The Boomer generation grew up with Santa pushing cigarettes for Christmas, smoking on planes and kids able to mix drinks cocktails. Marijuana was seen as evil and the (falsely) road to a “bad end”. There has been significant baggage about a good vice versus a bad vice. Things started changing around the birth of Gen Z. The three martini lunch declined as did afterwards afternoon boozy behavior in the office. Big Tobacco lost a landmark case costing them $206 billion. It is the largest settlement in U.S. history. And marijuana was grudgingly seen by “those in charge” as possibly having medical benefits.
Gen Z grew up with changing attitudes including a focus on heath, cleaner air, bottled water and a balanced lifestyle. They begin to see marijuana as a staple and not a sin. Around 93% of Gen-Xers agree that cannabis use has many health benefits and can be good for the mind and body.
“Gen Z is the first generation to be of legal consumption age in an environment with widespread adult-use cannabis access,” Amanda Reiman, New Frontier Data’s vice president of public policy research, said in an email exchange. The firm’s study, which included 4,170 current cannabis consumers and 1,250 nonconsumers, found that the preference seems to fade with age, with just 44% of respondents aged 65 to 74 choosing weed over booze.
Photo by CRYSTALWEED cannabis via Unsplash
In states where recreational cannabis products are legal, 65% of Gen Z survey respondents smoke marijuana and 51% consume cannabis-infused beverages, Technomic, the foodservice industry data company, reported in its Adult Beverage Planning Program.
Most of this consumption takes place at home, but 38% of Gen Zers would visit a marijuana lounge or club to partake of the products. Visiting a bar or restaurant for a drink and/or food edges out that number at 41%, but the margin is thin.
Gen Zers are drinking less than young people in past generations with about 20 percent less alcohol per capita than millennials did at their age, according to a report from Berenberg Research. And many are forgoing booze entirely.
Contrary to in cannabis industry’s claim that marijuana is going to doom alcohol, rather it is going to be added to the mix and change patterns of behavior. Some claimed bottled water would never work, then it said it would kill sodas, now it is just an separate revenue line for the big soda companies.
Nothing stays the same, but it is interesting to watch the change.
Ready to get your game on with these Super Bowl cocktails?
It is the finale to the football season and a good chunk of the population tunes in to watch the Super Bowl. Alone, with a few friends or a full on party…it is a festive occasions (at least until the 4th quarter in a tight game) and people enjoy a beverage. The Super Bowl is a drinking day for most viewers. As you settle into the 59th annual game, try the best Super Bowl cocktails.
In a nod to the host city New Orleans, a Creole Bloody Mary is the best to pre-func and get right to start watching the game! This is a flavorful way to start the day.
Ingredients
3/4 cup vodka
4-1/2 cups chilled tomato juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4-6 dashes Tabasco hot sauce
Salt and black pepper
Celery for garnish
Create
Fill shaker with ice
Combine vodka, juices, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and hot sauce in shaker
Strain and pour in a tall glass with ice
Garnish with celery stick
Super Bowl Julep
The nice thing about the Super Bowl is you can enjoy day drinking. While a Mint Julep is the drink of the Kentucky Derby, it is refreshing enough for morning football drinking. Plus it is good for the throat after all the cheering.
Ingredients
4 sprigs of mint
1 teaspoon of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of water
2 oz. bourbon
Fresh mint sprig, for garnish
Create
Muddle the mint, the sugar and the water in a cup
Add the bourbon and stir gently
Fill a glass to the top with finely crushed ice, add the julep mix and garnish with mint
FYI, an ounce of mint simple syrup can be substituted for the mint/sugar/water mixture
Perfect Stormy
Why not combine the classic beer with the cocktail. Mix it up and enjoy this drink…rich in flavor and filling enough you don’t have too many over the course of the game.
Everyone knows hydration is important when plays sports. It is also important for fans, especially if they are celebrating. Gatorade is part of the football culture, dive in with this take on a classic cocktail.
Ingredients
Create
Mix the sugar and salt in a shallow dish
Wet the rims of 4 to 6 rocks glasses with water and then dip in the sugar-salt mixture to coat
Combine the sports drink, limeade concentrate, tequila and blue curacao in a large pitcher and stir
Fill the rocks glasses with ice
Pour the margarita into the glass
Garnish each with an orange slice
Fourth Quarter Rum Countdown
When the fourth quarter hits, it can be a focus time, keep it simple with this classic drink. Quick to prepare, refreshing to drink and the soda is a little caffeine boost after tailgating.
Ready to get your game on with these Super Bowl cocktails?
