Wisconsin is the most beer-interested state in the country for the second year in a row, according to new research that ranked all 50 states using Google Trends search data.
Consumer research firm Innerbody Research published the analysis after reviewing a full year of search activity. "Wisconsin is still America's beer capital," the firm reported. The Midwest dominated the top of the rankings, with Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Missouri all placing in the top 10. Every Midwestern state finished in the top 20, leading Innerbody to label the region "America's beer belt."
Wyoming came in second place. Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa followed in third, fourth and fifth.
According to Fox News Digital, which reported on the study, the regional concentration of beer interest in the Midwest has deep historical roots tied to the brewing industry's early geography in the United States.
"The Midwest is one of many regions with a deep historic beer culture tied to both a long legacy of regional production and reinvigorated by craft brewers in recent decades," said Bart Watson, president and CEO of the Colorado-based Brewers Association.
Brand loyalty within states also follows historical patterns. Jean-Pierre H. Dubé, a marketing professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business who has published research on regional brand dominance, explained the dynamic.
"The local dominance of a beer brand is almost entirely driven by historic entry advantage," Dubé told Fox News Digital. "Miller dominates in Wisconsin because it was first to market there. In contrast, Budweiser was first to market in St. Louis, where it also remains dominant. The prevalence of beer tastes in the Midwest reflects the fact that most of the world's largest brewers in the late 1800s were in the Midwest in St. Louis, Wisconsin and Chicago – but especially Wisconsin."
Dubé added that Samuel Adams "launched in Boston and was arguably the first successful craft brewer to become a dominant brand and obtain national distribution."
Among individual brands tracked in the study, Michelob Ultra generated the most overall search interest and came out on top in Alabama, Nevada and Oklahoma. Stella Artois was the most popular brand in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, among other states.
States along the Pacific coast showed the lowest beer-related search interest in the country. Alaska, Washington, California, Oregon and Hawaii all finished in the bottom 10.
Watson pointed to the continued strength of light beer as a factor in overall consumer interest. "One of beer's strengths is the many options for lower calories and ABV relative to other adult beverages," he said. "Light beers underline that quality and have been very popular ever since they were introduced. In recent years, interest in particular attributes, like low-carb beers, has also been a factor in consumer preferences."
