When the god of wine comes calling, most of us are ready. We’re no slouches in this country, from the rambunctious pirates of Russell, to the hard drinking West Coast Irish, all the way up to the six o’clock swill and after, our forebears displayed a marked propensity for social lubrication. It’s in our history, it’s part of our cultural legacy.

So much so, it seems a fair question; have we ever been able to call time on our drinking as a national collective? From illicit highs, to socially acceptable rock bottoms, it’s time to stay up LATE at the museum and explore the continuum of hedonism.

Noelle McCarthy, and guests Pam Corkery, Norm Hewitt, Ross Bell and Yvonne Lorkin – none of them strangers to the ways of Dionysus – asked; Why does any country drink too much? Why do some nations love getting hammered, while others remain abstemious? And where do you start in explaining the eternal lure of intoxicants?

Great music

Sal Valentine and 'The Babyshakes' cranked through a solid repertoire of their finest bubblegum swing cum rhythm and blues.

The Late 2013 Broadsheet

Featuring essays from Noelle McCarthy, Russell Brown and Wallace Chapman plus photos by Robin Morrison.

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• Download the Late 2013 Broadsheet
• Join us in our Event Centre with moderators, Wallace Chapman, Noelle McCarthy and Russell Brown alongside some of New Zealand's top thinkers as they discuss the basic premise that if an ancient God dropped into the Domain on a Thursday night over the next seven months — just what would they make of the realm they once ruled?
• Last updated on: 2 Sep 2013 | File Size: 2.5 MB