According to an analysis of 12 months of Google Trends data published by Innerbody Research, Stella Artois is the most popular beer in New York. New York ranked 36th out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., with a search interest index of 37.13, according to the report.
How New York Ranks in National Beer Search Interest
New York lands at No. 36 out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., holding a search interest index of 37.13, according to the Innerbody Research report. While local consumers demonstrate steady online curiosity, familiar local labels including Brooklyn Lager, Saranac, and Genesee did not crack the study’s list of 36 prominent beers analyzed.
Neighboring Pennsylvania places significantly higher at No. 7 with a search interest score of 72.92, nearly doubling New York’s metric. Pennsylvania houses Yuengling, recognized in the report as America’s oldest operating brewery with continuous production since 1829.
Regional Preferences and National Brand Standouts
While New York tilts toward the Belgian lager Stella Artois—which secured the top spot in 12 jurisdictions nationwide—national metrics point elsewhere. Michelob Ultra claims the No. 1 spot overall across the United States, topping search lists in Alabama, Nevada, and Oklahoma while maintaining a broad geographic footprint rather than a single regional stronghold, according to the data.
Among the 36 brands examined in the study, Milwaukee’s Best registers as the least popular option nationally. Meanwhile, imported labels claim substantial territory, capturing the top preference in 22 of the 51 analyzed jurisdictions through brands like Stella Artois, Guinness, Heineken, Corona, and Peroni.
Midwestern Dominance in Beer Culture
Wisconsin leads the national rankings for search interest for the second consecutive year, hitting a score of 98.53. The broader Midwest captures seven of the top ten spots in the study, a trend Innerbody Research attributes to deep-rooted German brewing traditions, historic taverns, and extensive local beer hall culture.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Alaska records the lowest search interest for beer, followed by Utah and Georgia. Researchers note that low search volumes do not automatically signal a lack of local drinking culture, as states with robust independent craft beer scenes often distribute consumer interest across countless local labels excluded from the 36 major brands tracked in the project.
Methodology Behind the Rankings
Innerbody Research evaluated Google Trends search patterns over a full 12-month window across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Analysts initially gathered a broad cross-section of prominent beer brands by national search volume before narrowing the focus to 36 specific labels. Regional search behaviors were then evaluated using proportional weighting based on cumulative search volumes to establish final popularity scores.
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