New Hampshire tops US list of beer consumption

NASHUA – “Look at Nevada, when people think of that state, they think of casinos. I think when people think of New Hampshire, they think of trees and beer,” said Stephen King, of Haverhill, Mass., while waiting for food and drink at the Nashua Garden sports bar. King’s opinion is prompted by the unveiling of the 2011 statistic that New Hampshire has taken the crown for the most beer consumed by of-age individuals out of any state in the country. With the national average falling around 28.3 gallons of beer consumed annually per American, New Hampshire tops out at 43 gallons. Some Nashuans are calling foul, claiming that the statistic is misleading and citing the high taxes on alcohol in neighboring states as the catalyst for the high ranking. Some specifically single out Massachusetts and Vermont as the main culprits.