SPVAQ22021 - 24

2010

TOP 10s

FOR THE PAST DECADE*

Rank

2011

2012

2013

2014

Jack Daniel's 7 Black

Smirnoff 80 Vodka

Grey Goose Vodka

Smirnoff 80 Vodka

Grey Goose Vodka

Jim Beam Straight
Bourbon Whiskey

Grey Goose Vodka

Jim Beam Straight
Bourbon Whiskey

Crown Royal
Canadian Whisky

Jim Beam Straight
Bourbon Whiskey

Grey Goose Vodka

Crown Royal
Canadian Whisky

Absolut Vodka

Crown Royal
Canadian Whisky

Fireball Cinnamon

Absolut Vodka

Bacardi Superior Rum

Absolut Vodka

Crown Royal
Canadian Whisky

Bacardi Superior Rum

Aristocrat Vodka

Bacardi Superior Rum

Aristocrat Vodka

Hennessy VS

Aristocrat Vodka

Jagermeister

Aristocrat Vodka

Captain Morgan's
Spiced Rum

Absolut Vodka

Jagermeister

Captain Morgan's
Spiced Rum

Jagermeister

Hennessy VS

Aristocrat Vodka

Captain Morgan's
Spiced Rum

Jose Cuervo Tequila Gold

Captain Morgan's
Spiced Rum

Bacardi Superior Rum

*A look back at what Virginians have deemed the most popular brands, based on dollars sold.

Margo becomes inconsolable, still
suspicious of Eve's plans to steal
Margo's career and fiancé from her.
Margo knocks back one Gibson after
another, " embalming her soul, " she
says. The Gibson is essentially a dry
martini-gin and dry vermouth-
but garnished with a pearl onion.
" Blue Hawaii, " 1961.
Appropriately, the starring drink
in this Elvis Presley movie is a Tiki
cocktail, the Mai Tai. Trader Vic
is said to have invented the Tiki
drink, though occasionally Donn
Beach is credited. The original
Trader Vic's recipe featured
Jamaica's J. Wray & Nephew rum
along with lime juice, orange
Curaçao and orgeat syrup.
" Mad Men, " 2007-2015 but set
in the early 1960s. The popular
TV series featured Madison Avenue
advertising executives enjoying
multi-cocktail lunches and drinks
at work ... and anywhere else they
could down a few. Although the
series culminated with the lesson
that over-imbibing as a habit

24 SPIRITED VIRGINIA

has negative effects, the show
did support the popularity of
classic cocktails. Recurring roles
in " Mad Men " came from the Old
Fashioned, Manhattan, Whiskey
Sour, Vodka Martini, Vodka Gimlet,
Bloody Mary and others.
" Bewitched, " 1964-1972. The
better question may be, what didn't
they drink on " Bewitched " ? Or,
what exactly is in those highball
and martini glasses? Probably
no other sitcom of the time had
characters mixing it up in bars,
restaurants and nightclubs,
downing after-work cocktails,
imbibing in the office and in hotel
rooms, drinking with friends
and clients, and celebrating with
Champagne. From tales told, some
of the actors even came to the
set well-equipped to deliver the
tipsiness of their roles.
James Bond, the 1960s on. Of
course, the James Bond character is
best known for ordering a " Vodka
Martini, shaken, not stirred. " But
in Ian Fleming's books, Bond also

drinks Gin Martini, Scotch and
Soda, Vodka Tonic, Gin & Tonic,
Americano, Old Fashioned, Stinger
and several other cocktails. All
classy, of course. In " Casino Royale "
(the 1953 book and 2006 movie),
he also created the Vesper Martini,
using gin, vodka and dry vermouth.
" Dallas, " 1978-1991.The
powerful Ewing family was no
stranger to the bottle. The most
evil Ewing, J.R. (Larry Hagman),
made Bourbon and Branch his
go-to drink. The drink is basically
bourbon with water-but not just
any water. Ideally, the mineral
water comes from the same or a
similar source as the water used to
cut the bourbon. Old Limestone
Mixing Water, for example, is
Kentucky-limestone filtered,
assumedly from the same aquifer
that some Kentucky bourbon
distilleries (and Tennessee whiskey
distilleries) use. As the master
distillers know, the best water
complements the bourbon.
" The Big Lebowski, " 1998.

SPVAQ22021

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