Raise one up for one of the most iconic beer brands in America. After 177 years, Schlitz Premium is being discontinued.
Pabst Brewing Co., the brand&#8217;s parent company, announced that Schlitz Premium is being put “on hiatus.” 
“Unfortunately, we have seen continued increases in our costs to store and ship certain products and have had to make the tough choice to place Schlitz Premium on hiatus,” head of brand strategy Zac Nadile said in a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/05/19/famous-beer-schlitz-brewed-one-last-time-ending-177-year-run/90157205007/">statement</a>, according to USA Today.
“Any brand or packaging configuration that is put on hiatus is still a cherished part of our history and hopefully our future. We continually look for opportunities to bring back beloved brands, and customer feedback is important in shaping those discussions.”
Schlitz traces its roots back to 1849, when August Krug founded a tavern brewery in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2026/05/21/tell-the-journal-sentinel-what-will-you-do-with-your-last-schlitz/90182695007/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=false&amp;gca-epti=z115329p115150l004450c115150u116529e1113xxv115329&amp;gca-ft=39&amp;gca-ds=sophi">reported</a>. After Krug died in 1856, company bookkeeper Joseph Schlitz married Krug’s widow and renamed the company after himself.
Schlitz died at sea in 1875, but the company continued to grow and became one of the largest beer brands in the nation. Stiff competition eventually led to the company shutting down in 1982 before Pabst Brewing Co. revived the brand after acquiring it in 1999.
Schlitz returned to the market in 2008 with a reformulated version of its original brewing recipe, but never reclaimed its throne in the beer market. 
Now the company is once again fading from store shelves.
Wisconsin Brewing Company brewmaster Kirby Nelson said the brand would receive a “proper sendoff” with “dignity and respect.”
The brewery plans to produce “the last Schlitz” at its Verona, Wisconsin, facility on Saturday, as Milwaukee-area bars and breweries host farewell parties honoring the historic brand. The final batch will be released June 27 as a limited-edition ode to &#8220;Schlitz&#8217;s glory days.” 
The news comes as alcohol consumption in the United States continues to decline. According to a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx">Gallup poll </a>published last year, the percentage of American adults who say they drink alcohol has fallen to 54%, the lowest on record in Gallup history.

Beer

Last Call! Beloved Beer Brand Is About To Brew Its Last Batch

Alcohol

Milwaukee

News

United States

Wisconsin

FBI Director Kash Patel ratcheted up his fight with Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen on Tuesday, posting on social media an expensive tab run up by the Democrat senator’s campaign at a swanky bar in Washington, D.C.
Patel and Van Hollen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kash-patel-lays-into-dem-senator-for-slinging-margaritas-with-gang-banging-rapist?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Kash+Patel+Lays+Into+Dem+Senator+For+‘Slinging+Margaritas’+With+‘Gang-Banging+Rapist’">clashed</a> during a hearing earlier on Tuesday over claims published in The Atlantic that the FBI chief had a drinking problem. After the hearing, Patel <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2054294261986660537">posted</a> a campaign filing from December 12, 2025, showing that Van Hollen’s campaign spent $7,128 during an event at the Lobby Bar in D.C. 
“The only person that ran up a $7,000 bar tab in Washington, D.C., at the Lobby Bar was you. The only individual in this room that has been drinking on the taxpayer dime during the day is you,” Patel said during the hearing. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1094259" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.38.59-AM.png" alt="" width="882" height="1050" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.38.59-AM.png 882w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.38.59-AM-252x300.png 252w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.38.59-AM-484x576.png 484w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.38.59-AM-768x914.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 882px) 100vw, 882px" /></div>
A spokesman for Van Hollen <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/kash-patel-chris-van-hollen-trade-alcohol-allegations-senate-hearing-rcna344804">told</a> NBC that “this was a catering charge at a local restaurant where the Senator hosted an after-hours holiday reception as a thank you to the 50+ members of our team, paid for by campaign funds — not taxpayer dollars.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, Van Hollen attacked Patel over allegations of drinking on the job. 
“Director Patel, these reports about your conduct, including reports of your being so drunk and hungover that your staff had to force entry into your home, are extremely alarming,” Van Hollen said.
“So, there have been no occasions when your security detail had difficulty waking or locating you?” Van Hollen asked Patel.
“Nope, it’s a total farce. I don’t even know where you get this stuff, but it doesn’t make it credible, because you say so,” Patel fired back. 
Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic over its report featuring anonymous sources accusing the FBI director of having a drinking problem. In response to Van Hollen’s accusations, Patel hit back by pointing to a photo posted by El Salavador President Nayib Bukele <a href="https://x.com/nayibbukele/status/1913028548001923259">showing</a> the Democrat senator seated next to accused MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia at a table with what appear to be margaritas.
Bukele captioned the photo by saying that Abrego Garica was “sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador.”
<div id="attachment_1094261" style="width: 1594px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1094261" class="wp-image-1094261 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM.png" alt="" width="1584" height="1028" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM.png 1584w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM-300x195.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM-888x576.png 888w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM-768x498.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM-1536x997.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1584px) 100vw, 1584px" />Credit: Nayib Bukele</div>
“Unlike your baseless reports, the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you,” Patel said. 
Both Patel and Van Hollen challenged each other to take sobriety tests during the hearing.

