Miller dominates US beer searches, leading in 30 states

Key points

• Miller leads Google searches in 30 states
• Coors ranks first in eight states
• Search interest does not equal beer sales

Miller generates the highest Google search interest among the beer brands compared in 30 US states, giving it a much wider geographic lead than Coors, Bud Light and Budweiser, according to an analysis of Google Trends data.

The map shows Miller leading across much of the West, Midwest and parts of the South and Northeast, including Washington, Oregon, Montana, Kansas, Wisconsin, Louisiana and Massachusetts. A published analysis of the same data confirms Miller as the leading brand in 30 states.

Coors ranks second, leading in eight states, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia. Colorado is the only state where Blue Moon comes first in the analysis.

The results become more mixed further east. Bud Light leads in Ohio and North Carolina, while Budweiser tops Missouri and New Hampshire. Heineken comes first in New York and Florida. Guinness leads in Georgia and South Carolina, while Busch tops Illinois and Indiana.

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There is an important distinction behind the headline. The map is based on Google Trends search interest, not beer sales, surveys of drinkers or consumption figures.

Google says Trends uses a sample of searches and adjusts the results according to the total number of searches in each place and time period. Its figures therefore show relative search interest, rather than the actual number of searches or purchases.

So saying Miller is the most popular beer in 30 states goes further than the underlying data supports. A more accurate description is that Miller had the highest Google search interest among the beer brands included in the comparison in 30 states.

That distinction matters because people can search for a beer without buying or drinking it, while many purchases never involve a Google search.

Even with that limitation, the map reveals a striking regional pattern. Miller leads in well over half of the states, while no other brand comes close to matching its geographic reach in this particular Google Trends comparison.

Coors has a noticeable western and south-western presence, while several other brands lead only in small clusters of states.

Google also warns that Trends values are normalised rather than absolute. A beer leading searches in one state does not necessarily mean that state generated more searches for it than another state. The result simply shows which of the compared brands had the strongest relative search interest there.

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