The Beer Institute (BI) released data on your drinking habits. (Yes, they're watching you. Always watching you). In an annual state-by-state analysis, the BI found that overall beer consumption in the U.S. rose 1.5 percent in 2012, pointing to "above normal winter and spring temperatures" as the culprit to the boost in beer sells.
Here are some interesting points from the study:
• On average, each legal-aged drinker in the U.S. "drank a little less than one 12-ounce beer per day in 2012. That equates to about 300 beers per year."
• The brewing business employs more than two million Americans from barley farmers to retailers to delivery drivers.
• If you partake in any activities associated with beer, you're also doing your part to keep the lights on in this great country. The beer industry contributed $49 million to the tax coffers in 2012.
• The report goes on to point out that "more than 40 percent of the retail cost of beer paid by consumers goes toward taxes, on a national average, making taxes the most expensive ingredient in beer."
• One last number: Joe McClain, president of the Beer Institute, said that in total beer contributes more than$246 billion to the U.S. economy.
The B.I. also broke out beer sells per state.
North Dakota ranks first in consumption per capita with a dizzying 45.8 gallons of beer per person a year. That's about a gallon a week. New Hampshire is second in consumption at almost 44 gallons per person. The leanest states are Connecticut and Utah at around 20 gallons per capita per year.
Texas just barely broke the top 10, coming in ninth in total consumption per capita, with an average of 34.4 gallons. In all, Texans consume a total of 17,934,667 gallons of beer a year.
Below is the top 10 for consumption: 1. North Dakota 2. New Hampshire 3. Montana 4. South Dakota 5. Wisconsin 6. Nevada 7. Vermont 8. Nebraska 9. Texas 10. Maine
Bottom 10: 51. (D.C. is included in rankings, thus 51) Utah 50. Connecticut 49. New Jersey 48. New York 47. Maryland 46. Kentucky 45. Washington 44. California 43. Georgia 42. Indiana
The kids at Wisconsin News got busy with the numbers and whipped out this interactive map that's fun to tinker with.
