The State That Drinks The Most Beer May Surprise You

Beer lovers will know there are very few things that come close to the feeling of cracking open a cold one. That first sip feeling is what has Americans consuming 6.3 billion gallons of beer every year, according to a report by Kirin Holdings. Americans love beer so much that it ranks second in global beer consumption, after China's 9.5 billion gallons. A survey by Statista showed it's the number one alcoholic beverage of choice for U.S. adults of legal drinking age, surpassing wine and spirits. Plus, beer ranks fourth in overall drinks, behind coffee, water, soft drinks, and tea.

With so many types of beer to toast with, from lager to pilsner and ale, it's clear that Americans drink a lot of beer. But which state drinks the most beer? Take a guess. The answer may surprise you. Here is the state that consumes the most beer and the reasons why.

This New England state tops the beer charts with a whopping 41.5 gallons of beer consumed annually per adult over the age of 21. The report comes from Hypntic Data, using data by the Top Agency and The Beer Institute, compiled in a beer consumption map. Comparatively, the state that drinks the least beer is Maryland, with 19.7 gallons of beer per adult.

The map reveals that the most popular beer in the state is Budweiser, identical to that of Maryland. So, at least they have that in common. Surprisingly, Budweiser is the beer of choice in 23 states, according to Top Agency. Furthermore, the map highlights the number of beer breweries in New Hampshire, with 135 breweries. In case you were curious, the state with the most breweries is California, with 1,465.

If you ever meet anyone from New Hampshire, chances are they could outdrink you on beer.

Aside from beer being a classic alcoholic drink for any occasion, it's (usually) cheaper than wines and spirits. A key factor that makes New Hampshire the top beer consumer is that there is no sales tax for customers. On the other hand, beer vendors have to pay a state tax of 30 cents per gallon and federal taxes on beers sold, according to the Sales Tax Handbook. To put that into perspective, alcohol drinkers in Washington pay 20.5% tax on all spirits, and retailers pay 13.7% tax to distributors.

As if cheap beer isn't enticing enough, New Hampshire is also home to award-winning local breweries across its seven regions. There's even a handy beer map of the state by Brew NH that marks each brewery for you to visit. With so many reasons to toast, let's raise a glass of beer to New Hampshire and its love for the fermented malt drink.