United States
Mapped: Beer Consumption in the U.S.
Mapped: Beer Consumption in the U.S.
Beer consumption spans almost the entire world, and is a staple in much of the United States.
When stacked up next to other alcoholic beverages, beer is America’s preferred drink of choice, closely followed by wine and spirits. In fact, it is the fifth most-consumed drink overall in the country, behind coffee, water, soft drinks and tea.
At the end of 2021, beer in the U.S. was a $94.1 billion industry. Alongside massive multinational conglomerations, it is also driven by over 9,000 breweries of different types.
This visualization, created by Victor Dépré of Hypntic Data, maps the consumption of beer by gallons per capita across the U.S. using data from Top Agency and The Beer Institute.
What is Beer?
Beer is produced from the fermentation of combined water, malt, and yeast. It was first produced 12,000 years ago with the emergence of grain agriculture.
Today, beer is made from several different malted grains: wheat, corn, rice, oats, and most commonly, barley. Hops, a type of flower, are added for flavor, balancing out the malt’s sweetness with a bitter taste while also preserving the beer’s freshness and giving a good amount of foam.
American Beer Consumption By State
So which states drank the most beer, and what was their preferred brand?
The annual consumption stats come from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac report, while the preferred beer of choice was compiled by Data Agency’s 2021 Beer Rankings report, which is based on a combination of surveys combined with Google search analysis from all over the country.
Beer Consumption By State (2020) | Annual Gallons Per Capita | Preferred Beer |
---|---|---|
Alabama | 29.1 | Budweiser |
Alaska | 26.1 | |
Arizona | 27.0 | Dos Equis |
Arkansas | 23.9 | Budweiser |
California | 24.5 | Budweiser |
Colorado | 28.1 | Denver Beer Co |
Connecticut | 19.8 | Bud Light |
Delaware | 27.9 | Dogfish Head |
District of Columbia | 18.2 | |
Florida | 25.4 | Stella |
Georgia | 23.0 | Terrapin |
Hawaii | 26.7 | |
Idaho | 25.0 | Budweiser |
Illinois | 25.9 | Goose Island |
Indiana | 23.6 | Miller Light |
Iowa | 31.0 | Budweiser |
Kansas | 27.8 | Coors Light |
Kentucky | 23.1 | Budweiser |
Louisiana | 28.4 | Abita |
Maine | 32.5 | Budweiser |
Maryland | 19.7 | Budweiser |
Massachusetts | 21.1 | Budweiser |
Michigan | 23.6 | Budweiser |
Minnesota | 27.1 | Budweiser |
Mississippi | 31.6 | Lazy Magnolia |
Missouri | 26.9 | Budweiser |
Montana | 41.1 | Budweiser |
Nebraska | 31.6 | Nebraska Black Betty |
Nevada | 29.0 | Coors Light |
New Hampshire | 41.5 | Budweiser |
New Jersey | 20.0 | Miller Light |
New Mexico | 27.7 | La Cumbre |
New York | 20.2 | Budweiser |
North Carolina | 25.8 | Bud Light |
North Dakota | 37.5 | Fargo |
Ohio | 25.5 | Heineken |
Oklahoma | 26.8 | Budweiser |
Oregon | 27.7 | Budweiser |
Pennsylvania | 24.9 | Bud Light |
Rhode Island | 20.1 | Narragansett |
South Carolina | 32.5 | Budweiser |
South Dakota | 37.3 | Budweiser |
Tennessee | 24.2 | Budweiser |
Texas | 31.9 | Lone Star |
Utah | 20.0 | Budweiser |
Vermont | 34.0 | Bud Light |
Virginia | 24.2 | Budweiser |
Washington | 23.7 | Bud Light |
West Virginia | 27.8 | Budweiser |
Wisconsin | 33.7 | Spotted Cow |
Wyoming | 29.8 | Snake River |
New Hampshire took the top spot in 2020, outdrinking other states with 41.5 gallons of beer consumed annually per capita. In contrast, the lowest consuming state was Maryland which only consumed 19.7 gallons per capita, about half as much.
The most popular beer?
Despite the growing trend of craft breweries in some states, the most popular beer across the country was Budweiser of Anheuser-Busch, which took the top spot in 23 states.
Which State Has The Most Breweries?
Each state also has varying numbers of breweries operating within, and there are many different types.
Larger breweries, including those run by some of the world’s largest companies, are also called macrobreweries. They are usually defined as having an annual production greater than 6 million barrels of beer, compared to craft breweries and other types of microbreweries which have a lower annual production.
Craft breweries are also usually independently owned, and through both positioning and general perception, have come to be associated with specialties and originality, adding unique and interesting ingredients to traditional brews.
