Your Guide To The Most Popular Alcoholic Beverages In Washington State
There must be thousands, if not tens of thousands, of different types of alcoholic beverages all around the world. But not all drinks are created equal, and it’s always good to know what people like. So now here it is, your guide to Washington State’s most popular alcoholic beverages.
1. Beer
Washington State locals are quite fond of the Imperial IPA, or Double/Triple IPA. This beer is a strong, sweet, and extremely hoppy version of India Pale Ale in its more traditional form. As far as flavours go, this beer is intense on all levels and all round, with the balance leaning heavily on the hops. Everything else is just there to support the hops in their intense hoppy-ness.
2. Wine
Ever since the turn of the century, Washington State has seen a new player on the wine scene, and it has been spreading fast. Syrah, or Shiraz, red wines are massively popular in the state, and it isn’t too hard to see why: the red wines produced from the Shiraz grapes are massively full-bodied and powerfully flavoured. While every wine’s notes are different depending upon the soil and climate, Shiraz wines often have aromas of blackberry or pepper, and tertiary notes such as leather or truffle are common too.
3. Bourbon & Scotch (& Hard Liquor)
Just as we should have done back in Michigan, we are combining our entry for the most popular hard liquor in Washington State with the entry for the most popular bourbon drink there because, well, the most popular drink there is bourbon, so it wouldn’t actually make sense to keep them apart. We will, however, still give you just as much detail about Washington State’s alcohol habits.
The most popular type of bourbon (and hard liquor in general) in the state is whiskey made from a flower known as Fireweed, so named because it is often the first plant to grow again in areas destroyed by fire. This is described as a rugged bourbon, with notes of vanilla and hints of spices. Some varieties have been balanced with cherry brandy, to lend the deep and oaky bourbon some sweetness.
4. Cocktails
There is only one contender for the title of the most popular cocktail in Washington State, and that is the Washington Apple. Made from vodka, sour apple schnapps and apple juice, it may not be the most inventively named, but it does pack a punch, and is extremely versatile; you can serve it tall, on the rocks, as a martini or even a shooter. With a taste that is both simultaneously sweet and sour, the Washington Apple ticks all the boxes, and if this version doesn’t do it for you, you can replace the vodka with whiskey, and the apple juice with cranberry. But then what would the point be in calling it the Washington Apple? You’d have to call it the Washington Cranberry, which isn’t nearly as cool.
