Breweries Per Capita: Where Does Colorado Rank?

It's no secret that Colorado is considered a beer lover's haven. In fact, its even been dubbed the "Napa Valley of Beers." From big names in the beverage industry like Coors and New Belgium to local craft microbreweries, such as Funkwerks and Great Divide Brewing Company, dozens of different hop-filled creations are produced in Colorado courtesy of these companies.

Colorado is home to hundreds of breweries - 438 to be exact, with at least 70 more planned to open sometime in the near future. Of course, those numbers are constantly changing - a list of upcoming breweries, and those under construction can be seen here.

Most of Colorado's breweries are located in Denver, where there are currently 72, however, plenty more can be found throughout the Front Range, in the mountains, along the Western Slope, and on the Eastern Plains.

Recent data from the Alcohol Tax and Tobacco Trade Bureau shows that sixteen states are home to over 100 breweries, Colorado quite obviously being one of them. California leads this category, boasting a whopping 524 breweries within the state. But how does Colorado's breweries' per capita compare to other states across the country?

When it comes to which states have the most breweries per person, Colorado lands at number four on the list. Data shows there are approximately 4.54 breweries per 100,000 people in Colorado. Breaking it down, there are breweries in 43 of Colorado’s 64 counties (although Mineral and Moffat Counties don't have any brewing operations in them, they do have taprooms).

The Centennial State falls behind Vermont, Montana, and Maine in the rankings of who has the most breweries per capita.

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Since most breweries are small businesses, they greatly help to support both the state and local economies in Colorado. As a leader in beer production, Colorado continues to pave the way in the industry for others to follow.

Cheers!