Holiday Cheers!
— The classic Margarita is America’s favorite festive drink for 2022.
The holidays are well-known to feature iconic festive-inspired foods from Christmas cookies to sticky, sugar-glazed ham with all the side dishes. However, there’s no denying that a decadent drink in hand helps with making spirits bright! Whether it’s an exquisite mug of Eggnog; a heartwarming Hot Buttered Rum or a Puerto Rican-inspired Coquito, we certainly have a melting pot of tipples to try over the holidays.
We surveyed over 1,000 adults across the country and asked them to vote for the most popular festive drink in their given state.
Unofficial holiday drink for US states
- AL - Alabama Slammer
- AK - Duck Farts
- AZ - Margarita
- AR - Arkansas Razorback
- CA - Margarita
- CO - Rocky Mountain
- CT - Coquito
- DE - Dogfish Head
- DC - Old Fashioned
- FL - Piña Colada
- GA - Moonshine
- HI - Blue Hawaii
- ID - Moscow Mule
- IL - Chicago Cocktail
- IN - Margarita
- IA - Iowa Sunrise
- KS - Margarita
- KY - Bourbon
- LA - Daiquiri
- ME - Cape Codder
- MD - Old Fashioned
- MA - Margarita
- MI - Mimosa
- MN - Bloody Mary
- MS - Hot Toddy
- MO - Budweiser
- MT - Huckleberry Vodka
- NE - Margarita
- NV - Old Fashioned
- NH - Old Fashioned
- NJ - Jersey Fresh
- NM - Margarita
- NY - Manhattan
- NC - Margarita
- ND - Fargo Original
- OH - Pumpkin Beer
- OK - Mimosa
- OR - Margarita
- PA - Shirley Temple
- RI - Apple Cider Sangria
- SC - Strawberry Blonde
- SD - Shirley Temple
- TN - Tennessee Whiskey
- TX - Moonshine
- UT - Shirley Temple
- VT - Fall In Vermont
- VA - George Washington's Rye Whiskey
- WA - Rainier Beer
- WV - Grinch Punch
- WI - Bloody Mary
- WY - Shirley Temple
The survey asked people to vote for their choice of the official 2022 holiday season drink and the results revealed that in 1st place, the classic Margarita emerged as people’s most popular preference. Refreshing and perfectly balanced, the Margarita is an iconic choice for any holiday occasion. The boozy beverage combines tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur, shaken together and served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass. A merry Margarita is bound to make festive spirits bright - it’s no surprise that it topped the holiday drink charts!
The elegant and sophisticated Old Fashioned was up next in 2nd place for cocktail lovers. This iconic cocktail has been around for centuries and is made with a simple, yet delicious combination of whiskey, bitters, sugar, and a citrus twist, stirred together and served over ice. The rich, bold flavors of an Old Fashioned are elegant enough for entertaining guests, yet easy to whip up for an evening nightcap.
In 3rd place was the Shirley Temple. This berry-hued beverage can be made non-alcoholic, or transformed into a Dirty Shirley with the simple addition of vodka. The Shirley Temple contains a refreshing combination of ginger ale, grenadine, and a splash of lemon-lime soda, all mixed together and served over ice. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and you're good to go for the holidays!
METHODOLOGY
The boam research team conducted extensive general and state-specific research to compile an inventory of over 500 popular alcoholic beverages. The Google search volume data for each drink was analyzed per state. Based on these results, the most-searched-for drinks as well as the outliers per state (largest deviation from the national average for that drink) were identified. This analysis was used to select 7 potential drinks per state. A poll of over 1,000 people was then conducted to vote for the winning 2022 holiday season drink in each state. This poll was conducted across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and these results were broken down to create a map-style infographic of the poll findings. (Pollfish, December 2022)