Kash Patel/Chris Van Hollen

SEE IT: Patel Posts Hefty Bar Receipt After Ripping Dem For Drinking With ‘Gang-Banging Rapist’

Chris Van Hollen

Democrat

El Salvador

kash patel

Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Cruise ship passengers traveling to the Bahamas on Tuesday, May 12, may be having a little bit less fun than usual.
That’s because the nation will be suspending all alcohol sales that day as they hold elections. Per <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/travel/disappointed-cruise-passengers-erupt-alcohol-ban-affects-major-voyages">Fox News Digital</a>, the ban on selling alcoholic beverages will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. This will include all popular hot spots and even private islands.
&#8220;Any person selling or exposing or offering for sale any intoxicating liquor during such hours shall be deemed to be so doing while not holding a license under the provisions of the Business License Act,&#8221; a notice from the Parliamentary Commissioner said. 
Two Royal Caribbean ships, Oasis of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas, will be visiting their private island CocoCay while the ban is in effect, the outlet noted.
Cruise lines will be permitted to sell alcoholic beverages on board their ships, but anyone who disembarks won’t be ordering any cocktails on dry land for all of Tuesday. 
&#8220;Royal Caribbean is respecting and complying with all local laws and regulations, as we do with every destination we visit,&#8221; a spokesperson for the popular cruise company said.
Predictably, travelers who were unaware of the alcohol ban are not pleased, with one saying her husband is “p*ssed.” 
“We scheduled a trip with stops in the Bahamas for our 40th anniversary. We are going with 26 of our friends. Planned activities at CocoCay and Nassau,” one traveler <a href="https://x.com/rhendrix69/status/2052180074808377358">shared</a> on X. “The general election has banned all alcohol for the two days we are there. And we find out only two days before we leave? Not a way to treat customers who cruise four times a year.”
Cruise ships are not having a good year, PR wise. Last week it was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/border-patrol-raids-disney-cruise-ship-in-major-child-porn-sting">reported</a> that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents raided five cruise ships, including one Disney cruise ship, as they identified predators viewing and distributing child sexual exploitation material. This led to 28 arrests.
On top of that, a luxury cruise ship was hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak in what’s been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-enter-quarantine-in-u-s-after-hantavirus-nightmare-at-sea">described as</a> a “nightmare at sea.” The vessel was effectively stranded at sea while governments and health agencies coordinated where passengers could safely disembark and quarantine. At least nine confirmed or suspected cases have now been linked to the outbreak, including three fatalities.

Cruise ships

No Drinks At Sea? The New Crackdown On Cruise Ships

Bahamas

Vacation

World

Pop singer Britney Spears voluntarily checked herself into a rehab treatment facility on Sunday, April 12, her rep confirmed. This happened just hours after she posted a video to Instagram — in which she could be seen slapping her own butt while dressed in a thong — just five weeks after she was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
The 44-year-old singer has a scheduled court date of May 4. 
Spears was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol (DUI) in Ventura County, California, on March 4, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/britney-spears-arrested-manager-calls-incident-inexcusable">reported</a>. She was released the next day.
Her rep released a statement at the time, calling it an &#8220;unfortunate incident&#8221; and saying that it was &#8220;completely inexcusable.&#8221;
&#8220;Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well being.&#8221;
The pop star shares two sons, Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19, with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
Spears was previously charged with a misdemeanor hit-and-run in 2007, which was later dismissed. She was hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation the following year and was subsequently placed under a conservatorship overseen primarily by her father. That arrangement lasted 13 years before a judge terminated it in November of 2021, following the fan-led “Free Britney” movement. 
Since the conservatorship ended, the “Toxic” singer has remained active on social media — where a number of posts have drawn concern from fans, such as posting videos of herself dancing, often scantily clad and sometimes with knives. 
In recent months, Spears has been taking aim at her family in Instagram posts, claiming they’ve treated her poorly. Following her DUI arrest, she shared a post of herself spending time with her two sons, including a trip she took with them on a yacht in late March.

Britney Spears

Britney Spears Heads To Rehab After Posting Another Wild Video, DUI Arrest

Celebrities

Drugs

Entertainment

A U.S. appeals court on Friday declared unconstitutional a nearly 158-year-old federal ban on home distilling, calling it an unnecessary and improper means for Congress to exercise its power to tax.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled in favor of the nonprofit Hobby Distillers Association and four of its 1,300 members.
They argued that people should be free to distill spirits at home, whether as a hobby or for personal consumption including, in one instance, to create an apple-pie-vodka recipe.
The ban was part of a law passed during Reconstruction in July 1868, in part to thwart liquor tax evasion, and subjected violators to up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Writing for a three-judge panel, Circuit Judge Edith Hollan Jones said the ban actually reduced tax revenue by preventing distilling in the first place, unlike laws that regulated the manufacture and labeling of distilled spirits on which the government could collect taxes.
She also said that under the government&#8217;s logic, Congress could criminalize virtually any in-home activity that might escape notice from tax collectors, including remote work and home-based businesses.
&#8220;Without any limiting principle, the government’s theory would violate this court’s obligation to read the Constitution carefully to avoid creating a general federal authority akin to the police power,&#8221; Jones wrote.
The U.S. Department of Justice had no immediate comment. Another defendant, the Treasury Department&#8217;s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Devin Watkins, a lawyer representing the Hobby Distillers Association, in an interview called the ruling an important decision about the limits of federal power.
Andrew Grossman, who argued the nonprofit&#8217;s appeal, called the decision &#8220;an important victory for individual liberty&#8221; that lets the plaintiffs &#8220;pursue their passion to distill fine beverages in their homes.&#8221;
&#8220;I look forward to sampling their output,&#8221; he said.
The decision upheld a July 2024 ruling by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman in Fort Worth, Texas. He put his ruling on hold so the government could appeal.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

