I spotted a news story this week that a Perth venue blamed the decline of the city’s live music scene on Gen Z drinking less. It got me thinking about my own alcohol consumption.
Having a beer – or a hard earned thirst, as VB remind us – feels quintessentially Australian. And if beer isn’t your thing, we have some of the best wines in the world. And all of us have a spirit we’re partial to. Gin, in my case.
Plus, Australia has so many excellent craft breweries (a shout out to the Eden microbrewery in Mittagong, which I discovered on a recent long weekend away), not to mention spirits.
And yet, like everyone else, I’m tightening my belt – metaphorically and literally (I’m aware beer is essentially calories). I’m a bit more conscious of my health, I’m a lot more conscious of my hangovers getting worse, and I’m spending a lot less time in the pub. Plus the low or zero alcohol options are tasting a lot better. I’m more likely to have a Heaps Normal in my fridge these days. And even my father-in-law, in his mid 80s, has shifted to no alcohol alternatives from Peroni and Heineken (I’m less convinced of the taste of these, mind).
And I can’t remember the last time I had a drink at a gig, largely because it’s overpriced and I’d rather watch the music than queue for a drink.
In fact the only time I drink regularly is at the assorted types of footy I watch. Mind you, given the Bunnies form this season and the somewhat questionable quality of the A League, I think that’s pretty much a pre-requisite.
So are Gen Z to blame? Or is the idea of having a drink just a lot less appealing to you these days?
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