America’s Drunkest & Driest Counties: check out Bills country as an outlier in NY

[boater]

Erie County is an island of boozers in an otherwise moderate NY... also the Adirondacks. Theory: alcohol consumption correlates with annual snowfall.

 

An what is it about Wisconsin? The place is going to explode with all the alcohol vapor.

 

source: https://brilliantmaps.com/americas-drunkest-driest-counties/

 

interactive version: https://intoxistates.com/

Edited March 28 by boater

[BillsPride12]

7 minutes ago, boater said:

Erie County is an island of boozers in an otherwise moderate NY... also the Adirondacks. Theory: alcohol consumption correlates with annual snowfall.

 

An what is it about Wisconsin? The place is going to explode with all the alcohol vapor.

 

source: https://brilliantmaps.com/americas-drunkest-driest-counties/

 

interactive version: https://intoxistates.com/

Interesting theory, I always thought it was our Sports teams that caused us to drink too much 

[Your Brown Eye]

wtf goes on in Wisconsin?

[ExiledInIllinois]

"What made Milwaukee famous sure made a fool outta me!"

It doesn't snow that much in Wisconsin.

 

Wisconsin doesn't even crack top 11.

 

Syracuse is #1. They're yellow on map.

https://www.weatherstationadvisor.com/snowiest-cities-in-the-us/

 

3 minutes ago, Your Brown Eye said:

wtf goes on in Wisconsin?

Beer industry.  It's culture related. 

 

Don't underestimate 100+ years of mass marketing...

[ExiledInIllinois]

Historically German population in Upper Midwest too...

[ExiledInIllinois]

 

It's parents, culture.  The science really backs not touching alcohol till 27 or so when brain is fully developed... I know, I know... Don't shoot the messenger:

 

"Wisconsin permits the consumption of alcohol by minors, provided they are being supervised by parents/guardians/spouses."

 

 

EDIT: Notice how vaguely that is worded compared to other states that allow underage exceptions...  Other states individualize it.  I guess in Wisconsin,  underage drinking is allowed at parties,  just gotta be supervised, right?

 

 

Edited March 28 by ExiledInIllinois

[US Egg]

…..just trying to do my part.

[Augie]

57 minutes ago, US Egg said:

…..just trying to do my part.

 

We commend you for your service. 

[US Egg]

1 hour ago, Augie said:

We commend you for your service. 

The reward is greater than the sacrifice.

[Fleezoid]

Holy crap. I'm moving to Wisconsin to hang out with my peeps. 

 

And I'm not buying the Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, etc., thing going on. They're all just operating personal stills. 

 

Okay, maybe Utah. 

 

 

Edited March 28 by Fleezoid

[Augie]

1 hour ago, Fleezoid said:

Holy crap. I'm moving to Wisconsin to hang out with my peeps. 

 

And I'm not buying the Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, etc., thing going on. They're all just operating personal stills. 

 

Okay, maybe Utah. 

 

 

 

Utah doesn’t make it easy! We went to Park City one time and they all kinds of crazy rules! They will sell you 3.2% beer if you’re not careful, and you have to pay for membership or something at some places. I had been going to a place almost daily, and late in the week a guy asks about my membership. Huh? No booze for you! 

 

I think moonshine and meth should also be indicated on the map in some way, just to be fair.  

[BuffaloBill]

6 hours ago, boater said:

Erie County is an island of boozers in an otherwise moderate NY... also the Adirondacks. Theory: alcohol consumption correlates with annual snowfall.

 

An what is it about Wisconsin? The place is going to explode with all the alcohol vapor.

 

source: https://brilliantmaps.com/americas-drunkest-driest-counties/

 

interactive version: https://intoxistates.com/

 

 

You’re correct, Wisconsin looks like a state in need of therapy. Wow…. However, having lived in several places there are clearly differing lives of acceptance around drinking and drinking culture.  Here in East Tn, while it is changing slowly, people are generally opposed to also hold consumption and certainly not accepting of heavy drinking.

[ExiledInIllinois]

41 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

You’re correct, Wisconsin looks like a state in need of therapy. Wow…. However, having lived in several places there are clearly differing lives of acceptance around drinking and drinking culture.  Here in East Tn, while it is changing slowly, people are generally opposed to also hold consumption and certainly not accepting of heavy drinking.

So does the Bible Belt need therapy. Lighten up a little bit.

 

Amazing how telling that map is.  Clearly shows the Bible Belt... Oklahoma has lax minor drinking laws (not as ambiguous as Wisconsin though) AND Oklahoma is all green.  People criticize religion, in a good way that map says it all!

 

There's a few dry towns in Illinois.  I think South Holland, Illinois up here in Cook County is one of the furthest North dry towns?

[Mike in Horseheads]

On 3/28/2025 at 12:43 PM, Fleezoid said:

Holy crap. I'm moving to Wisconsin to hang out with my peeps. 

 

And I'm not buying the Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, etc., thing going on. They're all just operating personal stills. 

 

Okay, maybe Utah. 

 

 

I had a friend that lived in Utah but worked just over the border in Wyoming at a convenient store. She said the parking lot was always full of Utah plates as they rolled in to play the lottery

[ExiledInIllinois]

1 hour ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

I had a friend that lived in Utah but worked just over the border in Wyoming at a convenient store. She said the parking lot was always full of Utah plates as they rolled in to play the lottery

Doesn't Utah have crazy booze laws too, like it's all gotta be sold in those little airplane sized bottles?

[SirAndrew]

The data for Erie County is definitely accurate from my experiences. Drinking is part of the Midwest culture, and this map shows it. I suspect this data is from a self reported survey. I see low numbers in places where it’s less socially acceptable, but from my observation plenty of binge drinking still occurs in many of those places. Just go to a country concert in Knoxville. 

[Augie]

14 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Doesn't Utah have crazy booze laws too, like it's all gotta be sold in those little airplane sized bottles?

 

Utah does have some crazy liquor laws as I mentioned above. SC used to require using the mini-bottles for liquor. I remember people trying to order Long Island Iced Teas and being warned that it would be very big, and VERY expensive with a bottle each of vodka, gin, rum and tequila. 

 

EDIT: Just thinking about that makes me want to puke. 😂 

.

Edited March 30 by Augie

[SirAndrew]

8 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Utah does have some crazy liquor laws as I mentioned above. SC used to require using the mini-bottles for liquor. I remember people trying to order Long Island Iced Teas and being warned that it would be very big, and VERY expensive with a bottle each of vodka, gin, rum and tequila. 

 

EDIT: Just thinking about that makes me want to puke. 😂 

.

I have a few friends with deep Utah roots. They’ve all told me the liquor laws are strange, but years ago it was much more difficult to even find alcohol in most of Utah. The west coast hipsters, and skiers have changed what the state has to offer quite a bit. 

Edited March 30 by SirAndrew

[Augie]

3 minutes ago, SirAndrew said:

I have a few friends with deep Utah roots. They’ve all told me the liquor laws are strange, but years ago it was much more difficult to even find alcohol in most of Utah. The west coast hipsters, and skiers have changed what the state has to offer quite a bit. 

 

I’m almost afraid to ask what it is the state has to offer that you are thinking about.

 

In Utah. 

 

😊

[SirAndrew]

6 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

I’m almost afraid to ask what it is the state has to offer that you are thinking about.

 

In Utah. 

 

😊

I was honestly just thinking more like being able to find anywhere open on Sunday. That’s was tough to find a few decades ago. Park City would have never been a tourist draw in 70’s Utah the way it is today. 😆