Millions of Australians are expected to tune in to the 2024 State of Origin, which kicks off at 8:05pm this evening live from Sydney’s Accor Stadium, and data has revealed which alcoholic beverages are expected to prove most popular.
Numbers from last year’s season opener revealed that beer was still the firm favourite for at-home viewers during State of Origin, making up 32.2 per cent of the order value nationwide for alcohol delivery service Jimmy Brings, with Great Northern being the beer of choice.
Luke Calavassy, Head of Jimmy Brings, 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.”
Despite beer being the most popular beverage type nationwide, wine saw popularity across four of the six states, while Queensland saw the highest non-alcoholic sales.
In terms of brand popularity, Absolut Vodka was the top-selling product during last year’s game on Jimmy Brings, followed by Rivka Vodka which was the top seller in five major cities.
“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,” Calavassy continued.
Looking at data from a state perspective, New South Wales topped the list as the state with the highest sales on Jimmy Brings during the 2023 season opener, with wine being the drink of choice and Absolut Vodka being the most popular brand.
Representing the state with the second-highest sales, Queensland’s most popular brand was Great Northern, with beer making up 26.34 per cent of order value, followed by Asahi and Absolut Vodka.
In third place, Victoria saw a mixed bag with wine and beer making up 28.88 and 23.92 per cent of order value respectively. Victoria’s most-loved brands included Asahi, Canadian Club, Glen Moray, Glenlivet Founder Reserve, Mists & Shadows and Pure Blonde.
Wine topped the charts for Western Australia, which generated the fourth highest state sales, and The Pinot Grigio by Mists & Shadow was the state’s most ordered drink.
While South Australia might be known for its vineyards, beer orders overtook wine at 31.63 and 24.98 per cent order value respectively, and once again Great Northern was the most popular brand.
Rounding out the list, Tasmania had the highest order value for wine, making up more than half (50.63 per cent) of the state’s total sales during last year’s season opener, and Tasmanians favoured the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Kiwi Hawk.
“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 per cent increase in people visiting our platforms and a 26 per cent increase in sales based on the season opener last year (30 May 2023 vs 31 May 2023),” added Calavassy.