09 March 2012

Beer Taxes By State

How much tax will you pay on a can of beer?

The answer is: it depends. Specifically, it depends upon which U.S. state you might be in when you buy that 12-ounce container of 4.7% alcohol-by-volume beer that you'll be taking "off-premise" to consume. The good news is that the Tax Foundation has mapped it all out for you!

Tax Foundation: State Beer Excise Tax Rates

As we can see, both Alabama and Georgia are by far the most expensive places in the U.S. to buy and consume a beer "off-premise". Which perhaps explains why these two states stand out so much among their neighboring states when annual beer consumption is mapped out for each state (HT: Sloshspot):

Sloshdot: Beer Consumption per State, 2009

Looking over the map, it appears that state excise taxes for beer have quite a bit to do with how much beer is consumed within the states!