A Lindsay Campbell Pop-Ed: Forget Those Cosmos and Vodka, Pop Culture Will Have a Whiskey

Happy Friday, Popculturology fans. Let's talk whiskey.

You may wonder why I chose this topic, as this is a site about pop culture, not alcohol, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that whiskey's rise to fame may be a direct result of the starring roles it has landed in so many sitcoms and movies.

Queue the gasps and horror of whiskey drinkers everywhere who will argue that whiskey has always been popular. Before you get your panties in a bunch, let me explain ...

When Carrie Bradshaw was taking over the island of Manhattan, cosmos were everywhere, in bars and on menus. You couldn't go anywhere without vodka showing up to the party. Arrested Development was another show that loved them some vodka. We learned in 2003 that Lucille Bluth's drink of choice was vodka on the rocks — with toast, if it was before noon.

It even leaked into the advertising world for a little bit there. Remember how popular Absolut advertisements used to be? There were even books that featured just about every single Absolut ad ever produced. Vodka had taken over, and there was nothing that anyone could do about it.

But today in the age of hipsters and Warby Parker, vodka is vintage — and not in the cool way. Thanks to a new class of characters like Barney Stinson, Ron Swanson* and everyone on Boardwalk Empire, all eyes are on whiskey. If my memory serves correctly, the writers of Breaking Bad practically wrote a scene for Walt and whiskey in the second-to-last episode. Jameson is even getting in on the fun (as they very well should) and has been sponsoring awesome events like Dylan Fest to celebrate some of the most legendary musicians of our time.

So my booze-saturated friends, I must ask, are characters like Robin Scherbatsky and Don Draper making whiskey today's drink of choice? And if they are, what will they drink next? I'm not sure I could handle a coconut rum revolution. Be well and do good, my friends.

*I’ve just decided that I’m going to try to incorporate Ron Swanson in every single column.