Bottoms up: Nevada ranks sixth for beer consumption

It might not surprise you to know, given the number of beer trucks making daily deliveries to casinos, bars, restaurants and taverns statewide, there are only a handful of states whose residents drink more beer on a per capita basis than Nevada, according to a new study.

The average Nevadan of legal drinking age consumes 35.8 gallons of beer a year. Nevada’s per capita average ranks sixth in the country, according to a study released Friday from the Beer Institute, a Washington, D.C., industry trade association.

The state-by-state report comes as many Nevadans enjoy a long Fourth of July weekend. Last year during the two weeks surrounding the Fourth of July, beer sales totaled $1.36 billion nationally, making it the largest selling category of food and beverage categories as reported by Nielsen.

“From hops producers to can and bottle makers … beer is an economic engine that contributes more than $246 billion to the U.S. economy,” said Joe McClain, president of the Beer Institute.

The industry also generated more than $49 billion in local, state and federal taxes in 2012.

According to the Beer Institute, the top five state that consumed the most per capita in 2012 were: North Dakota (45.8 gallons), New Hampshire (43.9 gallons), Montana (41 gallons), South Dakota (38.9 gallons), and Wisconsin (36.2 gallons).

Contact reporter Chris Sieroty at csieroty@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @sierotyfeatures on Twitter.