It is the finale to the football season and a good chunk of the population tunes in to watch the Super Bowl. Alone, with a few friends or a full on party…it is a festive occasions (at least until the 4th quarter in a tight game) and people enjoy a beverage. The Super Bowl is a drinking day for most viewers. As you settle into the 59th annual game, try the best Super Bowl cocktails.
In a nod to the host city New Orleans, a Creole Bloody Mary is the best to pre-func and get right to start watching the game! This is a flavorful way to start the day.
Ingredients
3/4 cup vodka
4-1/2 cups chilled tomato juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4-6 dashes Tabasco hot sauce
Salt and black pepper
Celery for garnish
Create
Fill shaker with ice
Combine vodka, juices, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and hot sauce in shaker
Strain and pour in a tall glass with ice
Garnish with celery stick
Super Bowl Julep
The nice thing about the Super Bowl is you can enjoy day drinking. While a Mint Julep is the drink of the Kentucky Derby, it is refreshing enough for morning football drinking. Plus it is good for the throat after all the cheering.
Ingredients
4 sprigs of mint
1 teaspoon of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of water
2 oz. bourbon
Fresh mint sprig, for garnish
Create
Muddle the mint, the sugar and the water in a cup
Add the bourbon and stir gently
Fill a glass to the top with finely crushed ice, add the julep mix and garnish with mint
FYI, an ounce of mint simple syrup can be substituted for the mint/sugar/water mixture
Perfect Stormy
Why not combine the classic beer with the cocktail. Mix it up and enjoy this drink…rich in flavor and filling enough you don’t have too many over the course of the game.
Everyone knows hydration is important when plays sports. It is also important for fans, especially if they are celebrating. Gatorade is part of the football culture, dive in with this take on a classic cocktail.
Ingredients
Create
Mix the sugar and salt in a shallow dish
Wet the rims of 4 to 6 rocks glasses with water and then dip in the sugar-salt mixture to coat
Combine the sports drink, limeade concentrate, tequila and blue curacao in a large pitcher and stir
Fill the rocks glasses with ice
Pour the margarita into the glass
Garnish each with an orange slice
Fourth Quarter Rum Countdown
When the fourth quarter hits, it can be a focus time, keep it simple with this classic drink. Quick to prepare, refreshing to drink and the soda is a little caffeine boost after tailgating.
The Super Bowl followed by Mardi Gras – New Orleans is definitely the city of the moment – but will marijuana be in the mix?
They have the Super Bowl followed by the weeks long celebration of Mardi Gras. Folks are everywhere with open alcohol containers and you might catch a whiff of a green plant. As the party city of the country, what about New Orleans and marijuana? The commitment to imbibe is so strong, it took the threat of losing federal highways funds before they raised the minimum drinking age to 21. Securing the position of the last state to pass the legalization. While cannabis will definitely be at both marquee events this month, the city and state have a complicated with the plant.
While recreational cannabis is illegal, New Orleans still hosts various cannabis-related events, such as the Big Easy Vibe Fest, which highlights the growing interest in cannabis culture and industry. Medical marijuana is legal and the city and state have embraced it. Also, being the Big Easy, there are illegal “cannabis” trucks which really sell heavy CBD. Scratch the surface, and you will find it all over.
In the early 20th century, New Orleans was at the forefront of marijuana prohibition in the United States. The city’s first ordinance banning marijuana was enacted in 1923, following a wave of public concern over its perceived dangers. This period, often referred to as the “marijuana menace,” was marked by police raids and arrests of users and sellers, with those caught being dubbed “muggleheads” by the press and law enforcement24. The state of Louisiana soon followed with its own prohibition laws, solidifying marijuana’s illegal status.
Fast-forward to 2016, when New Orleans took a significant step towards decriminalizing marijuana possession. Ordinance 31,148, signed into law by Mayor Mitch Landrieu, allowed for the issuance of summonses instead of arrests for marijuana possession, reducing penalties to modest fines1. This move was part of a broader trend across the U.S. to reevaluate marijuana laws, reflecting changing public attitudes towards the drug.
Currently, the only legal way to purchase and consume marijuana in New Orleans is through the state’s medical marijuana program. Patients must obtain a recommendation from a licensed healthcare provider to access cannabis products from approved dispensaries3. Louisiana also offers reciprocity for out-of-state medical marijuana patients, allowing them to purchase cannabis while visiting the city
The current political environment in the state doesn’t seem to eager to legalize something already used by a significant portion of the public. But for now, everyone in town for party will have plenty of access.