The Thirstiest States in the US (Based on Beer Consumption Per Capita)

It’s no secret that America likes to drink. So much so that there are currently around 63% of Americans who drink alcohol, and surprise, surprise – the favored drink of Americans throughout the country is beer!

There are currently just under 10,000 breweries throughout the country, not to mention that there are currently over 1,100,000 homebrewers in America (yes, you read that right!).

But, out of all the states of America – which is the thirstiest? 

If you’re currently asking yourself this question, you’ve come to the right place. Here at learningtohomebrew.com, we are going to be uncovering the top ten thirstiest states in America right now, as well as providing you with the lowdown of the least thirsty states, too. 

We will be doing this by considering each state’s population density, the number of gallons of beer consumed per capita each year, barrel production and overall revenue, and the number of breweries. While it isn’t explicitly stated in the data, the individual state laws (Florida alcohol laws, Michigan alcohol laws, Tennesse alcohol laws, etc.) concerning the production and consumption of alcohol have already been taken into account. 

All of this data has been taken by using current information from trusted beer-related sources, and the complete breakdown of said data can be found here.

The Ten Thirstiest States In America

First, let’s start with the ten thirstiest states in America based on their per capita beer consumption!

Montana

Of all the states in America, Montana takes first place as the thirstiest state!

At the time of writing this, Montana is known for being a state that both makes and consumes beer, and it currently has 92 active breweries. As the state that takes the title of most beer consumed, you might also be interested to learn that this state also currently has a level of 40.8 units of beer consumed per capita!

New Hampshire

Coming in at second place we have New Hampshire, which you might find a surprise given the fact it has a smaller population density of 1,389,741 at the time of writing.

Despite being one of the smaller states, New Hampshire has 91 breweries and consumes 39.8 units of beer per capita, with its drink of choice being Schilling Beer Co. Fun fact: the amount of breweries in New Hampshire works out to around 14,942 people for each one. Impressive or what?

North Dakota

North Dakota is next up on our list.

Despite having a small population size of just over 800,000 people, North Dakota’s favorite drink of choice is New Glarus Brewing Beer, and it currently has 22 active breweries.

On top of that, North Dakota is also known for its beer consumption, as it currently consumes 38.2 units of beer per capita!

Cheers!

South Dakota

South Dakota’s current population is just under 1 million, but don’t let that fool you.

Even though South Dakota has just 33 breweries at the time of writing, it does an average of 38.2 units of beer consumed per capita – which is pretty high!

Maine

Following on, we’ve got Maine. Maine has a population of around 1.3 million and around 133 active breweries. Maine is also a state that likes to drink beer, and the proof is in the pudding as this is a state that currently consumes 33.8 units of beer per capita. 

As for the beer of choice?

The favorite across Maine is currently Bear Bones Beer, which we recommend trying next time you visit!

Vermont

Vermont is next! Even though Vermont has a relatively low population density of around 646,545 people, they certainly make up for it in beer consumption and brewing!

There are currently 68 breweries in Vermont, with an average level of 33.3 units of beer consumed per capita. 

Texas

Texas is one of the largest states in the country and currently has a population of just under 30 million – so it should be no surprise to hear that there are currently around 344 active breweries!

Not only that, but Texas also consumes 30.9 units of beer per capita, with the state’s beer of choice being from the Lone Star Beer Co.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is next up on our list of thirstiest states. With a population of over 5 million people, Wisconsin has 205 breweries at the time of writing and a pretty high rating of 33.6 units of beer consumed per capita.

Along with that, Wisconsin’s current tipple of choice is Blue Moon, which is popular across numerous states!

Nebraska

Next up we have Nebraska! Nebraska has a small population size of nearly 2 million, making it a state with one of the smallest population densities.

That being said, Nebraska currently has over 71 breweries and currently consumes 32.5 units of beer per capita each year!

Nevada

Last but certainly not least we have Nevada. As one of the states with a smaller population density (3,185,426, to be exact), Nevada is small but mighty and is the party capital of the USA.

Still, despite this, there are currently only 45 breweries, but there is a current average of 33.2 units of beer consumed per capita. Fun fact: the most popular beer of choice is the Firestone Walker!

The Least Thirsty States in America

Now that we’ve covered the top ten thirstiest states, we’re sure that you’ll be keen to learn more about what the least thirstiest states are.

Utah

At the top of the list, we have Utah, which takes the title of being the least thirsty state in the USA. Wondering why?

Well, the main reason for this can be attributed to the fact that Utah is the home of Mormonism and has many communities there, leaving it with far fewer breweries than other states – just 42, to be exact! 

New Jersey

Next up, we have New Jersey coming in second on our list of least thirsty states. Located on the outskirts of the big apple, there are currently only 127 breweries located throughout the state.

Still, New Jersey is a drinking state with a bustling nightlife culture, and we think that you might be interested to learn that the top beer currently consumed in New Jersey is the popular favorite Blue Moon. 

New York

Believe it or not, the city that never sleeps is one of the least thirsty states…as far as beer is consumed! At the time of writing, there is only 21.5 units of beer consumed per capita, which is relatively low given the fact that this state has a population size of 20,365,879.

Interestingly, despite the lower beer consumption, NYC  currently has 423 breweries. 

Massachusetts

Next up, we have Massachusetts. With a current population size of 7,126,375 – Massachusetts currently has 175 breweries that produce an average of around 442,8025 barrels per year.

While it’s safe to say that there’s a pretty impressive amount of beer brewing taking place in this state, there’s not a whole lot of beer being drunk. In fact, at the time of writing this, Massachusetts consumes just 22.9 units of beer per capita.

Indiana

Last up on our list of least thirsty states we have Indiana. With a population size of 6,845,874, Indiana consumes around 23.1 units of beer per capita, which is lower than other states.

Still, despite this, it does have a pretty thriving brewery industry with 192 breweries located throughout the state, with the most popular beer being Yuengling Lager

Final Thoughts

There we have it! You’ve made it to the end. There’s definitely no denying that we Americans enjoy drinking and brewing beer. Now that you’ve taken the time to read through the above, we hope that we have been able to help you learn more about the thirstiest (as well as the least thirsty) states in the USA! 

Sources: 

https://www.zippia.com/advice/most-breweries-states/

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/09/14/how-much-beer-did-the-average-person-drink-in-every-state/40109241/

https://www.foodandwine.com/beer/most-popular-beer-every-state