Which state drinks the most alcohol? Here’s a ranking of all 50 (plus DC)
Which state drinks the most alcohol? Here's a ranking of all 50 (plus DC)
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Americans 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
(AP Photo/Colin Braley)
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
(AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
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
(AP Photo/Pat Maxwell)
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
(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Oklahomas drink 1.85 gallons a year, often when they're cheering on the Sooners, Cowboys or Thunder.
47. Georgia
(Photo by Davis Turner/Getty Images)
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
(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
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
(AP Photo/Ben Margot)
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
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Bama comes in at 1.99 gallons, much of it consumed while watching the cars heat up at Talladega.
43. Ohio
(AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
Ohio residents drink 2.03 gallons per year, the lowest amount of any state in the upper Midwest.
42. Maryland
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
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
(AP Photo/Sally Carpenter Hale)
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
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Tennessee drinks 2.14 gallons a year, much of it presumably in Jack Daniels.
39. Indiana
(AP Photo/R Brent Smith)
Hoosiers drink 2.15 gallons a year, though never before climbing behind the wheel of an Indy Car.
37. Nebraska
(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
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
(AP Photo/Bruce Smith)
Tied with Nebraska, the Palmetto State drinks 2.16 gallons per year.
35. MIssissippi
(AP Photo/Thomas Graning)
"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
(AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz, File)
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
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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
(Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
How many beer funnels at a Seahawks game do you have to take to reach Washington's average of 2.22 gallons?
32. Arizona
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
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
(Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images for Rock n' Roll)
The Lone Star state consumes an average of 2.26 gallons of alcohol a year.
30. New Mexico
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images for Lumix)
New Mexico has far fewer people than neighbor Texas but its per capita average of 2.26 gallons is right in line with their friends across the state border.
29. Pennsylvania
(Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Pennsylvanians would presumably drink more than 2.34 gallons per year if they didn't make buying alcohol such a convoluted process.
27. Michigan
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
Michiganders drink an average of 2.36 gallons of alcohol per year.
27. New Jersey
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Like Michigan, the state of New Jersey averages 2.26 gallons per years. That's .05 more than New York.
26. South Dakota
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
South Dakota averages 2.37 gallons per year, which seems impressive for the fourth-smallest state ... until you find out the three states that are smaller all drink more.
24. Illinois
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
A sunny day at Wrigley Field goes a long way toward Illinois' average of 2.39 gallons per year.
24. Iowa
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Iowa drinks just as much as its nextdoor neighbor, Illinois. Not surprising for Big Ten country.
23. Connecticut
(AP Photo/Steve Miller, File)
Connecticut residents drink an average of 2.4 gallons each year.
22. California
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
The most populous state ranks 22nd per capita with 2.49 gallons a year, but first overall in total volume with 81.2 million gallons.
21. Missouri
(AP Photo/Kyle Ericson, file)
The home of the Budweiser consumes an average of 2.51 gallons each year.
19. Louisiana
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Louisiana residents weigh in with 2.55 gallons. You have to assume it'd be higher if they counted the tourists on Bourbon Street.
19. Massachusetts
(Photo by Aynsley Floyd/Invision for Gillette/AP Images)
Sam Adams would be proud of the 2.55 gallons that Massachusetts residents drink each year.
18. Florida
(AP Photo/J Pat Carter)
Nothing better than some sun, sand and the 2.61 gallons that Floridians drink to pass the time each year.
17. Rhode Island
(AP Photo/Victoria Arocho)
Rhode Islanders drink an average of 2.63 gallons per year, which is ahead of a lot of the country, but still near the back of the pack when we're talking about New England.
16. Hawaii
(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
OK, who wants to drink one of these right now? (Hawaii consumes 2.66 gallons each year, by the way.)
15. Oregon
(AP Photo/Don Ryan)
Some of the best craft beer in the nation comes out of Oregon so it's easy to see why Oregonians drink 2.74 gallons each year.
14. Wyoming
(MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Sparsely-populated Wyoming has the lowest total volume in the United States with just 1.3 millions gallons, but each resident pulls his or her share with 2.78 gallons per capita.
13. Minnesota
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
As we get into the heaviest-drinking states, you'll notice that most of them share a common temperature in the winter (cold). Minnesota is definitely one of them and consumes 2.79 gallons a year.
11. Maine
(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Who's hungry for some lobster? (Maine = 2.85 gallons a year)
11. Alaska
(AP Photo/Joshua Berlinger)
Alaska is on the exact opposite side of the United States from Maine, but consumes the exact same amount (2.85) as their northeastern friends.
10. Colorado
(AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
The host of the Great American Beer festival does its share of drinking the rest of the year with 2.88 gallons per capita.
9. Wisconsin
(AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)
This is somewhat of a shocker! We went into this list thinking Wisconsin would be No. 1, but it'll have to settle for top 10 with 2.93 gallons a year.
8. Idaho
(AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger)
Did you know you can make vodka from potatoes? Maybe that's why Idaho ranks so high with 2.94 gallons per capita.
7. Vermont
(AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)
The state that produces the most maple syrup ranks eighth in alcohol consumption with 3.06 gallons each year.
6. Montana
(AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz, File)
We'd like to enjoy this view with a beer as well. Montana is sixth in the country with 3.1 gallons a year.
5. North Dakota
(AP Photo/Blake Nicholson, File)
Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope ... drink 3.16 gallons per capita each year.
4. Nevada
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The residents of Nevada work hard and they drink hard. To the tune of 3.42 gallons each year.
3. Delaware
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Dogfish Head has been doing craft beer for a long time and people nearby like to get after it, drinking 3.52 gallons each year. Not quite the First State in these rankings, but awfully close.
2. Washington D.C.
(SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Do we really have to tell you why D.C. ranks second on this list with 3.77 gallons each year?
1. New Hampshire
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Take a bow, New Hampshire residents. You rank first by a long mile with 4.67 gallons. Is there something you'd like to talk about?
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