Australia’s favourite State of Origin drinks

By Editor on June 5, 2024

State of Origin kicked off this week with millions of Aussies watching the game holding a new favourite drink in their hands.

On-demand alcohol delivery service Jimmy Brings has crunched the numbers from last year’s season opener to reveal the most popular beverage choice nationwide, statewide and for every major Australian city inclusive of its app, the website and mobile web orders.

And while the data reveals that beer is still the firm favourite of State of Origin, Absolut Vodka is the most popular brand nationwide and Rivka Vodka is the top seller in five major cities. Rivka is keenly priced at around $30-40 a bottle, which made it a winner on cost-of-living strapped pockets.

Wine was the most popular beverage type across four of the six states with only Queensland and South Australia preferring beer, while Queensland also saw the highest non-alcoholic sales.

Head of Jimmy Brings Luke Calavassy said: “Australia is a vast country so drink preference will vary across state lines and demographics. Beer is the most popular drink type Australia-wide for Origin thanks to so many different varieties on the market.

“When we look more granular, we see that vodka and wine are becoming more popular, which shows that drink taste is evolving for the State of Origin as the game becomes more inclusive and we experiment with new-age drinks such as premixes and low-carb beers.

“Whether you enjoy an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage, the State of Origin is something we all look forward to as it brings communities together. Our sales data shows a 42% increase in people visiting our platforms and a 26% increase in sales based on the season opener last year.” [30 May 2023 vs 31 May 2023]

Top 5 State of Origin brands

Absolut Vodka
Rivka Vodka
Pure Blonde
Corona
Asahi Super Dry

NSW

NSW is the state with the highest sales on Jimmy Brings for the State of Origin. Bondi, inner-city suburb Alexandria and inner-west suburb Glebe had the highest order values. Across the state, Absolut Vodka was the most popular brand followed by Carlton Dry, while Hans Superdry, Jack Daniels, Rivka Vodka, Wild Turkey and Victoria Bitter all placed an equal third.

Queensland

The Reds continued their reign at last year’s State of Origin with a 2-1 win over the Blues. Queensland had the second-highest sales on Jimmy Brings with Brisbane’s Kedron, Stones Corner and Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast leading the way. The most popular alcohol brand by far was Great Northern, followed by Asahi and Absolut Vodka.

Victoria

This year, Game Two will bring the match back to Melbourne’s MCG for the first time since 2018. Not one to shy away from the action, Victoria had the third-highest sales on Jimmy Brings for the State of Origin Game One. Melbourne’s Essendon, Moorabbin and Northcote had the highest-order values and there was a mixed bag of favourites for Victorians. Asahi, Canadian Club, Glen Moray, Glenlivet Founder Reserve, Mists & Shadows and Pure Blonde were all the most popular brands.

Western Australia

Riverside inner city suburb Marylands, and Perth’s Belmont and Wembley were the regions with the highest alcohol and non-alcoholic sales in Western Australia, which is the fourth state with the highest sales overall. Known for their beautiful vineyards, perhaps it’s not surprising to find that The Pinot Grigio by Mists & Shadow was the West Coast’s favourite tipple.

South Australia

Further south and North Adelaide, Seaton and Davoren Park had the highest order values for South Australia. Thirsty for a frothy one, Great Northern was the most popular brand for the State of Origin season opener last year.

Tasmania

Rounding out the list was Tasmania, which favoured the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Kiwi Hawk. Interestingly, Tasmania has the highest order value for wine, making up over half of the total sales for last year’s season opener.