Where Does Tennessee Rank In Beer Consumption?

Beer Is Still A Favorite Alcoholic Beverage In The U.S., But In 2020, Tennessee Beer Consumption Per Capita Was The 15th Lowest In The Country. 

Photo: Half-finished mugs of Calfkiller Brewing Company‘s craft beers. Calfkiller is a small family-owned brewery in Sparta, Tennessee.

Photo Credit: Calfkiller Brewing Company / Facebook

Published April 7, 2021

By Hristina Byrnes [24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square] –

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lifestyle restrictions have changed alcohol consumption habits, including shifting consumer preferences to wine and spirits. But beer is still a favorite alcoholic beverage in the U.S.

The average American adult consumed nearly 26 gallons of beer in 2020, which was about 3.2 gallons less than in 2010 but about the same as in 2016. Beer consumption tends to vary considerably across the country.

To determine the states where people drink the most and least amounts of beer, 24/7 Tempo reviewed annual beer shipment data per capita provided by Beer Marketer’s Insights, a brewing industry trade publisher. We used shipments as a proxy for consumption.

In 2020, beer consumption per capita was the 15th lowest in Tennessee. The average resident drank 24.2 gallons, about 1.4 gallons less than in 2016.

The five-year decline of 5.5% in beer consumption per capita in the state was the 19th smallest decrease in the U.S.

The 10-year change in Tennessee of 9.4% was the 18th smallest decrease in the country, down from 26.7 gallons in 2010.

There were 6,400 brewing facilities around the U.S. in 2019, producing the equivalent of more than 2.8 billion 24-container cases of 12-ounce cans or bottles, according to a report by the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Most of the beer people drink does not come from where they might think it does — there are at least 10 “imported” beers that are actually brewed in the U.S.