From Felony To Freedom: A Century-Old Rule On Liquor Just Collapsed

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

Courts

Food

U.S.

Louisiana police have charged a man with impaired driving after his car slammed into a crowd during a community parade on Saturday, injuring several people, some critically.
Louisiana State Police said they arrested Todd Landry, 57, and charged him with driving while impaired, 18 counts of first-degree negligent injuring and careless operation following the incident in New Iberia, Louisiana.
He is also accused of having an open container with an alcoholic beverage in the vehicle.
The incident occurred during a Lao New Year celebration, the Louisiana State Police said in a statement.
&#8220;Multiple pedestrians&#8221; were struck by the vehicle as Landry drove it, police said.
Earlier, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office said at least 15 people had been injured.
Landry showed signs of impairment, and a breath sample showed he had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.137%, police said. The legal BAC limit for drivers in most U.S. states is 0.08%.
Reuters could not determine if Landry had a lawyer.
Acadian Ambulance posted on social media that it transported 13 people to the hospital. Two of them were airlifted, the ambulance service wrote on X.
Organizers of the Louisiana Lao New Year Festival said on Facebook they were cancelling Saturday evening&#8217;s music concerts, as well as alcohol sales.
&#8220;We are profoundly saddened by the news of the incident near the festival grounds,&#8221; the organizers said on Facebook. &#8220;We are praying for the victims and for their families during this difficult time.&#8221;
The three-day festival held every Easter weekend includes live music, parades and other activities celebrating the Lao New Year.
(Reporting by Noel Randewich in San Francisco; Editing by Sergio Non, Matthew Lewis and Kevin Buckland)

