Vodka Rules

When it comes to liquor in Iowa, vodka rules. Nummy! Some more than others, of course...and the top seller in my state, it's the rot-gut low cost Hawkeye that leads the pack. In my old age, I prefer something a bit more top shelf - say Ketel One, or Citron.

The Des Moines Register did an article on liquor sales in the state this week. A record $256 million in sales was sold this past fiscal year ending June 30th. That was nearly a 6% increase over last year. Flavored liquor sales are up - beer down. Wine sales are also up 6%.

In Iowa, the topper of all brands is Donnie's favorite: Black Velvet Whiskey (he and Dee taught my poor husband to drink this brown water - one halfsie at a time), with sales of over 125,000 cases. Hawkeye Vodka brings up a distant second with 95,000 cases. The Captain - Captain Morgan Spiced Rum sold 85,000 cases. Then sales drop down to 57,000 cases.

The next analysis was regarding which county sold the most liquor per adult. Dickinson County - home of Okoboji, Iowa's Great Lakes - a true vacation destination in the state sold an amazing 6.45 gallons of liquor per person. What - do they fill the lake up with the stuff? The next closest is Cerro Gordo (Mason City) at 3.28. Of course I was interested to see how our former home county compared. It came in 26th at 2.10 gallons, behind my childhood home county - Cass, 20th at 2.31 gallons. Our new county - Dallas is a measly 61st. Polk County - right next door, makes up for it, ranking 3rd. The whole problem with the ranking system is that lots of Crestonites purchase liquor in Polk and Dallas County. Or...in Missouri if they're smart!

All the liquor reading made me think about my use of liquor through the years. I started out as a beer only gal. My daddy weaned me (okay it was a little later than that) on ice cold Old Milwaukee. He'd put a couple in the freezer and set the oven timer for 45 minutes - while he drank his bourbon (Ancient Age) and water. I remember visiting the Iowa Liquor Store with Dad years ago before Iowa's laws changed. Back then he'd fill out an order form and they'd give him "the stuff". Do you think marijuana shops are like that now? Anyway, from the time I was young, Dad would let me have a sip of his "beer popsicle".

So when I "grew up" to high school age - and decided it was time to drink alcohol, beer was the stuff! I didn't drink anything else (even when my buddies were drinking sophisticated stuff like Annie Green Spring wine) until the summer after I graduated from high school and began to go to bars. Who bought beer for underage losers like me? Aw - I wasn't that big a loser. (At least I know how to spell loser - unlike many Internet users who spell it looser.) I suspect it was Pam Nelson's older boyfriend. Or Chris Deardorff's bro. OR we found it in the ditch.

The cool beers (or translate cheap, if college students were buying) of my day?

The men of Stevenson House at ISU made me drink this stuff

Cherry vodka wasn't listed on the Iowa most favorite booze list. But flavored vodkas are in! White cake vodka is popular. Another liquor I cut my teeth on (that the sound of turns my stomach now) is tequila sunrise. Ick. I moved on to Tom Collins - with a side of fruit! Next came vodka sours, and a variety of fruity rum drinks at Aunt Maude's.

We also discovered shots - back when they still tasted like liquor! (Think of the female lead on Raiders of the Lost Ark - when she drinks the Turkish guy under the table). Kamikazes and tequila. Of course in college - dime draws and $1.50 pitchers made beer continue to be the drink of choice.

Shots are much better these days - carmel apple, or chocolate milk and cake vodka

Football and shots - go together!

These days - I'm still mostly a vodka drinker. I stick to vodka and tonic or soda with lime. But I love dirty martinis too. I am really a binge drinker, drinking on occasion, but at times too much.

Liquor can be a friend or an enemy. I've seen what it does to people who rely on it daily. Some people's personalities change a great deal when they drink alcohol. Some become aggressive and don't know when to quit - no stop button. It can be fun - but too much of a good thing...