The Cost of a Pint of Guinness in Every State

Guinness is one of the most valuable beer brands on Earth. On St. Patrick’s Day alone, millions of pints are consumed globally, including in bars and Irish pubs across the United States.

But where will that creamy dark pint cost the most and least in the U.S. this year? To find that out, the FinanceBuzz team determined the average cost for a pint at bars and pubs in every state. We found which states fans of the Irish beer can expect to pay the most and least for their favorite brew.

Key findings

• The average price for a pint of Guinness around the country is $6.96. That’s almost 4% higher than it was in 2022 ($6.70).
• At $8.95, a pint of Guinness costs the most in California. Four other states have prices of $8.00 or more — the District of Columbia ($8.70), Nevada ($8.49), Florida ($8.19), and Massachusetts ($8.10).
• A Guinness pint is most affordable in Alabama and West Virginia where it costs just $5.75 on average.
• Only two other states, Mississippi and Missouri, have an average cost under $6.00 ($5.90 in each).

The average cost for a pint of Guinness in every state

After collecting data from over 250 pubs and bars across the country on how much they charge for Guinness, we determined the average cost for a pint in the U.S. is $6.96.

States where a pint of Guinness is most expensive

Rank	State	Average cost for a pint
1	California	$8.95
2	District of Columbia	$8.70
3	Nevada	$8.49
4	Florida	$8.19
5	Massachusetts	$8.10
6	New Jersey	$7.80
7 (tie)	Washington	$7.65
7 (tie)	Hawaii	$7.65
7 (tie)	Virginia	$7.65
8	Texas	$7.55

On the high side, we found that California charges the most for a pint. Its average price of $8.95 beats out every other state in the country, as well as D.C., which has the second-highest average price per pint at $8.70.

Three other states have average costs over $8.00: Nevada ($8.49), Florida ($8.19), and Massachusetts ($8.10).

Speaking of the East Coast, half of the top ten states where it’s most expensive to buy a Guinness are in that part of the country. Along with D.C., Florida, and Massachusetts, we have New Jersey and Virginia. Both charge $7.65 or more per pint on average.

States where a pint of Guinness is least expensive

Rank	State	Average cost for a pint
1 (tie)	Alabama	$5.75
1 (tie)	West Virginia	$5.75
2 (tie)	Mississippi	$5.90
2 (tie)	Missouri	$5.90
3	Indiana	$6.20
4	Montana	$6.25
5 (tie)	Nebraska	$6.30
5 (tie)	New Hampshire	$6.30
6 (tie)	Michigan	$6.40
6 (tie)	Wisconsin	$6.40

Alabama and West Virginia are tied for the top spot for states where a pint of Guinness is most affordable. In those states, people pay just $5.75 on average for a pint — that’s $3.20 less than Californians pay for the same beer.

That difference is big enough that it costs Guinness fans in Alabama less to buy three pints ($17.25) than it costs to buy two pints in California ($17.90) or Washington, D.C. ($17.40).

Alabama and West Virginia are joined at the top of the list by a third state from the South: Mississippi. At $5.90, Mississippi’s average cost per pint is tied for the third-lowest in the country.

After the Southern states, the Midwest is well-represented on our list for affordable Guinness. Five of the remaining spots on the top 10 list are taken up by states from that region: Missouri, Indiana, Nebraska, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Guinness costs in each of those states average out to $6.40 or less.

Tips to help you sip and save

No matter what a pint of Guinness costs where you live, it’s always possible to save on dining and drinks. Here are a few tips for your next night out:

• Get tasty rewards when dining out. Some credit cards offer specific rewards when you spend on dining. Use one of the best credit cards for dining out every time you visit a restaurant to get the most out of your culinary adventures.
• Top off your portfolio by investing in beer. It’s possible to buy stock in all kinds of businesses, including ones that produce adult beverages. If you love a cold brew, then it may be time to explore investing in beer stocks.
• Earn travel rewards for a true Irish experience. For Guinness fans, a trip to the brewery is a must. Using one of the best travel credit cards allows users to earn rewards toward an unforgettable trip to Dublin or anywhere else in the world just by making everyday purchases.

Methodology

FinanceBuzz collected the price for a pint of draft Guinness from current online menus from five different pubs or bars in each state and then averaged those prices to find the average cost per pint in every state. Guinness is traditionally served as a 20-ounce “imperial pint,” but some bars in this analysis serve a 16-ounce “American pint” instead. Pricing for each bar’s default pint size was used throughout. When both sizes were available, pricing for the imperial pint was used. Price data was collected in March 2023.