These Two New England States Have the Most Breweries in the Entire US

If you live or have even visited one or both of these states, it probably won't surprise you that we are in beer country up here in Northern New England.

According to Vinepair.com, Vermont leads the country with the state with the most breweries per capita. Note that these stats are per capita, which is a latin term for “per person”. That said, these numbers are based on the quantity for each individual in a population.

Vinepair.com reported that there are 15.59 breweries per capita (78 total) in Vermont, and just behind them in 2nd place is Maine 14.16 breweries per capita (154 total). According to Sarista.com, even though California is the country’s leading producer in craft beer, they only had 3.3 breweries per 100 thousand residents.

Craft beer fans that live in these two states take pride in their local breweries and love to support them. That, along with some other factors such as a combination of cultural, economic, and regulatory factors, has made the neighboring states a vibrant hub for craft beer enthusiasts.

The downside for the brewers is that the competition heats up a little hotter every year as more and more breweries open in both states. But for lots of craft beer enthusiasts that want to share their product, these numbers haven’t appeared to scare them off.

Vermont and Maine brewers have been made known for their creativity and innovation along with the willingness to experiment with different flavors, styles, and brewing techniques, likely a few of the key factors surrounding these thriving local brew scenes.

To give you a better perspective of the astronomical amount of breweries in these two states, you can get a complete list of all the breweries for both states.

Don’t forget, you will be able to sample several of these and other local beers from around the area and country at Maine’s largest craft beer festival, Portland On Tap at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine, on February 11, 2024.