One thing is clear about the election: Washingtonians drank a lot last night. Alcohol delivery services GoPuff, Minibar Delivery, and Drizly all reported big spikes in sales yesterday. Drizly’s local sales, for example, were 133-percent higher than the average of the previous four Tuesdays. DC was extra thirsty compared to other cities, too, with a bigger percentage bump in sales than Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
So, what was everyone drinking as results rolled in? Apparently a lot of people were planning to celebrate, because Champagne and sparkling wine accounted for nearly half of Minibar’s wine sales in DC. (Similarly, Drizly says Veuve Clicquot Champagne and La Marca Prosecco were its top selling wines.) But while wine made up a third of Minibar’s total DC sales, half came from liquor—and whiskey specifically. The top sellers were Bulleit and Jack Daniels. (Nationally, Tito’s vodka was the favorite brand.)
For GoPuff, the number one alcohol purchase was Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir from Josh Cellars, followed by hard seltzer brands White Claw and Truly. (White Claw also topped the list for Drizly.) Also popular: sweet-sour candy and ice cream. (Maybe that big run on marijuana products had something to do with it). GoPuff saw sales increase 66- and 52-percent, respectively, compared to the previous Tuesday.
Drizly also provided some interesting analysis on the national political divide. Blue states saw bigger spike in alcohol sales than red states, with battleground states somewhere in the middle. In blue states, wine was the go-to, making up the largest percentage of sales. In red and swing states, however, liquor was a bigger seller.
This story has been updated with more DC specific data from Drizly.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
