Which State Drinks The Most Beer?

It's no surprise that Americans love themselves a nice, cold beer. But, what states love the brews the most just may surprise you.

The Beer Institute put out its bi-annual list of the top beer-consuming states in the U.S. for 2012. North Dakota, New Hampshire, Montana, South Dakota, and Wisconsin made up the top five despite many being lightly populated states. North Dakota beer drinkers were putting them away with 45.8 gallons per capita consumption. This was more than twice the national average of 28.2 gallons per capita consumption. 

Beer brewers also shipped 206,177,046 gallons total nationally in 2012, with California shipping the most beer at 22,317,858 gallons.

The report also put out other beer-related stats about 2012 in its report. The beer industry employed 1,077,020 people nationally and was responsible for $31,791,940,600 in wages for workers.

The report is important because it allows the institute to "proactively address industry issues, including supporting jobs in our communities, responsibly advertising and marketing beer, and paying more than our fair share in taxes," according to a statement on the institute's website.