Histomap: Visualizing the 4,000 Year History of Global Power

4 min read Original article ↗

Mapped: Which States Brew the Most Craft Beer?

See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

  • Seven states brewed more than 1 million barrels of craft beer in 2025 and together accounted for 53% of U.S. production.
  • California led the nation with 3.45 million barrels, nearly one in six craft beer barrels brewed nationwide.
  • Vermont and Maine ranked among the strongest producers relative to population, out-brewing several much larger states.

American craft brewers produced roughly 22 million barrels of beer in 2025, the equivalent of more than 7 billion 12-ounce cans. That output is concentrated in a few key states.

This map shows the barrels of craft beer produced in every U.S. state in 2025, based on data from the Brewers Association. Figures reflect the association’s June 2026 revision and cover all 50 states plus Washington, D.C.

To count as craft, a brewery must produce no more than 6 million barrels per year and be less than 25% owned by a large alcohol company. One barrel equals 31 gallons, or roughly 330 twelve-ounce cans.

California Brews Nearly One in Every Six U.S. Craft Beers

California tops the nation with 3.45 million barrels of craft beer brewed in 2025. The state’s 939 craft breweries are also the most in the country, well ahead of second-place Pennsylvania’s 538.

Pennsylvania ranks second in volume at 2.0 million barrels, with much of that total coming from Yuengling, America’s oldest operating brewery, founded in 1829, and its largest craft brewer by volume.

The data table below shows each state’s total production of craft beer in 2025 in barrels:

RankStateBarrels of Craft Beer Produced (2025)
1California3,450,329
2Pennsylvania2,004,382
3Texas1,422,277
4Ohio1,298,489
5New York1,281,220
6Florida1,153,556
7Oregon1,109,391
8Colorado854,707
9Massachusetts812,974
10North Carolina772,964
11Wisconsin609,271
12Georgia601,462
13Washington533,296
14Minnesota466,625
15Connecticut450,232
16Illinois409,589
17Vermont357,138
18Virginia342,075
19Maine338,405
20Missouri284,297
21Michigan267,660
22Arizona229,212
23Indiana222,088
24Montana216,992
25Delaware186,803
26Hawaii179,149
27Maryland176,644
28Tennessee174,083
29New Jersey161,094
30Louisiana155,643
31Iowa134,108
32Alaska133,395
33New Mexico132,852
34South Carolina125,086
35Kentucky121,865
36Utah102,241
37New Hampshire88,320
38Alabama80,869
39Arkansas71,520
40Oklahoma69,318
41Idaho64,945
42Wyoming63,130
43Rhode Island59,768
44Nevada54,683
45Nebraska46,358
46Kansas35,059
47District of Columbia30,036
48West Virginia21,562
49South Dakota21,183
50North Dakota19,051
51Mississippi18,262

In total, seven states: California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, New York, Florida, and Oregon, each brewed more than 1 million barrels in 2025. Together, they accounted for 53% of all U.S. craft beer production.

At the other end of the list, Mississippi brewed 18,262 barrels of craft beer in 2025, the least of any state.

Big States’ Beer Brewing and What Defines Craft

Population explains much of the order, as the four most populous states, California, Texas, Florida, and New York, all rank in the top six, but not all of it. Ohio’s 1.3 million barrels edge out far larger New York and Florida, while Illinois, the sixth-most populous state, ranks just 16th at 409,589 barrels.

Smaller states punch above their weight, too: Vermont, the second-smallest state by population, brewed 357,138 barrels in 2025, out-brewing far larger Virginia and Michigan, with Maine close behind at 338,405. Demand varies just as much as supply, with Americans’ alcohol spending per capita differing widely from state to state.

Because the Brewers Association’s definition hinges on independent ownership, state totals can shift when breweries change hands. Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing, in 2019, and Michigan’s Bell’s Brewery, in 2021, were both acquired by Lion, a subsidiary of Japan’s Kirin. This moved their volumes out of the craft column and dented both states’ totals.

That helps explain why Michigan’s 410 craft breweries produced just 268,660 barrels in 2025, ranking the state 21st by volume.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Which States Have the Most Breweries Per Person? on Voronoi.

Map of the United States shading each state by barrels of craft beer produced in 2025, with California darkest at 3.5 million barrels and a U.S. total of 22 million barrels.