BEERS
Flickr, Bernt Rostad
loading...

Micro and home brewing have been booming in recent years. Even the Tri-Cities has its fair share of local craft beers to choose from, but how does the Northwest compare to the rest of the country? High on the list.

The New Yorker created a detailed interactive map showing each state's total breweries, annual production, growth, and breweries per 500,000 people. Not surprisingly, Washington and Oregon are two of the top state in most of these categories. The recently released 2012 data put together by the Brewers Association shows how the beverage phenomena has boomed across the entire nation.

Just in Washington and Oregon last year, there were 298 craft breweries in 2012. Oregon has 4 of the top 50 largest breweries in the nation: Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene (30), Full Sail Brewing in Hood River (24), Rogue Ales Brewery in Newport (22), and Deschutes Brewery in Bend (5).

The Pacific Northwest is also home to 5 of the top 11 fastest growing breweries in the country: Boneyard Beer Company in Bend (6), Elysian Brewing Company in Seattle (8), 10 Barrel Brewing Company in Bend (9), Fort George Brewery in Astoria (10), and Fremont Brewing Company in Seattle (11).

So, the next time you order that tall glass of your favorite northwest IPA or 'eating' a delicious stout, remember you are enjoying some of the best craft beer in the nation. CHEERS!

More From 97.1 KXRX