Technology and Drinking? How is technology transforming how we drink

let’s begin

We live in the Information Age, where we have knowledge at our fingertips. Every question we could ever ask has been asked to Google before we got there.

With the new information age taking off, there has been an abundance of technologies that have been aimed at making life easier, and that includes how we consume drinks. Technology and drinking now go hand in hand.

Consumerism is changing

As with everything, modern technology has changed how we buy drinks.

It used to be that you would pop down the shop to pick up your favourite tipple, or discover new products at the pub or bar.

A mere ten years ago it was the done thing to go to a bricks and mortar shop to get your drinks. You might chat with the guy behind the till or the bartender, getting recommendations and insights. This is when technology and drinking weren’t considered in the same sphere, as with most things at the time.

The culture of drinking was more outside of the home, and if we go back a little further, to before the 2008/2009 financial crash, drinking was very much something you went out to do and to spend money on.

Then things moved on to search engines with the uptake in people using Google and the likes to do their own research or to find new things.

It became easier to shop from the comfort of your own home and to do your own sleuthing to find new products or learn more about brands.

Staying in became more popular because people had less cash and buying alcohol online was more accessible.

The technological revolution

These days, it’s easier to find new things and to access the bottles you love, no matter how exclusive, and staying in is still very popular.

Apps and subscription services present tailored options, meaning you don’t even have to do the hard work yourself. Technology and drinking are presenting innovation.

Know what you like and want more of it? There are countless apps and services where you can get what you love and get sent similar things.

Don’t know what you like but want to try any way? You can do it too! These services will often curate drinks to introduce people to enjoy them.

Take the Whisky Me Whisky Club or Craft Whisky Club. Both of these will post you new Whiskies to try every month. You don’t have to leave your home.

And they aren’t the only ones. Several subscriptions exist for Beer, Gin, Rum, Wine, tequila and plenty more.

Staying in is the new cool

The way we shop now is different. It is app based and delivered direct.

Even UberEats and Deliveroo can bring alcohol to your door. The days of going out, while not over, have definitely waned.

People, especially Millennials, are more likely to entertain at home, bringing friends over rather than going out. Home entertainment is also top notch, with TV shows and subscriptions services like Netflix and Amazon Prime thriving.

There is also a desire to have a drinks cabinet that is resurging. People want to show off their taste and invite others to join.

With niche drinks becoming more accessible, it makes sense that consumers would want to own them and share them, rather than going out to pay over the top prices for them.

Technology has changed a lot of things, including the way we drink. It doesn’t mean that pub culture and going out is over; rather that it is different and sharing your favourite tipple is even easier to do.

Tags: craft whisky clubdrinkgoogleinformation ageTechnologywhisky me

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.