The States Of Craft Beer

C+R Research, a prominent Chicago marketing insights agency, recently released a report that took on craft beer, ranking states with the most breweries per capita and the economic impact that they helped generate.

It was an interesting study with more than a few surprises and here are some of its highlights…

Brewery Growth

The data used for the study was compiled by the Boulder, Colorado-based trade organization the Brewers Association, as well as by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. And some of the states that showed the greatest growth might surprise you…

New Jersey and Kentucky led the country tying for first place having grown 43% since 2015.

The report attributed New Jersey’s upswing to new taproom laws which allow smaller breweries to sell beer by keg as well as by the glass. In Kentucky changes in law that increased its brewing cap, allowing breweries to produce more beer, was directly credited for that state’s growth.

Following New Jersey and Kentucky was Oklahoma with 39% growth, North Carolina with 37% growth, Virginia with 36% growth and New Hampshire with 33%.

States with the Most Breweries Per Capita (Based on Adults 21+)

1.  Vermont – 11.5 breweries per capita
2. Montana & Maine (tie) – 9.6 breweries per capita
3. Oregon – 8.5 breweries per capita
4. Colorado – 8.4 breweries per capita
5. Alaska – 6.8 breweries per capita
6. Washington – 6.7 breweries per capita
7. Wyoming – 5.7 breweries per capita
8. New Hampshire – 5.6 breweries per capita
9. Idaho & Michigan (tie) – 4.5 breweries per capita

When looking for nationwide patterns, C+R Research found a heavy craft brewery presence in the Midwest and not surprisingly in the Pacific Northwest as well.

Due to a legacy of prohibitive laws (some that date back to the Prohibition era) the South seems to have the lowest amount of craft breweries, noting that both “Georgia and Alabama ban craft breweries from selling their beer directly to visitors.”