Which state drinks the most alcohol? Here’s a ranking of all 50 (plus DC) (excerpt)
By Kevin Kaduk
June 28, 2021
Mon, June 28, 2021, 4:06 PM·9 min readAmericans like to drink alcohol. A lot of alcohol. According to a study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Americans drank 7.8 billion gallons of alcohol in 2018. That breaks down to 6.3 billion gallons of beer, 900 million gallons of wine and 570 million gallons of hard liquor and spirits. Per capita, that breaks down to 2.35 gallons per person or about 501 drinks annually. Some states and regions, however, drink more than others. Here’s a ranking of all 50 states plus Washington D.C. when it comes to drinking alcohol.
51. Utah
No big surprise here. The residents of Utah consume an average of just 1.35 gallons a year, more than three times less than the No. 1 spot on this list.
50. West Virginia
West Virginia will have to take solace in the fact that they’re still the nation’s top coal producer. The Mountaineer State consumes only 1.74 gallons of alcohol each year.
49. Arkansas
Arkansans drink 1.78 gallons of alcohol a year. Not sure if this pint that Bill Clinton tipped in Dublin when he was President of the United States would’ve counted toward that total.
48. Oklahoma
Oklahomas drink 1.85 gallons a year, often when they’re cheering on the Sooners, Cowboys or Thunder.
47. Georgia
The eighth-most populous state in the country, Georgia consumes a total of 16.4 million gallons of alcohol each year, which puts them 11th in the nation. Their average of 1.9 gallons, however, ranks much lower.
46. Kansas
Maybe the Sunflower State’s average of 1.92 gallons will go up now that grocery stores are no longer required to sell beer that only contains 3.2 percent alcohol.
45. Kentucky
All that great bourbon nearby and Kentuckians only average 1.95 gallons per year? (Would have figured they’d pass that just on Derby Day — or after the Wildcats or Cardinals get bounced from the tournament.)
44. Alabama
Bama comes in at 1.99 gallons, much of it consumed while watching the cars heat up at Talladega.
43. Ohio
Ohio residents drink 2.03 gallons per year, the lowest amount of any state in the upper Midwest.
42. Maryland
Maryland ranks 42nd with 2.08 gallons per year, even though the Orioles have given residents plenty of reason to drink way more.
41. Virginia
Virginia has a sneaky-good vineyard scene and its most famous resident, George Washington, loved to make his own beer at home. Today’s residents drink 2.13 gallons a year.
40. Tennessee
Tennessee drinks 2.14 gallons a year, much of it presumably in Jack Daniels.
39. Indiana
Hoosiers drink 2.15 gallons a year, though never before climbing behind the wheel of an Indy Car.
37. Nebraska
Omaha has an underrated night life and is a perfect spot for drinking an average of 2.16 gallons of alcohol per year.
37. South Carolina
Tied with Nebraska, the Palmetto State drinks 2.16 gallons per year.
35. Mississippi
“The Grove” at the University of Mississippi pulls its fair share of weight before football games as the state averages 2.17 gallons per year.
35. North Carolina
Sierra Nevada has an outpost in Asheville and it produces beer that goes toward the state’s average of 2.17 gallons a year.
34. New York
This is somewhat of a shocker! New York’s average of 2.21 gallons ranks below 33 places that aren’t renowned for having a city that never sleeps.
33. Washington
How many beer funnels at a Seahawks game do you have to take to reach Washington’s average of 2.22 gallons?
32. Arizona
More than a few beers are consumed on hot golf courses, which helps Arizona to its average of 2.25 gallons per year.
30. Texas
The Lone Star state consumes an average of 2.26 gallons of alcohol a year.