Police lights

Over A Dozen Injured After Drunk Driver Plows Into Parade Crowd

Crime

Drunk Driving

Louisiana

<div>
This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
As the resident wino and oenophile in my orbit, I am routinely confronted with the same question: “What would you pair this with?” It is a reasonable inquiry, given wine’s ability to elevate and enhance meals, creating something greater and more memorable than the mere sum of its parts.
Yet too often people approach pairing as though they are defusing an explosive — as if pouring a Riesling alongside a steak might trigger a detonation. Terrified of such imaginary calamities, they cling to trite dicta such as “red with meat, white with fish” as though the rule were dictated through decree (it isn’t). Wine pairing is less about dogma than about balance, contrast, and texture. Here are a few principles — and specific examples — to make the exercise more pleasurable than paralyzing.
First, let’s talk about why pairings work. Certain structural elements in the wine bind to or cut through elements in the food. There is decidedly some chemistry involved, but we are here to talk drinking. Structurally, wines are composed of acidity, sugar, alcohol, and tannin (for red wines). As a grape develops on the vine and approaches harvest, its natural acidity declines while sugars increase; in general, wines from cooler climates retain more acidity than those from warmer regions.
Acidity lends wine its freshness and makes your mouth water — which is why high-acid wines also excel as aperitifs. The next time you take a sip, swirl it, swallow, and tilt your head down. Notice the saliva pooling along the sides of your tongue. The more pronounced the sensation, the higher the acidity. Acidity cuts through fat, salt, and umami, making it a natural partner for food.
Sparkling wines rank among the highest in acidity and are astonishingly versatile — equally at home with such ritzy entrées as oysters and caviar, working-man foods like fried chicken or pizza, and everything in between, from risotto to sushi and spicy Thai dishes.
Without descending into the technical thickets, think of sparkling wine in two broad camps: prosecco (tank method) and champagne (traditional method). The former tends toward lighter, fruit-driven styles. The latter yields wines that are richer, creamier, and often layered with notes of brioche, butter, and toasted hazelnut.
One of the few pairing rules worth keeping is to match the weight of the wine to the weight of the food. A delicate wine such as an aromatic Sauvignon Blanc will be steamrolled by a fatty ribeye, and a heavy wine such as a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon will swallow up something subtle like a halibut fillet. Among my favorite pairings is the high-low contrast of rich, indulgent fried chicken with a powerful champagne. Along the same lines, greasy but simple snacks like Lay’s potato chips or buttered popcorn pair beautifully with a light, cheerful prosecco.
“Champagne,” of course, is legally confined to its namesake French region. But the method that produces it is hardly proprietary. Traditional-method sparkling wine is made across the globe — often at a fraction of the cost. In France, it is labeled Crémant (Loire for Chenin Blanc; Bourgogne for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay). Spain produces Cava from Penedès. South Africa calls its version Cap Classique. And California increasingly turns out bottles that can hold their own.
Beyond bubbly, Riesling is another favorite grape flush with acidity. Its spiritual home is Germany — where the only thing more complicated than the parliamentary system is the wine classification scheme — but excellent examples also emerge from Alsace, Austria, and New York State, which has been producing increasingly compelling bottlings in recent years. Riesling spans the full spectrum of sweetness, from bone-dry to lusciously sweet dessert styles. My preferred pairing is to contrast an off-dry Riesling (just a touch of residual sugar) with a spicy Asian dish.
Another common pairing mistake is fixating on the protein (steak, chicken, fish) while ignoring preparation and sauce. The same cut of meat can behave entirely differently depending on whether it is grilled, braised, fried, or bathed in cream.
Take Chardonnay. It is one of the world’s most widely planted grapes and perhaps the most stylistically elastic. In cooler climates, it can be high in acidity with notes of citrus, green apple, and salinity. In warmer regions, it turns richer and more tropical. When aged in oak, it takes on baking spice, vanilla, and a creamy texture. An austere, high-acid Chardonnay may complement oysters or roasted chicken. A fuller-bodied, oak-aged expression can stand comfortably alongside cheeseburgers or creamy pasta.
What distinguishes red wine from white is contact with the grape skins during fermentation — and if you’ve ever heard hipsters clamour about “orange wine,” that is simply white wine similarly fermented on its skins. Those skins provide color — and, more importantly, tannin. With few exceptions, the thicker the skins, the richer and darker the wines.
If you’re unsure what tannin feels like, try this. Take a grape from the grocery store and gently peel away the skin. Eat the skin on its own. You’ll notice a drying, slightly puckering sensation along your gums and cheeks. That’s tannin. When you eat the whole grape, the juicy pulp softens that effect, and the natural acidity keeps everything in balance.
Tannins bind to proteins in your food, softening their grip and allowing the savory elements of the dish to emerge. It’s why a tannic Cabernet can feel abrasive on its own yet suddenly supple beside a well-marbled steak.
Red wines span a broad structural spectrum. Some lean toward darker, black-fruited intensity — Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, for example. Others are lighter, more red-fruited and translucent in character, such as Pinot Noir, Gamay, or Nebbiolo. In between sit grapes like Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, and Tempranillo, offering varying degrees of weight, tannin, and fruit expression.
As always, when pairing wine with food, match the weight of the wine to the weight of the dish. Gamay — most famously from France’s Beaujolais region, though increasingly compelling examples emerge from Oregon’s Willamette Valley and Ontario’s Niagara — is a favorite for its affordability and versatility. Bright in acidity and modest in tannin, it pairs effortlessly with pan-seared salmon, roast chicken, most salads, or a decadent cheeseboard.
If you’re hankering for something richer to pair with something like barbecue, look no further than the southern Rhône’s Grenache-driven blends. These wines are plush, spice-laced, and comfortably at home beside smoke and char (also delightfully affordable). Southern Italy’s Primitivo — the same grape as California’s Zinfandel — offers a similarly ripe, generous profile, with enough structure and body to stand up to sauce-slathered ribs, brisket, or burgers.
And if meat isn’t your preference, southern Rhône reds still shine alongside such vegetarian options as charred eggplant, roasted beets, or sautéed mushrooms. Lighter reds such as Pinot Noir are classic companions for mushroom risotto, where Pinot’s signature “forest floor” and earthy notes complement those of the dish. Another useful technique is to match aromas and flavors in the glass with those on the plate.
Whatever red you ultimately choose, be sure to chill it slightly; most people drink their reds far too warm. “Room temperature” refers to the drafty halls of a medieval French castle, not a modern, climate-controlled and insulated house or condominium. Twenty minutes in the refrigerator before serving will bring most reds into the ideal range — around 60°F (15–16°C) — preserving freshness and sharpening acidity.
The permutations for wine pairings are effectively limitless. There are countless grapes and styles not mentioned here (forgive me if I omitted your favorite). But the guiding principles remain the same: Think about structure, think about weight, think about balance — though ultimately, drink the wines you love. The only real rule is to experiment, embrace curiosity, and trust your palate.
***
</div>
<div>Harry Khachatrian (<a id="m_-7119270630050330193OWAe87a8ee1-a684-7aca-372c-009e69903ab6" href="https://x.com/harry1t6" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://x.com/harry1t6&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1772906509463000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1cLdPQ1A58j2lpa7sbYLRq">@Harry1T6</a>) is a film critic for the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is a software engineer, holds a master’s degree from the University of Toronto, and writes about wine at <a id="m_-7119270630050330193OWAdade66a6-473c-7369-d06c-bfcdbf04a80b" href="https://www.betweenbottles.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.betweenbottles.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1772906509463000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3IoDuIrrIalzrOgojsQbsH">BetweenBottles.com</a>.</div>
<div></div>
<div>The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.</div>

