These 2 Tiny States Lead America in Alcohol Consumption. Here’s How They Do It.
The country is, by most measures, getting sober. Millions of Americans have walked away from the nightly pour, picked up a sparkling water, and started logging their “ dry lifestyle ” alongside everyone else who did the same. Two states didn’t participate. A 2025 Gallup poll found just 54% of American adults say they drink—the lowest figure since tracking began in 1939, down from 67% three years ago. New Hampshire and Delaware received no such memo. Data from the World Population Review puts New Hampshire at 4.67 gallons of ethanol per capita, over twice the national goal of 2.1 gallons, and Delaware at 3.52, both above the national average of 2.48 gallons. Here’s the part that should make neighboring-state residents feel played. New Hampshire’s numbers are based on sales, not residency. The state runs a government liquor monopoly that sells wine and spirits tax-free, with outlets planted at highway exits along the Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine bor...