Here’s How Maryland Ranks For Beer Lovers

MARYLAND — Americans love beer, and the proof is in the fact that consumers drank 26.6 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 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.

Maryland ranked 39th in the country, the report found, just behind Texas and ahead of Alabama. It wasn't for lack of interest; the Free State was ranked 23rd for enthusiasm, which Groupon determined based on the amount of beer-related deals it sold.

In part, Maryland was knocked down in the rankings because of its lack of cheap brews. The site looked at the price of a 12-ounce beer in determining affordability, and our state was close to the bottom of the barrel there, at 44 out of 50.

Here’s a breakdown of Maryland's ranking:

• Quality of beer: 31
• Affordability of beer: 44
• Enthusiasm for beer: 23

California ranked as the best state for beer lovers and was ranked No. 5 for both beer quality and beer 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 also among the lowest-scoring 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.

There are 71 breweries around the state as of April 2019, according to the Maryland Office of Tourism. Here are the top five beers in Maryland, according to BeerAdvocate, which uses a 5-point scale and gives weight to the number of ratings:

• Gose Gone Wild
  • Score: 4.39
  • Brewed by Stillwater Artisinal Ales of Baltimore
  • Alcohol by volume: 4.60%
• J.R.E.A.M. - Blackberry Cobbler
  • Score: 4.51
  • Brewed by Burley Oak Brewing Company of Berlin
  • Alcohol by volume: 4.80%
• 10 Layer
  • Score: 4.32
  • Brewed by RaR Brewing in Cambridge
  • Alcohol by volume: 8.6%
• Double Duckpin
  • Score: 4.26
  • Brewed by Union Craft Brewing in Baltimore
  • Alcohol by volume: 8.50%
• Hyde
  • Score: 4.3
  • Brewed by RaR Brewing in Cambridge
  • Alcohol by volume: 6.60%

In considering how expensive a beer is, analysts 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, Groupon tabulated enthusiasm by looking at the rate of beer-related Groupons sold per 1,000 people in each state last year. Despite scoring among the worst states for beer quality and price 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.