Few pastimes unite Americans from all backgrounds like making a good cocktail or heading to your favorite haunt to purchase that special cordial or drink of choice. Because National Cocktail Day is March 24, we surveyed to see which mixed drink was the favorite in each state. So kick back and read about those drinks while we await legal Oklahoma sportsbooks.
In Oklahoma, the go-to choice when it comes to cocktails is a time honored American classic. The Old Fashioned beat out the French 75 and the Martini for the No. 1 spot in the state.
The Old Fashioned dates to the late 19th century, though the exact creator is in dispute, with the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City battling The Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the claim of creating the drink.
The French 75, which includes champagne, lemon juice and sugar, dates back to the 1920s, first making its way into a cocktail book in Harry MacElhone’s “Henry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails” in 1922.
Finally, the Martini is a standard in the cocktail world. There are a slew of variations that range from vodka twists on the original gin, dry vermouth and olive cocktail to the modern espresso martini, which includes a shot of espresso, vodka and some form of coffee liqueur.
BetOklahoma.com referred to VinePair’s 50 Most Popular Cocktails of 2023 as a starting place for the research. Then we used Google Trends volume for “Cocktail” from Jan. 1 to March 15 for our list of the most popular cocktails in each state.
While the old-fashioned was Oklahoma’s go-to cocktail, the inclusion of more European drinks like the French 75 and the Martini represents the state’s varied tastes when it comes to spirits.
Nationally, the Manhattan was the most popular drink of choice on a state-by-state basis, with 41 states including the bourbon and sweet vermouth standard in their top three and 23 having it as their No.1 cocktail.
The second-most popular was the Old Fashioned, which made the top three in 25 states and was the top choice in five of them. The Martini (top three in 22 states, including seven first-place finishes) was third. But Oklahoma is unusual in including the French 75 – just three states had that drink in the top three and only Rhode Island chose it No. 1.
As for Oklahoma’s neighbors? Texas, Colorado, Missouri and New Mexico prefer the Manhattan as their cocktail of choice, Kansas’ go-to drink is the Old Fashioned and Arkansas chose the Cosmopolitan. Of those states, Colorado and Kansas offer robust sports betting markets while Arkansas has more limited options. Meanwhile, those hoping for legal Oklahoma sports betting apps continue their efforts.
Author
Christopher Boan is a writer for BetOklahoma.com after covering sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News. He is here to help you choose the best Arizona sportsbook for you.
