The Most Popular Liquor for Every State in the U.S.

We, queers, love our mixed drinks including a classic Rose Kennedy (vodka, club soda, and cranberry juice) and gin and tonic. And sometimes it’s the caliber of liquor used to make these tasty cocktails that make the difference.  Wouldn’t it be cool to see the breakdown of which liquors are the most popular in the U.S.?

Well, Upgraded Points – a travel company that provides insider strategies on maximizing travel points and rewards – unveiled the results of a fascinating new study on the liquors enjoyed by Americans across the country. It was broken down and displayed in a series of fully illustrated color maps – state by state, with liquor type and brand – including perennial favorites like Malibu rum, Hennessy cognac, Jose Cuervo tequila, and Crystal Head vodka. 

“Whether you like to drink imported scotch, cheap vodka, or shoot Mexican tequila on a hot summer night, those of us who like the occasional drink all have our favorite types of alcohol,” said Alex Miller, founder of Upgraded Points. “We thought it would be fun to see if vodka is more popular than whiskey, whether the north likes one variety over the south, or if liquor preferences hold true for nearly all Americans. And do Americans like celebrity liquors best, or time-tested favorites? It was eye-opening to see how preferences vary across the U.S.”

The Most Popular Liquors by State

Americans are enamored by a wide variety of liquor types and even though one type stands out from the rest – the preferred liquor of 18 states in total – it was closely followed by another. Three other liquors tied for third place as state favorites and some results were surprising outliers. For example, gin is only the most popular liquor in Washington, D.C., while rum is only the most popular in Hawaii. Brandy is only the most popular liquor in Wisconsin and bourbon is only the most popular liquor in Kentucky – which makes sense, given Kentucky’s famous bourbon pride. Whiskey and vodka were the clear winners overall though – taking a total of 33 states between them.

Favorite Liquor Brands by State

Whiskey is popular in the west (Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming), in the south (Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia), and in the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota). And vodka dominates the northeast – Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. But categorizing favorites by specific brands changes the shape of these results. For instance, Hawaii’s favorite liquor is rum, but that does not mean rum is not well-liked overall: Malibu is the most popular brand of coconut rum in most states.

Favorite Celebrity Liquors by State

There are many celebrity liquors to choose from in the U.S., including UFC fighter Conor McGregor’s Proper No. Twelve Triple Distilled Irish Whiskey, and Dan Aykroyd and John Alexander’s Crystal Head Vodka – both of which reigned as celebrity favorites in multiple states. And some celebrity brands are state specific. Californians love tequila with Elon Musk’s Tesla Tequila as their favorite. Harlem native and rapper P. Diddy won over New Yorkers with his DeLeón Tequila, while Tennesseans preferred Kenny Chesney’s Blue Chair Bay Rum.

To see the complete results including exact numbers, types, and celebrity brands for each state, please visit the full study HERE.