It’s no surprise that people have been making more cocktails at home since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down bars last year. But the types of cocktails we choose to mix up seem to vary by geography.
The folks at the travel rewards company Upgraded Points put together a map highlighting the most popular cocktail in every state (and Washington, D.C.). Apparently, people in California are partial to the paloma, while West Virginians are all about White Russians.
The map draws on Google Trends search data from March 2020 to March 2021. In addition to the top cocktails over the pandemic year, Upgraded Points also looked at the popularity of different beverages in the spring and summer versus fall and winter seasons.
Upgraded Points’ analysis found that the mimosa was the most popular cocktail in the highest number of states ― Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina and Tennessee. Another champagne-based cocktail ― the bellini ― dominated in Alabama and Oklahoma.
Five cocktails were the top pick in three states each: piña colada, wine cooler, White Russian, margarita and mojito. The margarita was also the second most popular cocktail overall in both the warm seasons and the cold ones.
Naturally, there were some clear local favorites, like the daiquiri in Louisiana and the mai tai in Hawaii. In other unsurprising revelations, Upgraded Points also found that search interest for “cocktail recipes” almost doubled in March 2020 compared to March 2019.
Visit the Upgraded Points website for more information about the most popular cocktails in each state in different seasons during the pandemic.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.