NEW: Which States Drink the Most Beer?

NEW: Which States Drink the Most Beer?

This week millions will celebrate the birth of the Land of the Free, and have a few drinks while they're at it! July 4th is the nation's biggest beer-selling holiday, according to the aptly-named Beer Institute, who released a ranking of every state in order of how much beer they drink per capita. So which state will be tossing back the most brews this holiday weekend, and where did Rhode Island rank on the list?

Rhode Island comes in at #39, behind Virginia and Arkansas. According to the ranking, the average Rhody consumed 26.3 gallons of beer last year. Top honors go to North Dakota, consuming 45.8 gallons of beer per person in 2012. Runner up is New Hampshire with 43.9 gallons, and rounding out the top 3 is Montana with 41 gallons. Utah will be having a much drier holiday, coming in last at 20.2 gallons per capita–less than half than that of the top three states.

The Beer Institute predicts that beer sales could reach $1 billion this weekend. In 2012, beer was the highest seller in all food and beverage categories in the two weeks leading up to the 4th of July, and beer consumption rose 1.5 percent. The improving economy and a warm winter and spring helped drive sales. The Institute also reports that on average, each American over the age of 21 drank a little less than a 12-ounce beer per day, totalling to about 300 beers per year.

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To check out where the rest of the states ranked, click here.