Wyoming’s Drinking Habits Defy National Trends In Surprising Ways

In a time when the national drinking numbers are falling, Wyomingites are proving there's no quit in the Cowboy State.

Nationally, a recent Gallup poll shows that 54% of Americans drink, which is near a 90-year low. More and more adults feel that drinking is a health hazard, while others are looking for alternatives.

Google Trends search data show that interest in alcohol-free beverages has surged in recent years, transforming a niche market into a mainstream category. Searches for “NA beer”—a product that historically carried a poor reputation—have increased nearly tenfold over the past decade. Meanwhile, searches for “zero proof” drinks and “mocktail recipes” have grown from virtually nonexistent to widely popular, with both terms reaching record highs in recent years.

The study done by Trace One shows the National average of the use of alcohol has dropped; Wyoming is going strong, not showing much of a drop in alcohol use.

Compared to both 2006—when the state recorded its highest share of adults who drink (60.5%)—and 2013 (59.2%), Wyoming has seen no significant change in its alcohol use rate over time, holding relatively steady at 56.4% in 2023.

With over 40 breweries and many distilleries operating here, it shows that alcohol is still as prominent now as it has been over the last 20 years. Wyoming is consistently in the top 15 states with the highest average alcohol consumption per person.

According to numbers from 2022, Wyoming residents spent a little over $800 million on alcohol that year. Those numbers are pretty impressive when you consider the population and the percentage of the population who can legally purchase alcohol.