Where Does Ohio Rank Among Bourbon-Loving States?

Bourbon has been the No. 1 spirit of the South for centuries, but its popularity has exploded nationwide in recent years.

From a technical standpoint, bourbon is whiskey that’s been distilled in the United States, using at least 51% corn mash, and aged in new, charred oak barrels.

Beyond that deceptively simple recipe there is a near infinite number of variations for distillers to experiment with — and this creative tinkering has fueled the current bourbon boom sweeping the United States.

But which state loves bourbon the most? And where does Ohio rank on that list?

To find out, BetOhio – your source for Ohio sportsbook apps - took a break from covering legal sports betting to rank the top bourbon-loving states in America.

To order our rankings, we used Google Trends to find out which states have been googling “bourbon” the most since 2021. And using Statista.com, we looked at weekly consumption of straight bourbon per capita in each state. Using both data sets, we assigned a point system between 1 and 50 — with 1 being the least searched/consumed, and 50 being the most.

Here are the results:

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Bourbon Lovers Per State

                                 
Overall Rank State Rank Per Capita Consumption Rank Per Google Trends Total
1Kentucky5050100
2Missouri474592
3Louisiana424991
4Tennessee444690
5Kansas384482
6Ohio324779
7Virginia413778
8Colorado433478
9North Carolina344276
10Indiana264874
11Mississippi393271
12Alabama333669
13Maryland313364
T14South Carolina204363
T14Nevada352863
15New Mexico362561


 

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Ohio Ranks 6th on Bourbon List

While it’s certainly not a surprise to find Kentucky at No. 1 on this list, Buckeye bourbon lovers will surely be pleased to see Ohio ranked all the way up at No. 6.

It’s far from the interest on Buckeyes football in Ohio sports betting, but it is very clear across the state: Bourbon-mania is spreading rapidly.

As of 2020, Ohio totaled more than 75 distilleries, with almost all of them offering some variety of bourbon. Middle West Spirits in Columbus is aiming to be the state’s largest distillery. They’re in the midst a massive expansion, building a new 75,000 square-foot production plant with a $38.7 million price tag.

Even Arby’s is looking to cash in on the bourbon craze. The Ohio-founded fast food franchise recently teamed up with Brain Brew Distillery to produce an Arby’s branded Smoked Bourbon.

Of course, no one is more aware of bourbon’s popularity than the state liquor commission. Ohio Liquor has begun running Bottle Lotteries several times a year, in which entrants win the opportunity to purchase rare bourbons, as well as other hard-to-find spirits.

When it comes to bourbon admiration, Ohio might never top its neighbor to the south. Nevertheless, Ohio’s modern bourbon era has only just begun.

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Author

Jeff Parker

Jeff Parker is an Entertainment Writer for BetOhio.com. A writer for film, television and the internet, Jeff is a life long movie buff, with an actual Masters Degree in Popular Culture. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he works full time as documentary filmmaker and producer.

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