How much local beer do you drink?

I'm probably at roughly 90% local because I do most of my drinking at taprooms and brewpubs. Among the stuff I do consume at home or bars, I'm probably at about 50% local, but a big chunk of the non-local half is imports, mainly Belgians. I always drink locally to the location I'm visiting in my modest travels; I'm not sure how to count that with regard to this question.

Several years ago, I decided there was no way to keep up with craft beer nationally in any meaningful way (can't win; don't try), but I could still maintain something of a handle on my local scene. Plus, there are cultural benefits to drinking locally, especially via visiting breweries: You get to explore and deepen knowledge about your home area (I'm very familiar with portions of the Twin Cities metro area and beyond and neighborhoods of Minneapolis and St. Paul that would be below my radar if not for the presence of breweries) and make local connections and friends, even if the beer itself often isn't up to par with the best nationally distributed brands. I also find exploring obscure little breweries and sometimes discovering hidden gems to be quite fun and rewarding. Now, with over 100 breweries and counting within an hour's drive of my home, even that effort has become unwieldy, and I find my practical radius for "local" shrinking.

 

About 60% local - not sure if that puts me in the 40-60 or 60-80 bracket, but in any given month I can easily slide up or down a level depending on current offerings anyway...

 

Going to depend on the State. In California it is no problem at all.

I probably drink 80+ percent Firestone Walker.

 

Very small number of breweries in town, but I do get the “Norm!” from Cheers treatment at one of them! I drink fresh as much as I am able.

 

I'm using a 90 minute radius as my definition of local.
I would gather that 70-80% of what I drink is local. 10-15% is from BIFs and regular trade partners where we just send stuff to each other when we get something really good Those are almost always my buddies locals.
The other 10% would be mostly be big stouts and sours and the occasional hankering for a six pack of 60 minute, Two Hearted, SNPA or Stone IPA.

 

Same here. I read them twice to make sure. I didn't even get Most Normal in high school.

 

Yeah, I agree completely about Alabama. Alabama has gone from The Heart of Dixie, to The Stars Fell on Alabama, to my version: Best Emerging Beer State in The Deep South. I remember Red Mountain as a seminal craft brewery in Birmingham back in the 90s. They made really good beer. Birmingham is a great old city, and up around Huntsville in NASA territory really good things are happening. Full disclosure: I have a long list of very close relatives from Alabama that goes back into the early 1800s. My Mom was from Birmingham. The place is literally in my blood.

 

THIS.
I live within walking distance of a brewpub, which I haven't been to in at least 10-15 years, and there are several so called "craft" breweries witnin a 20 mile radius of where I live...to which I have never made a return visit.
There may be two or three bright spots in the Garden State brewery scene, but overall, there's sadly no shortage of mediocrity in NJ.

 

“Local” being a 150mi. radius from home, by my terms. I have found that the ratio of “World,” “Continental,” “Local,” has steadily shifted for myself.

Once upon a time my ratio was probably something like:
75%W - 20%C - 5%L
Then for a while it was more like:
40%W - 50%C - 10%L
Over the past nine months it has shifted dramatically to say:
15%W - 35%C - 50%L

A number of factors are at play. This primarily boils down to exploration. I have traveled less recently, and decided to taste what is available in my backyard. Far less “wow” experiences, but tons of solid options and pleasant surprises. AND good people everywhere I winde up. That last part has always been true.

 

Not sure I agree with the punchline for each option. You could drink 0% local and still be very into craft/good beer. And conversely you could be 100% local without being an uber nerd (sorry if that point has already made - haven’t read thread)

That said I drink about 70% local. And breaking that down further in terms of store-bought/to-go vs bar/on-premise, i’d say it’s about a 90% v 50% split

 

I still consider as local those breweries I can reach in a half days drive but since our local store has expanded their selection with a goal of offering every craft beer offered in the State my local local is now 8 minutes from my front door.

 

That is a shame. It's interesting that I'm surrounded by really well brewed local beer, and I do not take it for granted. I well remember fits and starts of craft brewers here going back into the early 80s. Red Oak up at Guilford College, just near my home- but now in Whitsett, east of town- was so far ahead of the curve, it's really notable. The brewpub was a hit from the outset and I cherish the memories there with my kids, especially on snow days. I'm loving the beer around here and across the state.

 

I homebrew (2 5gallon kegs at a time) but also drink a ton of local beer.

I've had nearly every popular beer available and now go for the good stuff which is mostly local cans or local growlers plus homebrew. I'm 75% local/homebrew and 25% other

 

where in NJ do you live? I live in a tiny town but have 2 great breweries within 15 minutes

 

Alabama has been an interesting place for the duration- thus far- of our republic. That is why I like the most recent trajectory of beer awareness and other real political events on the ground.

 

If “local” is within your state, or at least within a couple hours drive, I would say 80 ish% these days. If local means neighborhood, city, county, short drive... then 20% or less.

 

We moved to Vermont just over a year ago and I’d say I have to be above 95% (considering the parameter of within the state) over the last 13 mos.

 

Hahahahahaha ... for real. I didn't vote because none of those descriptions describe anything about my beer drinking.

FWIW, I drink in-state beer in the 50-80% range but most of that beer is made at least 60-90 miles from my house or much farther. I drink less than 10% what I'd call truly "local".

 

I drink from a few Virginia breweries. I'd say it still only amounts to about 10% of my consumption. I really enjoy lickinghole Creek's offerings as far as big stouts and browns. Williamsburg makes a great pumpkin I drink in Fall/early Winter. I also like their coffeehouse stout and barrel aged options. Blue mountain makes a decent kolsch and barrel aged stout, but there are options for the out of state I usually reach for first.