USA, NH: New Hampshire is America’s first drinking state

Total consumption of beer in the US has fallen for the 3rd year running, according to a report published by the Beer Institute, a US beer lobbying group, Live Trading News reported on October, 12.

Since 2008, total beer consumption has fallen by as much as 11% in some states.

Nationwide, 28.3 gal of beer a year were consumed for every American of legal age.

Some states consume far less than others. In Connecticut, only 21.8 gallons were purchased per resident in 2011. In Utah, it was just 19.2 gallons. In three states, however, the Beer Institute estimates that more than 40 gallons of beer were consumed per person. In New Hampshire per capita beer consumption is 43.0 gals which makes it America’s first beer drinking state.

While beer consumption in New Hampshire fell 1.8% between 2003 and 2011, it declined 7.5% nationally.

Nearly 66% of people had a drink in the past 30 days through 2011, 2nd only to Wisconsin. Although the state has the highest per-capita consumption, only 18.7% of the population are considered binge drinkers, just slightly over the 18.3% national rate.

New Hampshire has a tax of 30 cents per gal of beer. In neighboring Vermont, it runs as high as 55 cents a gal if alcohol content is more than 6%.

New Hampshire may have the highest beer consumption partly because Vermont and Massachusetts residents come there to purchase alcohol.

12 October, 2012