Three Olives Loopy Vodka — mixed or straight — became a Court Street craze in the early months of 2012, but Jameson Irish Whiskey remained Athens’ best-selling liquor.
Crown Russe Vodka took the No. 2 spot with 2,674 total gallons sold. Korski Vodka, Barton Vodka and Jägermeister took the remaining three spots in the top five for popular spring liquor.
Though Three Olives Loopy Vodka didn’t make the cut, Megan Gerlach, a senior studying communication and a bartender at Red Brick Sports Pub and Grill, 14 N. Court St., said she noticed a surge in the liquor’s popularity this year.
“Because Loopy just came out, people were excited about it,” Gerlach said.
Three Olives’ website describes Loopy as a “dastardly delicious medley of tropical fruit and imported English vodka.” Some students compare the vodka’s flavor to Kellogg’s Fruit Loops cereal and order it in the form of a shot or as part of a variety of cocktails.
Jamie Yoder, a graduate student studying physical therapy, also noticed Loopy’s popularity and attributed it to the fact that it is a new item. Yoder added that Loopy’s sales have slowed recently and that the trend now seems to be dwindling.
Both Gerlach and Yoder felt whiskey sales were strong throughout the year, not just on chilly February nights, supporting Jameson’s claim to the top spot.
The state liquor store, located in Kroger at 919 E. State St., sold 2,985 gallons of Jameson Irish Whiskey from Jan. 1 through April 30 — a greater volume than any single liquor of any other brand, according to Matt Mullins, a public information officer for the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control.
Spirituous liquor sales reached a record $770.7 million in Ohio during 2011, an increase of $28.1 million or 3.8 percent compared with 2010 sales.
The Ohio Department of Commerce attributed the increase in liquor dollar sales primarily to the trend of consumers purchasing premium priced products and an increase in the level of consumption.
The state liquor store sold 269,574 wholesale and retail bottles of liquor in 2011, totaling $4,424,387 in sales.
“I feel like it would be something cheap — something that students and not adults would drink,” said Emily Waler, a junior studying hearing, speech and language sciences. “I’m surprised to learn it’s Jameson.”
mt360307@ohiou.edu
