Illinois Among Best States For Beer Lovers

ILLINOIS — Americans love beer, and the proof is in the fact that consumers drank 26.6 gallons — yes, gallons — of beer and cider per person last year. But a new report by Groupon suggests some states are better than others for people who really, really like beer. The popular e-commerce site analyzed public and proprietary data to rank every state based on both the quality and affordability of beer, as well as enthusiasm for the adult beverage.

Illinois ranked fourth in the country, the report found, just behind Michigan and ahead of Massachusetts. Here’s a breakdown of that ranking:

• Quality of beer: 7
• Affordability of beer: 8
• Enthusiasm for beer: 14

California ranked as the best state for beer-lovers, highlighted by its No. 5 ranking in both quality and enthusiasm. Colorado, Michigan, Illinois and Massachusetts rounded out the top five.

Meanwhile, North Dakota ranked dead last for beer drinkers, ranking near the bottom in every category. Hawaii, Kansas, Alaska, New Mexico and Delaware were ranked the worst states.

The authors calculated quality by looking at the top five rated beer scores for each state on the review site BeerAdvocate.com. Massachusetts and Iowa ranked the best for beer quality, according to Groupon. Here are the top 5 beers in Illinois, according to BeerAdvocate:

1. Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout, Goose Island
1. Score: 4.67
2. V.S.O.J., Revolution Brewing
1. Score: 4.67
3. Bourbon County Brand Stout, Goose Island
1. Score: 4.6
4. Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout, Goose Island
1. Score: 4.6
5. Clare's Thirsty Ale, Haymarket Beer Co.
1. Score: 4.53

The authors also considered how expensive a beer is. Specifically, they looked at the cost of a 12-ounce Miller Lite in bars and the price of a 24-pack of Miller Lite or Bud Light at Total Wine and Walmart. The higher the rank, the more expensive the beers. Michigan ranked as the cheapest place to buy beer, followed by South Carolina and Colorado. In fact, Michigan is one of just two states that will buy back empties for 10 cents each.

“It’s like they’re literally paying you to drink beer,” the authors wrote.

Finally, the authors looked at enthusiasm — the thirst, if you will, of each state. This was determined by looking at the rate of beer-related Groupons sold per 1,000 people in each state last year. Despite its ranking among states for the worst and most expensive beer in the country, Nevada was ranked the thirstiest state in the nation, buying the most beer-tastings and brewery tours per capita.

“In that light, Nevadans’ passion for beer is downright admirable, considering they’re drinking some of the most expensive, lowest-quality beer in the nation,” the authors wrote. “It may not be great, and it may be a little pricey, but that’s never stopped Nevada before.”

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.