According to the Beer Institute the state of Colorado officially became the largest beer producing state in the country. The Colorado brewing industry produced over 23.3 million barrels or 724.5 million gallons of beer. This makes the state tops in production, edging out second place California and other large states such as Texas and New York.
A recent study commissioned by the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) also found that the beer industry, made up of brewers, beer importers, beer distributors, brewer suppliers, and retailers, directly and indirectly contributes $12.4 billion annually to Colorado's economy. The industry's economic impact includes 67,918 jobs - paying $3 billion in wages - as well as $1.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes.