I don't drink beer often these days, it leaves me feeling bloated. If I have a few too many, a 2-day hangover is inevitable. I will have one or two here and there, usually if I'm outdoors and don't bring my drink. But, I'm in the minority because beer is incredibly popular in Illinois and everywhere else. When I saw the list of the most popular beers in Illinois I was sure I could get the top 5 but I was wrong.

Did beer consumption increase during the pandemic?

Yep! Percentage-wise it doesn't appear to be a lot, at an increase of 8.9% compared to past years. Beer could partly be how people got through the weird past few years. Of the people surveyed by TopAgency.com, 24% of respondents drink an average of 20 beers a month. I would have guessed a lot higher.

Bucket of ice cold beer with USA flag in background
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What are the most popular "cheap beers" in Illinois?

I was surprised by this list. I didn't attempt to guess the exact order of the top 5 on the list for the Land of Lincoln. I was actually quite a bit off from the list altogether. My list for the top 5 was:

  • Busch Light
  • Miller Lite
  • Coors Light
  • Bud Light
  • Old Style

I was way off, with only one of my guesses making the actual list. Coincidentally my guess fell into the correct spot. The guesses that were wrong blew my mind. I'm not a bartender but I figured my guesses would be pretty accurate. My guesses that didn't land in the top 5 included Miller Lite, Coors Light, Old Style, and Busch Light. How the heck does Busch Latte not land in the top 5 for Illinois?

JB with a Busch Light
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What is the ranking of the most popular cheap beers in Illinois?

  1. Goose Island
  2. Budweiser
  3. Stella
  4. Bud Light
  5. Heineken

Where's Busch Light? Did someone discount? In unsurprising news, New Glarus Brewing Co.'s Spotted Cow was Wisconsin's #1 cheap beer. You can find the rest of Wisconsin and all the other states' favorites here.

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