The Top Beer States

There are currently more breweries operating in the states than ever before and according to the Brewers Association more than seventy-five percent of Americans live within 10 miles of one. But when you calculate the number of a state’s residents up against the current number of breweries operating there, you come up with a Top-5 Beer State ranking that includes both the obvious and the surprising.

First of all a slight disclaimer…as with anything in the world of stats the specifics matter greatly and what we’re looking at here again is this simple equation ( # of the state’s breweries ÷  by its residents). If we were talking the sheer number of breweries in a given state the top-5 would of course skew differently.

1) Vermont

Although the Green Mountain State’s brewing identity has grown considerably the last couple of years as more out-of- state craft beer fans become familiar with breweries the caliber of Hill Farmstead and The Alchemist, it’s still kinda surprising. Even though the state was reporting only 44 craft breweries online in 2015, that number is offset by the state’s relatively small population. And that earned it a #1 ranking according the Brewers Association, who estimate that there was a convenient 8.6 breweries for every 100,000 Vermonters of legal drinking age.

2) Oregon

This one is, most certainly, not a surprise to most of you. With a reported 228 craft breweries operating in the Beaver State (love that nickname!), Oregon has a national reputation for brewing that is very much a part of the state’s DNA. Portland alone commands more breweries per capita than any city in America, and the state is  home to breweries like Cascade, Deschutes, Ninkasi, Crux Fermentation Project and countless others. And the fact that for every 100,000 legal drinkers there’s 7.7 breweries doesn’t suck either.

3) Colorado

We know, another shocker…the home of the Brewers Association (who run their national trade organization out of Boulder rather than in Washington, DC) made the list! Colorado is a craft beer leader in almost every category you can come up with. It’s home to one of the most important craft beer festivals in the world, the annual GABF, which returns to Denver in October, and home to legacy leaders like New Belgium, Left Hand, Avery, Oskar Blues, Odell and Great Divide. It’s also the home of upstarts like ACB fav, River North and graciously provides access to 7.3 breweries for every 100,000 legal drinker.

4) Montana

Who knew? It’s not like when you’re thinking craft beer, Montana comes immediately to mind. And like Vermont they had less the 50 operating craft breweries in 2015. But the Big Sky State is beloved for its wide and uncrowded spaces – and not a whole lot a people live there. Most of the state’s breweries like Big Sky and Great Northern, are mid-sized or smaller at best but there’s still 6.5 breweries for every resident over 21 and they’re all brewing spectacular beer.

5) Maine

Although almost neck and neck with Washington State, and close with Wyoming, Maine comes in at #5, with a worthy 5.9 breweries per resident. Home to craft beer legends like Rob Tod’s brilliant Allagash Brewing and the creative madness that drives Bissell Brothers, this northeastern border state has been a craft beer leader for over a decade – and is even a more vital today.