Whiskey’s Out! Texans Have a New Favorite Spirit

Whether you're drinking craft beer in Austin, TX, or wine spritzers in Abilene, everyone has a favorite drink. And while it remains very true that Texans love cold beer, you may be surprised by what our new favorite spirit is.

In the Lone Star State, you'll find hundreds, if not thousands, of craft breweries, so it'll come as no surprise that beer still reigns supreme here. But when it comes to winding down here, what's our go-to spirit?

Here in Texas, There's a New Favorite Spirit

I enjoy an ice-cold beer, and I am also a fan of whiskey. I've grown quite fond of tequila recently, although it's not always top of mind for me. Turns out, though, it's not top of mind for many of my fellow Texans.

The folks at Toast, to better understand alcohol trends in the U.S., "analyzed how the popularity of select drinks and spirits varied for restaurants from state to state."

By taking into account the "sale of beer, wine, cider, hard seltzer, and spirits: vodka, tequila, whiskey, gin, rum, and brandy," they found some interesting trends.

What is Texas's favorite spirit?

Vodka is the most popular spirit in most states, but the data shows that tequila is more popular than ever. In fact, in several states, it is the most popular, and that is true in Texas, too.

"It’s no surprise that tequila has heavily influenced states along the Mexican border. Texas was the highest consumer of tequila per restaurant location, drinking 119% more tequila than the average for diners at restaurants in other states."

According to Toast, tequila is the most popular spirit in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. Meanwhile, whiskey is the most popular spirit in West Virginia, Wyoming, Indiana, Kansas, and Kentucky.