Wine degustation

The Wine-Pairing Myth Beginners Need To Forget

Upstream

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Young people are normally the first to pick up on trends, and that is certainly the case when it comes to resisting the harms of alcohol consumption. <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/509690/young-adults-drinking-less-prior-decades.aspx">Gallup reports</a> a record low rate of drinking across demographics in 2025. But the decline among young adults has been underway for more than a decade. Generation Z, loosely defined as those between 15 and 30, has driven much of that drop, with drinking rates falling nine percentage points <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx">since 2023 alone</a>. Only half report drinking alcohol at all.
As someone who began binge drinking in young adulthood and is now five years sober, I find this encouraging. It also raises an obvious question: Why is Gen Z drinking less than the generations before them? 
<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3505028/">Research shows</a> it’s due in part to public health campaigns about the dangers of drinking. Gen Z is the first generation to grow up fully immersed in the internet and social media. For all the documented downsides — chronicled in books such as Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation — constant connectivity has also meant constant exposure to research. Studies linking alcohol to <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet">cancer</a>, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and depression are no longer niche warnings. They circulate widely.
That kind of information changes people. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Freely-Sober-Rethinking-Alcohol-Through/dp/1514013363/">As I write in Freely Sober</a>, one of the first cracks in my own drinking habits came not from shame or social pressure, but from learning what alcohol was actually doing to my body. For many, the path away from drinking begins not with moral awakening, but with hard data.
Inspired by the rise of the modern “non-toxic” wellness movement, Americans who once shrugged at ingredient labels now lobby Congress to remove food dyes and plastics from their children’s snacks. Even those wary of the MAHA brand cannot deny that public scrutiny of harmful substances has increased.
And once you start questioning Red Dye 40, it becomes harder to ignore that Merlot is fundamentally ethanol — a chemically intoxicating substance associated with long-term health risks. Gen Z has seen the data showing that <a href="https://newsroom.csun.edu/2026/02/17/rates-of-us-alcohol-induced-deaths-nearly-doubled-from-1999-2024-says-study-by-csun-prof/">alcohol-related deaths have nearly doubled</a> over the past 25 years. Many have watched parents and grandparents struggle with addiction or its ripple effects. The social costs are no longer abstract.
There are social shifts at play as well. Alcohol has traditionally functioned as a social lubricant. But in-person socialization has declined dramatically over the past two decades, a trend accelerated by COVID-19 in 2020. <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf">According to federal data</a>, Americans now spend roughly 20 fewer hours per month with friends than they did in 2003. Less face-to-face interaction may mean less perceived need for “liquid courage.” Bars close earlier. Nights out are replaced with evenings at home.
Other health trends may contribute. The <a href="https://www.pacificoaks.edu/voices/psychology/gen-z-view-on-mental-health/">rise in prescription medications</a> for anxiety and depression, many of which warn against alcohol use, likely factors in. So do financial pressures. With inflation pushing a single beer to eight or 10 dollars, alcohol can feel both unhealthy and unaffordable. Millennials rejected cigarettes in part because they were costly and toxic; Gen Z may be making a similar calculation about alcohol.
Substitution may also be occurring. Marijuana is now legal in more than half of the country. THC-infused drinks are sold in dispensaries, restaurants, liquor stores, and even non-alcoholic retailers. Edibles — particularly gummies — are popular among young people, though <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/10/health/cannabis-poisoning-children.html">not without risk</a>. Some data suggest rising marijuana use correlates <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/heavy-drinkers-cut-alcohol-use-nearly-30-after-adopting-one-new-habit-study-finds">with reduced alcohol consumption</a>.
Substitution alone, however, doesn’t fully explain what’s happening.
For most of modern history, drinking was framed as a harmless pleasure, even a social necessity, largely free of moral scrutiny. But anyone personally affected by alcohol’s harms — through abuse, illness, or addiction — knows that narrative was always incomplete. Alcohol is not merely a benign, morally neutral substance. It can devastate bodies, families, and communities.
Members of Gen Z are not stepping away from alcohol because they are prudish or joyless. It may be that they are rejecting it because they see clearly what previous generations preferred not to — and because they live in a world where the health data is unavoidable. They’re also much more attuned to how mental health is affected by alcohol.
In an age that questions everything from food additives to pharmaceutical giants, alcohol may be next in line. For a generation increasingly attentive to what they consume, intoxication marketed as harmless fun no longer goes unquestioned. Many have seen through the lies of Big Alcohol marketing and no longer trust corporations that tell them it’s fine. 
If historical trends hold, younger Americans often set the trajectory for those who follow. The cultural distance from alcohol may only widen from here.
***
Ericka Andersen is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Freely-Sober-Rethinking-Alcohol-Through/dp/1514013363/">Freely Sober: Rethinking Alcohol Through the Lens of Faith</a> (InterVarsity Press, 2026.)
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

