Ellen Manning is a freelance journalist specialising in food and drink. She is a former chief reporter at the Press Association and now writes for national newspapers and magazines, as well as writing the award-winning food blog Eat with Ellen. She loves the stories behind food and how it affects and reflects our culture, and when she’s not writing about food, you’ll most likely find her eating it somewhere in the UK or further afield.

J'Nae Phillips is a Senior Insights Editor at Canvas8. After an early career working in fashion and media, her passion for culture and journalism grew and she made the transition to writing and editing full-time. She specialises in fashion, trends, cultural shifts and all of the good stuff that gets people talking.

When author Kyle Chayka explored 2010s minimalism in Longing for Less, a very different world existed. Today, a polycrisis-ridden and digitally saturated society finds people yearning for more. Whether you chalk it up to post-pandemic release or a general sense of impending doom, people are now looking for a new maximalism of feelings, dimensions, and possibilities to reinvigorate them and make their lives feel full.

While people are craving memorable, visceral, and immersive experiences, there's no longer a singular definition of what this might look like. Some are embracing maximalist hedonism through clubbing, extreme tourism, and different kinds of sensory overload, while others are tapping into more gentle, inward-looking, and contemplative experiences like listening bars and communal spas. It signals the emergence of the' Introvert Economy' of cosy, home-adjacent spaces and activities or seeking soothing and quasi-spiritual encounters through hobbies like birdwatching and forest bathing.

The desire for deeply captivating and emotionally engaging experiences extends beyond the physical world – social media, VR, AR, and even image-based interactions must now resonate to the same degree, creating truly memorable moments and environments.

In this consumer and cultural universe driven by exploration and immersion, the boundary between experiences and material goods continues to blur. We're less likely to see them as a dichotomy, as people are increasingly interested in experiential qualities of things and consuming commodified 'thing-like experiences'. This discovery-oriented mindset is opening up new avenues for fulfilment, gratification, and transformation.

Experience Hunters

From decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs)  run on Discord to city-wide mutual aid groups, people are finding safety and optimism in numbers. For growing numbers of people, collective action is emerging as the only viable solution to compounding crises and deepening alienation.

World Builders

, a cocktail bar based in Birmingham, UK. He won won the GB leg of Diageo's World Class cocktail competition in 2023, going on to represent Britain at the global finals in São Paulo. He opened Passing Fancies in 2022 and the bar has gone on to win a slew of awards, including being named among the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list and regularly taking home awards at the respected Class Bar Awards.

Global

France

Eating and Drinking

Spirits and wine

Financial Times

Vinepair

Fortune

PR Newswire

The Source

Bona

The Conversation

Le Monde

Robb Report

Interview with Matt Arnold conducted by the author

MyWinePal

ESM Magazine

Bella Naija

Statista

Complex

D'Ussé Cognac represents the fusion of contemporary pop culture with a centuries-old spirit, but crafting a cognac that appeals to modern tastes is no simple task. So what can brands learn about guaranteeing the enduring legacy of distinguished spirits for future generations?

Cultivate

Values and Identity

Why D'Ussé Cognac blends pop culture with tradition