When it comes to the liquor that Americans drink higher volumes of, vodka takes the top spot. If we’re conducting a popularity contest on what Americans prefer to spend money on, there’s a new sheriff in town. (Hint: we’re big fans of it here at RackHouse.) According to data from the Distilled Spirits Council, whiskey sales blew past vodka for the first time hitting $10.8 billion in the U.S. Vodka lagged behind in second place with just $6.9 billion total sales.
And we’re not just talking about any kind of whiskey (or whisky, depending on your preference) either. It turns out Americans love to stick closer to home when choosing their favorite brown spirit. Last year, the amount consumers spent on American whiskey nearly doubled that of Canadian whiskey or Scotch. And they spent four times more on American whiskey than bottles from Ireland. So, which states love American whiskey the most? And where does your state rank? You may be surprised by the findings (we’re looking at you, Idaho).
The states with the most love for American whiskey
Not surprising the data showed a strong correlation between American whiskey popularity and traditional whiskey distillers. Kentucky topped the list as the state with the most love for American whiskey. This comes as a shock to probably no one. The rest of the list was interesting with Indiana placing second, West Virginia at a close third and North Carolina and Missouri rounding out the top five. Want a closer look at where your state ranks? This map has the rest of the 50 states ranked.
The states boycotting American whiskey
If you’re planning a trip to find other like-minded American whiskey drinkers, maybe skip Idaho. It came in at the bottom of the list by a wide margin. The rest of the states in the bottom five were New York, New Jersey, Minnesota and Oregon (this is surprising given we’ve featured Bull Run Distillery, a popular craft whiskey distillery in Portland). Data was unavailable for Hawaii, Alaska, Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Montana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Utah, Kansas, Vermont and New Hampshire.
The most popular type of booze by state
A similar study revealed the most popular booze by state and once again, whiskey outshined all the rest. Drinking social app BARTRENDr analyzed data from 700,000 users across the country to determine the most popular liquor brands by state. Whiskey drinkers dominated across the board with a whopping forty-two states preferring to drink the dark brown liquor.
Where the rest of the states stand
Want a closer look at where your state ranks in total alcohol consumption? World Population Review has all 50 states ranked. In total, residents of all 50 states guzzle about 570 million gallons of liquor each year. That’s not even counting the 914 million gallons of wine or 6 billion gallons of beer. And yes, it’s billions with a “b.”
All drinking trends aside, if you’re looking for a new way to enjoy different types of craft whiskey, check out RackHouse Whiskey Club. RackHouse scours the U.S. looking for the best distilleries with the most interesting stories to curate a unique subscription box filled with full-sized bottles of hard-to-find small batch whiskey. We’re building a community of premium craft whiskey drinkers and you’re invited. Join us!