OLEKSANDRA TROIAN/ Getty Images

Young Americans Are Quietly Rejecting A Longtime Cultural Staple — Here’s Why

Svedka Vodka will make history on Sunday when it debuts the first ever Super Bowl commercial that’s made mostly from AI generated video.
Despite not having any living actors, a spokesperson for the brand Sazerac (owner of Svedka) insisted that the overall messaging is very “pro-human.”
“We always knew we were signing up for risk because a vodka ad in the Super Bowl is polarizing to a certain degree,” Sara Saunders, chief marketing officer at Sazerac, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/svedka-super-bowl-ad-ai-watch-1236493612/">told</a> The Hollywood Reporter. “So the rest of it was ‘we might as well create conversation.&#8217;”
Saunders said the message of the ad was really about reducing tech usage and meeting people the old fashioned way, like through dancing. This is shown through an AI-generated robot short circuiting after drinking Svedka.
“The entire idea of the campaign is that the robots have returned to remind the humans to be more human,” Saunders said. “Our message is ultimately pro-human.”
Though AI is recognized for having the ability to cut costs dramatically, which could be impactful considering how much it costs to run a Super Bowl commercial in the first place, the marketing exec insisted money wasn’t the driving force behind the AI ad.
“For us it&#8217;s never been an efficiency play, it’s been a storytelling play; that’s why we’ve always had strong hands on the keyboard,” she told THR.
The outlet noted that other Super Bowl commercials, including the “Jurassic Park” themed ad, will use AI elements, but noted that Svedka will be the first and only ad that’s almost completely created with AI.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Shake Your Bots Off - SVEDKA Big Game Commercial 2026" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pkeWRI2yJGM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The ad is currently available on YouTube. In it, Svedka’s robot character that was popularized over a decade ago is seen dancing with a new robot friend at a human party.
“After 12 years in sleep mode, I’m back online. And also apparently on advertising’s biggest stage,” the YouTube description says.
“My agenda is simple: More fun. More dancing. More human connection. More cocktails. Leave your texts on read. Mute your notifications. Stretch out your tech neck. The future isn’t going anywhere (I know, I&#8217;ve been there). Neither is your phone.”
“It’s hard to worry about tomorrow when you’re getting ‘super freaky’ on the dance floor. Join me,” it concludes. “Shake your bots off with SVEDKA.”
Comments on the video have been turned off.

Svedka Vodka

Svedka Vodka Insists AI-Generated Super Bowl Commercial Has ‘Pro-Human’ Message

Svedka Vodka Insists AI-Generated Super Bowl Commercial Has 'Pro-Human' Message

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Artificial Intelligence

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A shocking new report from the House Oversight Committee says the Biden administration broke the law in its crusade against the alcohol industry.
Last year, the Biden administration released a report that claimed there was “a very direct link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk.” Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for putting this warning on all alcohol products and called for a reassessment of the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for cancer risk.
As The Daily Wire reported at the time, this was the culmination of the Biden administration’s quiet efforts to redo America’s dietary restrictions to recommend Americans never drink alcohol. The relatively secret effort, which flaunted years of precedent and drew on the recommendations of Canadian citizens, largely flew under the radar.
The congressional investigation found the Biden administration’s alcohol study was both biased and unlawful. The report comes just hours before Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins hold a press conference in the White House Briefing Room, where they&#8217;re expected to unveil new guidelines.
The <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/report/a-study-fraught-with-bias-how-the-biden-administrations-alcohol-intake-and-health-study-tried-to-undermine-the-2025-2030-dietary-guidelines-for-americans/">report</a>, titled “‘A Study Fraught With Bias: How the Biden administration’s Alcohol Intake and Health Study Tried To Undermine the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines For Americans,” details a yearlong congressional investigation into the alcohol and health study authorized by the Biden administration in 2022. Biden’s study found a link between cancer and alcohol.
According to the report, the Biden administration directed the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking to conduct an alcohol intake and health study intended to influence the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. House Republicans argue the effort violated federal law.
Congress had already authorized the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and appropriated $1.3 million to conduct the sole alcohol related study meant to inform the next round of dietary guidelines. Lawmakers say the Biden administration&#8217;s parallel effort was not only duplicative but also designed to reach a predetermined conclusion.
House investigators found that all six members selected for Biden’s study were &#8220;anti-alcohol advocates who had conducted previous research linking negative health outcomes with alcohol.&#8221; Three of the six experts in Biden’s study reside in Canada and were involved in developing Canada’s controversial 2023 alcohol guidance, which concluded that no amount of alcohol consumption is safe.
House investigators found that all six members selected for Biden’s study were &#8220;anti-alcohol advocates who had conducted previous research linking negative health outcomes with alcohol.&#8221;

President Trump Toasts The 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees

House Republicans Expose Biden’s Biased Efforts To Ban Alcohol

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

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As history shows, nearly every civilization has progressed and evolved using some form of alcohol. But no civilization in history has ever experimented with the types of industrialized THC products Western countries are now recklessly legalizing, commercializing, and normalizing. We might pause to ask ourselves why zero Asian countries have done so and why China is so anxious <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/06/24/1238497863/chinese-marijuana-farms-new-mexico">to promote</a> this cultural suicide weapon here.
A 2023 <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01917-8/fulltext__;!!JA_k2roV-A!F0P_XFB6ND8ziqH2ovImdot2Tze_kgHA6TLYEc8Ifkn-grY-c9CqSJv-NPamf6v0PFrGk-6w--NkTAtaIIr-JHw$">global study</a> on life expectancy showed we are back to pre-pandemic levels with one notable exception: Teens and young adults in Western countries are dying at higher rates, driven largely by suicides and substance use.
Traffic fatalities continue to be a major cause of death in young adults, which is one reason The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh has been vocal about <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mattwalsh_/video/7559991047514836237">his opposition</a> to the legalization of marijuana. In fact, a recent study of dead drivers in a major Ohio county morgue found that 42% of them tested <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/fatal-crash-report-finds-nearly-half-deadly-wrecks-tied-illegal-drug">positive for THC</a>. 
Pot apologists quickly jumped to their defense, noting that THC can be detected for up to a month after use. But the national past 30-day marijuana use rate <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/08/facts-about-marijuana/">is only 16%</a>, yet these drivers had average THC levels 5 to 10 times the state legal limits.
Some will argue, “Well, it&#8217;s no worse than alcohol.”
Marijuana use, however, is associated with <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6296897/#:~:text=Analyses%20revealed:%201)%20daily%20marijuana,marijuana%20use%20and%20negative%20consequences.">more alcohol</a> consumption, and marijuana users are <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/marijuana-smokers-five-times-more-likely-develop-alcohol-problem">five times</a> more likely to become alcoholics. It has also been reported that up to 40% of marijuana users <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/daily-marijuana-use-is-now-more-common-than-daily-alcohol-use-in-the-u-s-new-study-finds">use daily</a>, and up to <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/marijuana-use-disorder__;!!JA_k2roV-A!F0P_XFB6ND8ziqH2ovImdot2Tze_kgHA6TLYEc8Ifkn-grY-c9CqSJv-NPamf6v0PFrGk-6w--NkTAta8e51DO8$">30% meet criteria for addiction</a> — both far higher percentages than for drinkers. Using alcohol to excuse marijuana use or legalization is simply an exercise in lazy whataboutism.
Speaking of which, THC strongly induces suicidality even in patients who were not depressed to begin with, and state legalization has led to <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2025.01.1.15__;!!JA_k2roV-A!F0P_XFB6ND8ziqH2ovImdot2Tze_kgHA6TLYEc8Ifkn-grY-c9CqSJv-NPamf6v0PFrGk-6w--NkTAta6a4o0FY$">sharp increases</a> in youth suicides. Up to <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heavy-cannabis-use-linked-to-schizophrenia-especially-among-young-men/__;!!JA_k2roV-A!F0P_XFB6ND8ziqH2ovImdot2Tze_kgHA6TLYEc8Ifkn-grY-c9CqSJv-NPamf6v0PFrGk-6w--NkTAtaHeiA8hc$">30% of schizophrenia</a> cases in young men are attributable to THC use now.
Marijuana smoke is also causing the same <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/08/health/marijuana-head-and-neck-cancer-wellness/">type of cancers</a> as tobacco smoke, while also <a href="https://www.tctmd.com/news/cannabis-use-again-tied-increased-cvd-risk-young-people">dramatically increasing</a> the risk of heart attacks and strokes in younger users. Further, as the American College of Cardiology <a href="https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Journal-Scans/2025/06/04/14/21/Chronic-Marijuana-Smoking">reports</a>, THC has been shown to cause damage to major blood vessels regardless of the mechanism of ingestion.
Add to this the well-known adverse effects on <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/124806/long-term-cannabis-blunt-brains-motivation-system/">motivation</a> and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4586361/">educational</a> achievement, and the costs of the cannabis culture to government budgets are simply staggering. One study on the costs of legalization in Colorado, for example, conservatively <a href="https://centennial.ccu.edu/briefs/marijuana-costs/">estimated</a>, “For every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spent approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.” And that’s even at a 15% sales tax rate.
While there is simply no conservative case for the legalization of marijuana, the libertarian case suffers from serious flaws. First of all, the utopian assumption that legalization would lead to a “safe and regulated” product that would eliminate the black market has now gone 0-for-24 in our marijuana legal states. Many legal THC products are <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://viiahemp.com/collections/high-thc__;!!JA_k2roV-A!F0P_XFB6ND8ziqH2ovImdot2Tze_kgHA6TLYEc8Ifkn-grY-c9CqSJv-NPamf6v0PFrGk-6w--NkTAtaX4gqjCQ$">more potent</a> than ever before, even more than the now highly potent plant itself. The industry has defied <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VkrWO8H08Q">regulation</a>, and the black markets are <a href="https://alcoholstudies.rutgers.edu/cannabis-black-market-thrives-despite-legalization/">thriving</a>. Legalizing marijuana to eliminate the black market is like giving your dog ticks to rid it of fleas. You just double the infestation.
More importantly, substances like THC are the exception that proves the libertarian rule. Libertarianism works when people are free to act in their own best interest and, by extension, their family, community, and country. Chemicals like THC are designed to promote the opposite type of citizen. Libertarians should be the most opposed to the drug culture because it undermines the very foundation of their ideology.
The <a href="https://learnaboutsam.org/2025/06/leading-experts-warn-marijuana-rescheduling-driven-by-politics-in-stunning-jama-psychiatry-report/">politically</a> driven potential rescheduling of marijuana will only fuel this destructive industry with tax breaks and marketing privileges. Republicans should note that young male voters <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-young-men-voters-election-latinos-democrats-ff30e38698a41132cf90345fffabe579">moved to the Right</a> last November while radical Democrats were still enticing them with more weed.
Much attention has been paid to the influence of transgender ideology on the radicalization of Charlie Kirk’s assassin. But as we saw with the transgender school shooter in Minneapolis, THC may have also played a role. As discussed in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/Z1b3TYJli5A?si=vXQjsRYLTa6VQdWz&amp;t=1252">recent episode</a> of the Liz Wheeler show, a close friend of the suspected Utah assassin reported rampant drug use in his apartment and that “We’d have a mostly weekly magic night at the apartment where everyone would come drink, get high and play magic.”
Charlie Kirk gave his generation more credit than some in the GOP. Despite the criticism, he stood up to the lies of the THC industry. Republicans will never outbid Democrats in the race to the drug culture bottom. Nor should they, as <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/648821/americans-views-marijuana-effects-worsen.aspx">polls show</a> we may have already reached the bottom, with public sentiment now turning against marijuana.
Charlie knew that minds can be changed, but facts cannot. Truth and the future of this great country are worth standing for, regardless of the cost. 
Principled conservatives should do more than eulogize Charlie. They should emulate him.
* * *
Matt Poling is a physician, Medical Director of Citizens for a Safe and Healthy Texas, and Faculty Advisor for Texas A&amp;M Young Americans for Freedom. <a href="mailto:mpoling@sw.org">mpoling@sw.org</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire. 
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Close-up of young adult man rolling a marijuana joint on blur background.