Breweries By State (2020) | # of Breweries |
---|---|
Alabama | 70 |
Alaska | 68 |
Arizona | 170 |
Arkansas | 73 |
California | 1,466 |
Colorado | 565 |
Connecticut | 163 |
Delaware | 49 |
District of Columbia | 17 |
Florida | 505 |
Georgia | 191 |
Hawaii | 46 |
Idaho | 116 |
Illinois | 406 |
Indiana | 283 |
Iowa | 151 |
Kansas | 83 |
Kentucky | 119 |
Louisiana | 67 |
Maine | 201 |
Maryland | 177 |
Massachusetts | 304 |
Michigan | 611 |
Minnesota | 291 |
Mississippi | 26 |
Missouri | 215 |
Montana | 130 |
Nebraska | 74 |
Nevada | 73 |
New Hampshire | 133 |
New Jersey | 188 |
New Mexico | 154 |
New York | 680 |
North Carolina | 514 |
North Dakota | 31 |
Ohio | 497 |
Oklahoma | 91 |
Oregon | 431 |
Pennsylvania | 642 |
Rhode Island | 50 |
South Carolina | 135 |
South Dakota | 59 |
Tennessee | 196 |
Texas | 532 |
Utah | 54 |
Vermont | 106 |
Virginia | 425 |
Washington | 633 |
West Virginia | 37 |
Wisconsin | 364 |
Wyoming | 52 |
California has the highest number of breweries in the country, more than double any other state, at 1,466.
On the flip side, Mississippi has the fewest breweries, with the most recent Beer Institute’s 2021 almanac only listing 26 in the entire state.
Beer Sales During the Pandemic
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, commonplace items saw massive spikes in sales across the world.
As lockdowns were implemented and people were forced to stay at home, household items like toilet paper, soap, and pastas began to disappear from store shelves at alarmingly fast rates. Beer was no exception, and sales have continued to increase, going up by 8.9% in the U.S. since 2020.
This is a worrisome fact to many researchers, as it could be a strong indicator that alcohol was used as a coping mechanism against anxiety and isolation felt during the pandemic. This rise could be a result of increased consumption, but may also indicate increased stockpiling.
Regardless of why beer sales increased, it will be interesting to see which way the trend swings with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the attempted return to normalcy in the months to come.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Maps
Mapped: Renewable Energy and Battery Installations in the U.S. in 2023
This graphic describes new U.S. renewable energy installations by state along with nameplate capacity, planned to come online in 2023.

Renewable and Battery Installations in the U.S. in 2023
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Renewable energy, in particular solar power, is set to shine in 2023. This year, the U.S. plans to get over 80% of its new energy installations from sources like battery, solar, and wind.
The above map uses data from EIA to highlight planned U.S. renewable energy and battery storage installations by state for 2023.
Texas and California Leading in Renewable Energy
Nearly every state in the U.S. has plans to produce new clean energy in 2023, but it’s not a surprise to see the two most populous states in the lead of the pack.
Even though the majority of its power comes from natural gas, Texas currently leads the U.S. in planned renewable energy installations. The state also has plans to power nearly 900,000 homes using new wind energy.
California is second, which could be partially attributable to the passing of Title 24, an energy code that makes it compulsory for new buildings to have the equipment necessary to allow the easy installation of solar panels, battery storage, and EV charging.
New solar power in the U.S. isn’t just coming from places like Texas and California. In 2023, Ohio will add 1,917 MW of new nameplate solar capacity, with Nevada and Colorado not far behind.
Top 10 States | Battery (MW) | Solar (MW) | Wind (MW) | Total (MW) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Texas | 1,981 | 6,462 | 1,941 | 10,385 |
California | 4,555 | 4,293 | 123 | 8,970 |
Nevada | 678 | 1,596 | 0 | 2,274 |
Ohio | 12 | 1,917 | 5 | 1,934 |
Colorado | 230 | 1,187 | 200 | 1,617 |
New York | 58 | 509 | 559 | 1,125 |
Wisconsin | 4 | 939 | 92 | 1,034 |
Florida | 3 | 978 | 0 | 980 |
Kansas | 0 | 0 | 843 | 843 |
Illinois | 0 | 363 | 477 | 840 |
The state of New York is also looking to become one of the nation’s leading renewable energy providers. The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) is making real strides towards this objective with 11% of the nation’s new wind power projects expected to come online in 2023.
According to the data, New Hampshire is the only state in the U.S. that has no new utility-scale renewable energy installations planned for 2023. However, the state does have plans for a massive hydroelectric plant that should come online in 2024.
Decarbonizing Energy
Renewable energy is considered essential to reduce global warming and CO2 emissions.
In line with the efforts by each state to build new renewable installations, the Biden administration has set a goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The EIA forecasts the share of U.S. electricity generation from renewable sources rising from 22% in 2022 to 23% in 2023 and to 26% in 2024.
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