Is Alcohol Facing a Generational Reckoning? What Gen Z Is Really Telling Us

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 📢I talk🎙️with Bourcard Nesin, of VP of Beverages of Robobank and Host of Liquid Assets👏🍷 🎇 🎉 ✨ 👏 🥂  😁 

“The Great Disconnect?” 

 📹 Or watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pkpWJLFHrd8

We’ve all heard the headline: “Gen Z is drinking less.” But beneath that clickbait is a more complex—and more urgent—story. On this episode of Thirsty Thursdays, I sat down with Bourcard Nesin, VP of Beverages Research at Rabobank, to ask: What’s actually driving this generational shift? His answers were eye-opening, data-backed, and refreshingly honest. 

✅ Gen Z isn’t anti-alcohol—they’re just not showing up to the party.
Isolation, delayed independence, and over-parenting have disrupted the social environments where alcohol typically thrives.

✅ Health isn’t the full story.
Saying “I care about my health” doesn’t mean someone is healthy—it may mean they’re already experiencing issues.

✅ Cannabis is not the enemy. Loneliness is.
Bourcard argues that alcohol’s real competition isn’t THC—it’s a cultural shift away from shared experiences.

✅ The industry’s blind spot: Identity.
Young consumers today are more likely to be women or people of color, yet most marketing still targets legacy demographics.

✅ Advice for brands? Stop chasing volume. Start building meaning.
Whether it’s RTDs or wine, storytelling and cultural alignment matter more than SKU count.

Why It Matters:

The U.S. beverage alcohol industry is in its worst decline in decades—and it's not just cyclical. As Bourcard puts it, “The goal isn’t growth. It’s survival.” If your brand isn’t thinking differently (and inclusively), you're already behind.

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