The High Cost Of Getting High: How Legal Weed Is Destroying A Generation

Cannabis: A Cultural Suicide Weapon

Cancer

China

Marijuana

Mental Health

Opinion

American alcohol exports to Canada have decreased by more than 60% due to the country’s boycott of American booze, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/us-alcohol-industry-canada-boycott-71dbd1e0?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAgMKxl1Z42FZE0H9vsKxyx6UHtLImhkvrEg4LDxFp6TPl0_kT_uF-qD53mhao4%3D&amp;gaa_ts=689e10c1&amp;gaa_sig=q2KnwkppwNBI9ovAt-qltsHtxxlAc7IiEfamB99ruYjh5YD_vMPlpPZiqX6IzhRnmYH9eWs57RGoFdtbc5Zn2Q%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Thursday.
Several Canadian provinces, which regulate the sale of liquor in Canada, initiated boycotts in response to President Donald Trump imposing a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/timeline-trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china/story?id=119506883" target="_blank" rel="noopener">25% tariff</a> on Canadian goods in February. Liqueur stores stopped ordering new shipments and replaced American products on their shelves with Canadian ones.
The Distilled Spirits Council, an alcohol industry group, estimated exports of American distilled spirits to Canada in the first six months of 2025 were down about 62% from the same period the year before, while exports of American wine were down 67%.
The Wine Institute, a trade group representing California-based wineries, estimated that in six months this year, American wineries lost more than $173 million in export value. In 2024, Canada bought up 35% of American wine exports, making it the industry’s largest export destination.
Robert Cullins, CEO of Baltimore-based Sagamore Spirit, estimates that the company will lose out on $2 million of revenue this year. “We’re a small craft distillery, so a couple of million dollars is pretty significant.”
One California vineyard, Hope Family Wines, says their sales have fallen by 10% so far. “It’s definitely going to hurt us personally,” Gretchen Roddick, the executive vice president, stated.
Meanwhile, Ontario announced that sales of Canadian brands have jumped by 14%.
Alberta participated in the boycott for three months before replacing it with a 25% tariff, claiming they wanted to improve the tone of trade talks between the two countries, according to Dale Nally, the province’s minister of red tape reduction.
The booze boycott is one of the reasons Trump has called Canada “<a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/trump-thinks-canadians-nasty-for-avoiding-us-travel-banning-booze-ambassador/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mean and nasty to deal with.</a>”
Canada failed to reach a trade agreement with the US before Trump’s August 1st deadline, meaning that any products not covered under the United States -Mexico-Canada Agreement — about <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-exports-tariff-free-trump-us-trade-1.7604415" target="_blank" rel="noopener">60%</a> of products — will be subject to 35% tariffs. This puts Canada on the <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live/trump-tariffs-live-updates-117-year-high-in-volume-at-busiest-port-in-the-us-200619178.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">higher end</a> of the tariff scale.
There is currently no sign of ongoing negotiations between the two countries.
“We’ll speak when it makes sense,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters last week.
He warned the United States that Canadian investment in the country could decline without a deal: “Canada is the second-largest investor in the United States today in the world. We have 40 million people.”
“That puts in context the state of the relationship,” he said. “Without an agreement, there will be less by definition.”
Trump has not commented on the situation or hinted at future trade talks. Shortly before the August 1st deadline, he <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/28/canada-us-trade-talk-inside-drama-00480177" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that “We haven’t really had a lot of luck with Canada. I think Canada could be one where they’ll just pay tariffs. It’s not really a negotiation.”

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The American Alcohol Industry is Suffering From Canada’s ‘Mean And Nasty’ Boycotts

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