Fact, Americans love beer. From the hoppiest of the double IPAs right on down to the lightest of lagers, we love to crack open a cold one on any occasion, whether it's a Yuengling, Busch, Budweiser, or even Gose. While we could debate all day about which brewers are the best of the best, the one thing we beer lovers can't debate is what states reign supreme in downing the most suds and we've got the stats to prove it thanks to 24/7 Wall.
Before we get into what state is number one per capita on 24/7 Wall's list, shall we take a little wager? Raise your hand if you think it's Oregon. What about North Carolina? How about Texas? California anyone? Oh yeah, it's probably Colorado. They love their craft beer and craft breweries.
I obviously can't see your hands, but I'm sure there is some commotion out there. So place your bet with your friend, co-worker, or guy sitting next to you, and let's take a look at how each state ranks.
Drum roll, please. And the winner is. . . New Hampshire.
Probably not your first guess, but it is home to Smuttynose. Or was. Smuttynose unfortunately got auctioned off and only time will tell what happens now. Sorry, all you Finest Kind IPA fans. I'm sad too. But I digress. Now that we know the winner, let's look at how the rest of the USA ranks:
1. New Hampshire
2. Montana
3. North Dakota
4. South Dakota
5. Wisconsin
6. Maine
7. Nebraska
8. Nevada
9. Vermont
10. Texas
11. Iowa
12. South Carolina
13. Mississippi
14. Oregon
15. Louisiana
16. Wyoming
17. Alabama
18. New Mexico
19. Delaware
20. Hawaii
21. Minnesota
22. Colorado
23. Missouri
24. Illinois
25. West Virginia
26. Ohio
27. Arizona
28. Pennsylvania
29. Florida
30. Alaska
31. Idaho
32. Kansas
33. Michigan
34. California
35. Oklahoma
36. North Carolina
37. Washington
38. Tennessee
39. Virginia
40. Georgia
41. Arkansas
42. Kentucky
43. Massachusetts
44. Indiana
45. Rhode Island
46. New York
47. New Jersey
48. Connecticut
59. Maryland
50. Utah
Looks like Texas was the closest bet at the tenth spot. Oregon almost made the top ten so that wasn't a bad bet. Colorado however didn't even make the top twenty. And what even happened with North Carolina and California?
Considering the brewery and beer company scene of those two states I was sure they were a shoo-in, especially since American beer is so important in those states. And I'm somewhat shocked with Delaware being home to Dogfish Head ranked where they did consider their proximity to New Hampshire. Guess the state line in America really does make a difference.
Perhaps it has something to do with the downward beer trend? Delaware has plummeted 8.4% in consumption. Although judging by the stats here, Oregon, Colorado, and California are on the rise.
If we were talking total consumption, however, anyone who said California would have come in first place. They consume a whopping 724.9 million gallons. And the runner up? That would be none other than Texas with 626.3 million gallons.
I guess the only way to really get a good perspective on what's going on is by drinking the popular beer in each state. Or perhaps take an epic cross country road trip to see for yourself. If you decide on the latter, let us know who you think is number one. And possibly send beer while you're at it.
Beer test: do you know the best beer in each state? Find out which beer brands rank number one according to Zymurgy.
This post was originally published on November 13, 2020.
