Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. Evergreens

This is the most popular cocktail in your state

What is your state's most popular mixed drink?

Cocktails
Moritz Mentges/Unsplash

As summer heads towards us like a booze-fueled train, it’s time to start looking ahead to cocktail season. This means that we’re starting to think about the mixed drinks we’re going to shake up this summer. And while we prefer certain drinks to others, it also makes us wonder about the cocktails people in other parts of the country will be mixing up this summer (and all year long). But, thanks to the folks at Casino.ca, we don’t have to wonder.

They analyzed Google trends to figure out the most popular cocktails in each state (they also analyzed Canada, but we’ll be sticking to the US for this one). Even if you’re an avid cocktail drinker, you might be surprised by the result. When it came to the top drink in each state, there weren’t a lot of picks.

Recommended Videos

The most popular cocktails in the U.S.

Paper Plane
MaximFesenko / iStock

Some of the most popular drinks didn’t even make the list. We’re talking about drinks like the Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Gin & Tonic, and Manhattan. But it’s time to find out the six (yes, only six) drinks that did make the list.

Margarita

Margarita
Margarita / Unsplash/Margarita

The Margarita, was by far the most favorite cocktail in the US with a staggering 31 states picking it as their top choice, To put this into perspective, it received a perfect 100 score in California. Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and most of the US followed suit. The tequila, lime juice, and triple sec-centric drink were popular in Google searches all year long, with more than 163,000 searches.

Martini

Martini
Ambitious Studio* - Rick Barrett / Unsplash

Nine states picked the timeless gin (or vodka) and vermouth-based drink as their top choice. This includes New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Virginia. It’s so popular in Massachusetts that it received a score of 100 there. Popular throughout the year, the iconic drink was searched most often during the winter months (specifically during the holidays).

Constantine

Manzanilla Martini on table
Rachel Harrison Communications

The third most popular cocktail in the US should come as quite a surprise because there’s a decent chance you’ve never even heard of it. This sweet take on the martini is made with gin, vermouth, Luxardo liqueur, absinthe, and bitters. It was the top pick in five states, including New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and West Virginia. It even got a score of 100 in Michigan.

Mojito

Mojito on a bar ready to serve
Tatyana Vega / Unsplash

You might think the mojito is a more popular drink than it is, but this classic cocktail made with rum, sugar, mint leaves, lime juice, and soda water was only the top mixed drink in Arkansas and Wisconsin of all places. This selection seems totally random.

Piña Colada

Pina Colada
YesMore Content/Unsplash

It should come as no surprise that Hawaii would opt for a tropical drink when picking its most popular cocktail. This drink made with white rum, pineapple juice, and coconut milk is sweet, boozy, and perfect for an island paradise.

Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary
Johann Trasch/Unsplash

One state picked the Bloody Mary. People in Nevada picked this tomato juice, vodka, hot sauce, and spice-filled cocktail as their top drink. It shouldn’t be surprising as the state is loaded with nightlife and casinos. Late night might call for a boozy pick-me-up in the morning.

Christopher Osburn
Christopher Osburn is a food and drinks writer located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. He's been writing professional
The best beers from California you can buy anywhere
California is more than just IPAs
Sierra Nevada

Currently, more than 9,000 breweries of all sizes operate in the US. That’s an awful lot of IPAs, stouts, and lagers to choose from. Some states are more saturated with breweries (per capita) than others. This includes places like Vermont, Colorado, Maine, Oregon, and, of course, California. While I could take a deep dive into all the biggest beer-producing states, today is all about The Golden State.

I have a special affinity for California beer, and it’s because of one style in particular. Sure, you can find a beer style to fit every palate in the state, but in California, the IPA reigns supreme. In fact, if you look at almost any list ranking the best beers in the state, it will be littered with IPA options. While I often imbibe pilsners and other lagers (as well as wheat beers and other lighter beers) in the summer as well as stouts and porters (and other dark beers) in the winter, I always go back to the classic West Coast IPA.

Read more
Blue Bottle just proved California can grow world-class coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee just dropped a super rare California-grown coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee

Coffee has always had its origins story – Ethiopia, Colombia, Panama. But California was never part of that conversation, until now. Coffee leader, Blue Bottle, has just launched the California Frinj San Diego Gesha, a washed Gesha grown in San Diego and Santa Barbara counties in partnership with Frinj Coffee, the pioneering network behind California's emerging coffee movement. Gesha is widely regarded as one of the most prized varietals in specialty coffee, known for its delicate floral complexity and fruit-forward character –  and this one delivers jasmine, peach, and strawberry in a cup.

Up until now, many coffee brands would shy away from growing specialty-grade coffee in California, as it requires years of experimentation and innovation. For the past two decades, Jay Ruskey, founder of Frinj Coffee, has helped pioneer California coffee product through continual experimentation with innovative growing practices, coffee varieties, and post-harvest processing. Now, this exciting new launch finally reflects that work. Cherries from two California farms were processed at Frinj's wet mill in Ventura, using carefully controlled fermentation to result in an exceptionally clean cup of coffee. This new variety showcases the signature floral aromatics and bright fruit character of the Gesha variety.

Read more
Dark rums for whiskey fans
These rums are a great choice for whiskey drinkers
rum bottles

There’s no disputing the appeal of whisk(e)y. Whether it's single malt Scotch whisky, bourbon, rye whiskey, Irish whiskey, or others. There’s something special about this barrel-aged spirit. But it’s not the only aged spirit, and if you’re limiting your sipping to this style, you’re missing out on some other special, flavorful spirit. Especially dark rum.

I’ve spent years imbibing the various forms of whiskey. But every now and then, I branch out and pour myself a glass of dark rum instead. Unsurprisingly, the two spirits have some of the same aromas and flavors. Since both are matured in wood barrels, they impart flavors like caramel, vanilla, dried fruits, and oak (among others). If you don’t already, you should branch out and add dark rum to your aged spirits rotation.

Read more