When it comes to the best U.S. states to live in as a craft beer aficionado, some simply out-brew the rest. In a recent report, the Brewers Association (BA) shared insight into the nation’s 2022 craft beer production.

Vermont tops the list for the most beer production per capita with an impressive 20.1 gallons brewed for every resident of drinking age. There, drinkers can visit 78 craft breweries across the state’s 9,616 square miles. Meanwhile, California takes the gold for the amount of craft barrels produced at a whopping 3,551,344 total. The Golden State, known for legends like Russian River Brewing, also holds the top spot for economic impact, with a total of $9 billion generated across its 957 craft breweries.

On the other end of the spectrum, some states in the Midwest and South reported the least output. Mississippi ranks last nationwide, producing just 21,963 craft barrels last year. The nation’s bourbon capital, Kentucky, also ranks on the lower half in craft production, capturing the No. 36 spot with 118,974 barrels.

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Last year, the U.S. produced 24.3 million barrels of craft beer nationwide — a 1 percent increase year-over-year. Output volume across all beer categories fell 3 percent from 2021.

Keep reading to learn how your state ranks in craft beer production.

The states that produce the most craft beer overall:

The states that produce the most craft beer overall [map]

Rank State Craft Barrels Produced
1 California 3,551,344
2 Pennsylvania 3,126,983
3 New York 1,368,763
4 Texas 1,300,773
5 Florida 1,294,174
6 Ohio 1,286,389
7 Wisconsin 1,078,665
8 North Carolina 898,929
9 Oregon 867,236
10 Colorado 834,006
11 Minnesota 594,606
12 Washington 577,730
12 Georgia 558,362
14 Massachusetts 493,365
15 Virginia 460,315
16 Illinois 426,862
17 Maine 376,702
18 Missouri 349,019
19 Michigan 324,975
20 Vermont 324,505
21 Connecticut 313,547
21 Maryland 295,123
23 Delaware 260,564
24 Indiana 252,406
25 Arizona 224,375
26 New Jersey 222,062
27 Tennessee 218,061
28 Louisiana 204,052
29 Montana 196,941
30 Hawaii 187,269
31 Alaska 162,102
32 New Mexico 159,753
33 Utah 152,402
34 Iowa 144,786
35 South Carolina 140,975
36 Kentucky 118,974
37 New Hampshire 115,145
38 Idaho 100,069
39 Alabama 95,185
40 Rhode Island 85,154
41 Oklahoma 81,409
42 Nevada 76,710
43 Wyoming 66,994
44 Arkansas 53,162
45 Nebraska 50,099
46 Kansas 42,822
47 Washington D.C. 37,315
48 South Carolina 26,459
49 West Virginia 23,630
50 North Dakota 23,183
51 Mississippi 20,963

States that produce the most craft beer per capita [map]

The states that produce the most craft beer per capita:

Rank State Gallons of Craft Beer Per Capita
1 Vermont 20.1
2 Maine 10.7
3 Delaware 10.5
4 Pennsylvania 9.9
5 Alaska 9.5
6 Oregon 8.3
7 Wisconsin 7.6
8 Montana 7.2
9 Colorado 5.9
10 Hawaii 5.3
11 Wyoming 4.9
12 Ohio 4.6
12 Minnesota 4.4
14 California 3.8
15 Connecticut 3.5
16 North Carolina 3.5
17 New Hampshire 3.3
18 New Mexico 3.2
19 Rhode Island 3.2
20 Washington 3.1
21 Massachusetts 2.9
21 New York 2.9
23 Missouri 2.4
24 Florida 2.3
25 Washington D.C. 2.3
26 Idaho 2.2
27 Virginia 2.2
28 Georgia 2.2
29 Utah 2.2
30 Maryland 2.0
31 Iowa 1.9
32 Texas 1.9
33 Louisiana 1.9
34 Indiana 1.6
35 Illinois 1.4
36 Michigan 1.3
37 North Dakota 1.3
38 Tennessee 1.3
39 Arizona 1.3
40 South Dakota 1.3
41 Kentucky 1.1
42 Nebraska 1.1
43 South Carolina 1.1
44 Nevada 1.0
45 New Jersey 1.0
46 Oklahoma 0.9
47 Alabama 0.8
48 Arkansas 0.7
49 Kansas 0.6
50 West Virginia 0.5
51 Mississippi 0.3

 

Published: June 29, 2023