other way, from 'enjoying' a drink on special occasions, always socially, never home alone, to complete abstinence. I decided that I no longer wanted to enable the alcohol dependent person by drinking, or have the health complications.
Looking back on the drinking I have done over the years, it was always people that brought me pleasure, not that vile alcohol stuff that brought us together. Motivation for going to the pub was meeting certain people, not drinking particular beverages.
As you can imagine, I am going to gleefully report 'I never touch that poison' to a pollster, whereas my father would never report drinking more than he used to, because he didn't see what was going on with his liver (and wallet).
I'd love to see the drinking stats for male millennials over the past 15 to 20 years. I bet there's a big drop as they age out of prime beer drinking age and start moving into middle age. I say this as I'm part of that demographic, and I hardly drink anymore after having one or 2 craft beers a night in my 20s.
Edit: The downturn in drinking has huge ramifications for restaurants as they make a lot of profit on alcohol.
The real question is why the younger generations aren't adopting the same behaviors. Is there something special about millennials that they drank more or something special about Gen Z that they drink less?
I wasn't talking about that but yeah, both microblogging platforms, short form content and alcohol make a sponge out of your brain. Alcohol does it physically tho.
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What did the industry expect?
And, if you want to be overly precise, can you tell us the average prices and consumption for cocktails, shots, wine serving, and beer?
We're a very lonely generation.
2. There are viable alternatives (THC; mocktails; 0.5%/0% beer that is drinkable).
3. The Third Place is dead and people don't socialize as much anymore.
4. Economic conditions are abysmal and directly affect prices and extra money to spend.
There may be more coffee shops now, but there are a LOT less neighborhood bars - or at least it sure seems that way in my Chicago neighborhood where one can see evidence of long closed bars on every other block.
The last good place for this were bars, being alcohol is a social lubricant and all; but, being I don't drink anymore, I don't frequent them at all. Then there's the whole, "I live in Minnesota," where strangers simply generally do NOT talk to one another here in any depth except to discuss the weather and this is not an overgeneralization; if anything, it's understating the reality as people don't say hello or even recognize your mere existence with a nod or wave.
Thanks for the idea though!
My father was in the former category, and ultimately it was alcohol that killed him. He thought he was a moderate drinker, not an alcoholic, and I doubt he would have self-reported drinking 'heavily' with his beer-goggles on. As far as he was concerned, he had always enjoyed a glass of wine with a meal, to have spirits as a 'night cap' and beer on sunny afternoons.
I saw the progression, and I went the other way, from 'enjoying' a drink on special occasions, always socially, never home alone, to complete abstinence. I decided that I no longer wanted to enable the alcohol dependent person by drinking, or have the health complications.
Looking back on the drinking I have done over the years, it was always people that brought me pleasure, not that vile alcohol stuff that brought us together. Motivation for going to the pub was meeting certain people, not drinking particular beverages.
As you can imagine, I am going to gleefully report 'I never touch that poison' to a pollster, whereas my father would never report drinking more than he used to, because he didn't see what was going on with his liver (and wallet).
Edit: The downturn in drinking has huge ramifications for restaurants as they make a lot of profit on alcohol.