Five people toast with their glasses of Aperol Spritz. (Photo: Daniel Vogl/picture-alliance via AP Images)
Data gathered by Nielsen IQ suggests that the margarita still reigns supreme as America's favorite cocktail. A handful of trendy up-and-comers, however, may soon have the legs to unseat the king of the bar.
The study reports that the margarita — typically made from a combination of tequila, triple sec and lime juice — is the most popular cocktail choice in nearly all states except Nevada, where the mojito narrowly edges it out. In a fascinating predictor for the mojito's future success, it was observed that Nevada long held the position of America's No. 1 cocktail consumption city. The distinction was overtaken only recently by Washington D.C.
[caption id="attachment_85364" align="aligncenter" width="600"] A cocktail ''Hendrix Mojito'' sitting on a bright background. (Photo: Seung-il Ryu/NurPhoto via AP)[/caption]
Tasty as they may be, the budding popularity of the mojito may come to the ire of professionals within the industry — namely bartenders. The drink is notoriously difficult to mix in a rush, requiring muddled mint leaves at the bottom of each shaker. Peter Madrigal, manager of SUR in West Hollywood, once told Bravo After Hours that the cocktail order elicits a "What the f--k is your problem?" response from behind the counter.
Others simply think it's basic. Bar manager Felix Cohen famously wrote that the mojito is "like going to an amazing restaurant and just eating burger and chips."
Whether or not you're a wearied elitist with a bone to pick, it seems like the cocktail won't be disappearing anytime soon. A study conducted by Bacardi in 2024 found that 27% of respondents worldwide counted the mojito as their favorite drink. The gin & tonic notched 28%, while the margarita clocked in at 20% (tequila isn't quite as popular outside of the Americas).
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Coming in at 15% was the spritz, a cocktail whose appeal has spun off into countless articles in and of themselves.
Most consumers associate the drink with the now-ubiquitous Aperol Spritz. After floating around for years, the recipe witnessed resurgent popularity thanks to 2023's "The White Lotus," a dramedy and unintentional advertisement wrapped into one that depicted the cocktail constantly aside seaside Italian vistas. It was the kind of break that spirits brands can only dream of. Campari CEO Bob Kunze-Concewitz thanked the show by name after the aperitif witnessed 50% growth in one year alone.
These days, there isn't a summertime brunch spot in sight that isn't serving at least a dozen of the cocktail's oversized orange garnishes.
But can it rival the competition? Data gathered by Coffeeness this past summer reported that the Aperol Spritz was the most Googled cocktail in 22 states, overtaking the margarita in second place and the old fashioned in third. Searches for the drink were particularly popular in California, Florida, Illinois and New York.
However, as with all zeitgeist in the TikTok era, it's yet to be seen if the trends can translate onto the charts. The Aperol Spritz is one of those drinks uniquely tied to social media, meaning it can die out just as fast as the next fashionable cocktail takes rise. Look no further than the negroni sbagliato — another Campari concoction popularized by an HBO show — to illustrate how fast a cocktail of the day can fall out of memory.
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A cocktail ''Hendrix Mojito'' sitting on a bright background. (Photo: Seung-il Ryu/NurPhoto via AP)[/caption]
Tasty as they may be, the budding popularity of the mojito may come to the ire of professionals within the industry — namely bartenders. The drink is notoriously difficult to mix in a rush, requiring muddled mint leaves at the bottom of each shaker. Peter Madrigal, manager of SUR in West Hollywood, once told Bravo After Hours that the cocktail order elicits a "What the f--k is your problem?" response from behind the counter.
Others simply think it's basic. Bar manager Felix Cohen famously wrote that the mojito is "like going to an amazing restaurant and just eating burger and chips."
Whether or not you're a wearied elitist with a bone to pick, it seems like the cocktail won't be disappearing anytime soon. A study conducted by Bacardi in 2024 found that 27% of respondents worldwide counted the mojito as their favorite drink. The gin & tonic notched 28%, while the margarita clocked in at 20% (tequila isn't quite as popular outside of the Americas).
[callout-app-promo]
Coming in at 15% was the spritz, a cocktail whose appeal has spun off into countless articles in and of themselves.
Most consumers associate the drink with the now-ubiquitous Aperol Spritz. After floating around for years, the recipe witnessed resurgent popularity thanks to 2023's "The White Lotus," a dramedy and unintentional advertisement wrapped into one that depicted the cocktail constantly aside seaside Italian vistas. It was the kind of break that spirits brands can only dream of. Campari CEO Bob Kunze-Concewitz thanked the show by name after the aperitif witnessed 50% growth in one year alone.
These days, there isn't a summertime brunch spot in sight that isn't serving at least a dozen of the cocktail's oversized orange garnishes.
But can it rival the competition? Data gathered by Coffeeness this past summer reported that the Aperol Spritz was the most Googled cocktail in 22 states, overtaking the margarita in second place and the old fashioned in third. Searches for the drink were particularly popular in California, Florida, Illinois and New York.
However, as with all zeitgeist in the TikTok era, it's yet to be seen if the trends can translate onto the charts. The Aperol Spritz is one of those drinks uniquely tied to social media, meaning it can die out just as fast as the next fashionable cocktail takes rise. Look no further than the negroni sbagliato — another Campari concoction popularized by an HBO show — to illustrate how fast a cocktail of the day can fall out of memory.
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