RICHMOND, Va. — Every country has its own claim to fame when it comes to alcohol. Ireland is still riding its success with Guinness and Germany has Oktoberfest. China’s bailjiu accounts for more than one-third of all spirits consumed in the world and in 2012 Moldova was declared the country with the highest average alcohol consumption per capita.
America’s drinking habits aren’t anything to be belittled, either. According to a recent Washington Post article, “the top 10 percent of American drinkers – 24 million adults over age 18 – consume, on average, 74 alcoholic drinks per week. That works out to a little more than four-and-a-half 750 ml bottles of Jack Daniels, 18 bottles of wine, or three 24-can cases of beer. In one week.”
So where are these heavy drinkers likely to hang out? FindTheHome crunched the numbers in order to find out which states have the most bars per capita.
We measured the states with the most bars per 10,000 people and found that the density of bars around various states seems to depend on the region.
Many states in the South and Southwest have the least amount of bars per 10,000 people, then the density increases as you go north.
The most sober state is Utah, which has only 1.73 bars per 10,000 people. According to the New York Times, “the state’s liquor laws — heavily influenced by the Mormon Church, which has its headquarters here and which frowns upon alcohol — are still among the most complex in the country.”
Two years ago, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. tweaked the laws to make them a bit less strict—ending an old system in which those would wanted to drink had to become “members” of bars—but the numbers seem to show that finding a drink in the state is not easy.
In contrast, Wisconsin is the place to be for those looking for a quick beer or two. With 12.5 bars per 10,000 people, the state’s drinking culture is well supported. Perhaps too well supported, though. According to a 2012 report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.), nearly 26 percent of adults in Wisconsin binge drink and average nine drinks per outing.
