With millions expected to tune in or head to their local watering hole to watch the State of Origin Game, alcohol delivery service Jimmy Brings revealed the most popular beverage choice on the platform nationwide.
Head of Jimmy Brings, Luke Calavassy said whether you like alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, the State of Origin brings communities together.
“Whether you enjoy a drink or not, 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),” said Calavassy.
The data from the Jimmy Brings service reveals that beer is still the firm favourite of State of Origin, while Absolut Vodka is the most popular brand nationwide, and Rivka Vodka is the top seller in five major cities.
Wine was the most popular beverage type across four of the six states with only Queensland and South Australia preferring beer, while Queensland saw the highest non-alcoholic sales.
Calavassy said the drink preference in Australia will vary across state lines and demographics as it is a “vast country.”
“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. We experiment with new-age drinks such as premixes and low-carb beers,” said Calavassy.
New South Wales
The Blues lost last year’s season opener but they’ve topped the list as the state with the highest sales on Jimmy Brings for the State of Origin.
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
While the maroons continued their reign at last year’s State of Origin with a 2-1 win over the Blues, Queensland came in second-highest in sales on Jimmy Brings.
The most popular alcohol brand, by far, for Queenslanders 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.
Victoria had the third-highest sales on Jimmy Brings for the State of Origin Game One, with Asahi, Canadian Club, Glen Moray, Glenlivet Founder Reserve, Mists & Shadows and Pure Blonde all being popular.
Western Australia
As Western Australia is known for their vineyards, perhaps it’s not surprising to find that The Pinot Grigio by Mists & Shadow was a favourite.
South Australia
Great Northern was the most popular brand for South Australia in the State of Origin season opener last year.
Tasmania
Rounding out the list is Tasmania favouring the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Kiwi Hawk.