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.
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:
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 |
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 |