# Top 10 states for alcohol consumption per capita **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [December 21, 2021, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413 "2021-12-21T13:05:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2021, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/41 "2021-12-22T06:45:18Z")
Wow. That is somehow not what I expected, and yet exactly the sort of surprise I expected. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2021, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/42 "2021-12-22T14:10:28Z")
Yeah, it’s kind of eye-opening for sure. I mean I knew that there were a lot of non-drinkers, but I more or less assumed that it was more along the lines of a normal distribution where the center would probably be somewhere around 2-4 drinks a week. I was definitely not expecting the top 10% to drink more than the rest combined, nor was I expecting that drinking more than one drink a week would have you drinking more than 60% of the population. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/43 "2021-12-22T17:33:52Z")
I looked at the article, and clicked on the source and quickly scanned it looking for where they get the numbers–I didn’t see it right away. If it’s based on surveys or what people tell their doctors, I wonder how many people are honest? For instance, I seem to recall a study a few years back that asked people how much alcohol they drank, then compared the answers given to the bottles and cans found in their recycling bins. Many people who claim not to drink or only drink occasionally were not being forthcoming. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/44 "2021-12-22T18:37:23Z")
Huh! I’m almost exactly median. I drink at the Passover Seder, when i have a cold, when i visit Germany, and sometimes at restaurants. Which means I’ve only had booze at Passover since the pandemic. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/45 "2021-12-23T00:31:17Z")
It sounds like it’s based on sales: _This data uses an estimate of average ethanol content of sold or shipped spirits into gallons of ethanol (pure alcohol) before calculating per capita consumption estimates. For this data, the alcohol by volume value is 0.129 for wine, 0.045 for beer, and 0.411 for spirits._ ---
**Author:** ![arles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71c47a/32.png) [@arles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arles)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/46 "2021-12-23T00:43:22Z")
Well yeah, Washington has the highest state taxes on alcohol. I know many people who bring back alcohol from out of state. I’ve even made one car trip to California and the savings on a trunk full of liquor (not just for my consumption) paid for the car rental, gas, and hotel. Bootlegging is common in Washington. [https://www.route-fifty.com/finance/2021/07/how-stiff-are-liquor-taxes-each-state/183062/](https://www.route-fifty.com/finance/2021/07/how-stiff-are-liquor-taxes-each-state/183062/) Edited to add: $3.77 per liter volume tax + 20.5% sales tax. And these are added at the register and are not built into shelf price. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/47 "2021-12-23T00:44:50Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > If you’ve ever been to ND in the winter, it’s no surprise. In fact, ND at any time of year would drive anybody to drink heavily. Hey! Baja Saskatchewan is perfectly cromulent this time of year! ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/48 "2021-12-23T02:29:58Z")
Wow, those are some numbers–look like our weed taxes lol. I don’t drink, myself, so I’m not up on prices and taxes although I admit that if I go to California I’ll sometimes pick up a bottle of this or that in one of those giant liquor warehouses because that stuff is dirt cheap and sometimes it’s nice to have a little rum or tequila or Irish whiskey around for guests. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/49 "2021-12-23T16:19:20Z")
WA has high alcohol tax and low weed tax. Or at least that is the way it seems. Weed is cheap in WA! ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/50 "2021-12-23T17:03:35Z")
20.5% sales tax and a $3.77 per liter bottle tax. Easily the highest in the US. Someone mentioned people from Washington buying liquor in Oregon. When all is said and done, the price of liquor in Oregon is not that much cheaper than Washington. Oregon has the second highest liquor taxes and because the state controls sales, they also have a required percentage of mark up per bottle. One way to save in Oregon is to buy at private liquor stores instead of the state run stores. These are found in smaller towns. The state gives these stores a break on the mark up and some will pass these saving onto the buyer. Found one in the town of Enterprise, saved about $5 a bottle over the state liquor store price. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/51 "2021-12-23T17:16:16Z")
I live on the WA/ID border so you know where I buy booze. I love the Enterprise/Joseph area. The Eagle Caps/Wallowas are one of favorite hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing places. We’ve biked around the area and I went on one epic ride to Enterprise from far away. My legs have almost recovered. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/52 "2021-12-23T17:23:56Z")
That tells us how much alcohol is sold, but how do they know how much people are drinking? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/53 "2021-12-23T17:28:00Z")
Presumably, all (or near enough to all to be within a rounding error) alcohol sold is eventually consumed. The question is just whether it’s being consumed by locals. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/54 "2021-12-23T17:58:25Z")
Sales are certainly a better indicator than surveys which, as you noted, rely on the accuracy and honesty of the respondents. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/55 "2021-12-23T18:11:58Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > I love the Enterprise/Joseph area. The Eagle Caps/Wallowas are one of favorite hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing places. We’ve biked around the area and I went on one epic ride to Enterprise from far away. My legs have almost recovered. My wife and I stopped there last year on our way home from Boise. We just made reservations at Wallowa Lake State Park for the first week of July. The only issue we had was the smoke in the area last August. We stopped at the Hell’s Canyon viewpoint and could not see anything. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/56 "2021-12-23T18:38:30Z")
That park is crazy busy in the summer. Hope that is your style of camping! When we go in the summer months, it is in with packs. We also go nearly every summer when the cabins are cheaper and the place is a ghost town. So relaxing! Well, till we strap on the snowshoes and head up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/57 "2021-12-23T19:16:36Z")
The [Joseph Branch Rail Riders](https://jbrailriders.com/) excursion is on my bucket list, along with the coast trip too. I’ve travelled through the Wallowas and Blue Mountains and those areas are on my short list for land acquisition some day. So lovely! ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/58 "2021-12-23T20:45:03Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > Oregon has no sales tax, but WA does and I think maybe WA buyers coming to Portland might affect the relative numbers of the two states. I would doubt that. WA does have ridiculously high liquor taxes - but still not enough to make it worth a 6-8 hour round trip to Portland and back. (It would take a seriously substantial amount of liquor to make avoiding liquor tax to be worth the gas price, not to mention my time). If you live on the border, sure. But most people don’t. People bring stuff back if you’re otherwise driving to Portland - but I can’t imagine anyone over the age of 23 making the trip for that purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/59 "2021-12-23T20:52:24Z")
Do people in northern Washington State drive into Canada for duty-free alcohol? ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413/60 "2021-12-23T21:09:49Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > I would doubt that. WA does have ridiculously high liquor taxes - but still not enough to make it worth a 6-8 hour round trip to Portland and back. Longview, Kelso, Vancouver, Washougal, Stevenson, White Salmon, Bingen, Lyle, Kennewick and Walla Walla would like a word. Oregon residents are quite familiar with how many bridge crossings from Washington are sales tax avoidance related. Not everywhere in Washington is 6-8 hours from Oregon and the border towns do brisk business together. Not even to mention that Ontario is basically a big shopping center for Idaho, including picking up legal weed and probably copping some booze at the same time. Idaho liquor taxes are lower than Oregon, but nobody ever accused Idahoans of being mathematically ept. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-states-for-alcohol-consumption-per-capita/956413.md?page=4)