The Top 10 Most Checked-In Regions of 2022
Presented by Oskar Blues Brewery
Our Untappd Year in Beer for 2022 is almost a wrap. But not quite yet! Let's take a look at the top ten regions of the year based on the total number of check-ins globally*.
But First, ICMYI
The Top 10 Craft Breweries of 2022
The Top 10 Highest-Average Rated Styles of 2022
The Top 10 Craft Beers of 2022
The Top 10 Most Checked-In Regions of 2022
We're ranking this list a little differently this year. Instead of top cities, we took a look at the top regions (states in the U.S. and areas globally) where you all checked in this past year.
For many of these places, our friends at Hop Culture curated their own travel guides, so we included links to those under the corresponding places. Don't forget to check out those guides to see Hop Culture's recommendations for the best breweries, taprooms, and bars to visit in each city!
10. North Carolina, USA 🇺🇸 1.762M
Last year, North Carolina cracked Untappd's "Top 10 Cities of 2021" with two cities—Asheville and Charlotte. Both powerhouses in their own right, these cities have helped propel the entire state of North Carolina to the number ten spot with just over 1.7M check-ins in 2022 at the time of publication.
For many years, Asheville has been ranked as one of the top beer cities in America, and recently Charlotte has attracted renowned breweries like Weathered Souls, Hi-Wire, and Monday Night. All mean that North Carolina is one serious drinking state.
Off the top of our head, standout breweries in North Carolina include Divine Barrel Brewing, Resident Culture Brewing Company, Burial Beer Co, Zilicoah Beer Co., and Highland Brewing.
Hop Culture's 9 Best Breweries in Asheville, NC
Hop Culture's 5 Best Breweries in Charlotte, NC
Resident Culture Brewing Co.
Charlotte, NC United States
Micro Brewery
9. Florida, USA 🇺🇸 1.768M
Edging past North Carolina by a mere 6.8k check-ins, Florida has grown into one of the most eclectic and vibrant brewing areas in the country. Stalwarts like Funky Buddha and Cigar City have represented beer in the state for a long time. But in the last half a decade or so, breweries like J. Wakefield, Angry Chair, and Cycle Brewing have defined Florida's craft beer community. And even more recently, a new crop of breweries—such as Unseen Creatures, 3 Sons, Odd Breed, Tripping Animals, and more—have taken the lead as some of the best breweries in South Florida. With an emphasis on hype and an understanding of what's popular, these breweries and others have earned national attention for hazy IPAs, robust stouts, and fruited sours.
Hop Culture's 18 Best Breweries in South Florida
Tripping Animals Brewing Co.
Doral, FL United States
Micro Brewery
8. Ohio, USA 🇺🇸 1.8M
Oh, Ohio! There is a reason why we visited Cincinnati in the final episode of our first season of Next Exit, our YouTube travel show scouring the country for hidden-gem beer cities.
An eclectic mix of breweries serving just about every beer style garner high praise from Ohio drinkers. Breweries like Rhinegeist Brewery, Esoteric Brewing Co., Hoof Hearted Brewing, MadTree Brewing, Masthead Brewing Co., and so many more.
No wonder you all reached just over 1.8M check-ins in Ohio in 2022!
Hop Culture's 16 Best Breweries in Cincinnati
Hop Culture's 5 Best Breweries in Cleveland, Ohio
Rhinegeist Brewery
Cincinnati, OH United States
Regional Brewery
Masthead Brewing Company
Cleveland, OH United States
Micro Brewery
7. Illinois, USA 🇺🇸 1.9M
This may surprise some, but last year Chicago ranked as the number one city in the entire country with the most venue check-ins at 355k. This year, the entire state of Illinois continues its robust drinking ways hitting just over 1.9M check-ins from the Untappd community.
People love to drink in Illinois. From something as simple as chugging Old Styles while watching the Cubs to downing a shot of the infamous Malort to taproom hopping, this incredible Midwestern state has grown into a very mature craft beer market.
Beerwise, Illinois has a bit of something for everyone from lager-focused breweries like Dovetail Brewery to funky, experimental breweries like Marz Community Brewing to seminal favorites like Half Acre Beer Co. And of course as the home to giants like Goose Island Beer Co. and Revolution Brewing, it makes sense that Illinois sits seventh in the table.
Hop Culture's 11 Best Breweries in Chicago, IL
Half Acre Beer Company
Chicago, IL United States
Regional Brewery
6. Bayern, Germany 🇩🇪 1.99M
Grabbing 94K more check-ins than Illinois (at the time of publication), the Bayern (aka Bavaria) region of Germany slides into sixth place with just shy of 2M check-ins.
The largest German state by land area, Bayern is one of the most storied beer regions in the entire world, home to legendary breweries such as Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräuhaus, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten-Franziskaner.
Heritage and heart drive the humming beer scene in Bayern, with a large focus in the capital, Munich, of course. Afterall, the fabled Oktoberfest celebration attracts millions of drinking connoisseurs to the city each year. And you can bet during that time there are toasts, aka prosts, check-ins, and beer steins clinking aplenty.
Rooted in centuries of history, Munich's beer industry has thrived by following the rigid Reinheitsgebot or Purity Law. Written in 1516, this piece of legislation states that beer in Germany must contain only four key ingredients—water, barley, hops, and yeast.
Despite the strict stipulations, Munich's classic beer halls still attract a thorough crowd of locals and tourists alike to their storied taverns. And, while Munich is best known for these historic pantheons of pints, a small but niche craft brewery scene has steadily grown. Making craft beer outside the traditional Reinheitsgebot is tricky, but Munich's quirky set of innovators and pioneers have constantly found new ways to reach beyond the five-century-year-old law.
Hop Culture's 5 Best Breweries in Munich to Visit During Oktoberfest
5. Massachusetts, USA 🇺🇸 2.3M
When the iconic, Massachusetts-based brewery Tree House Brewing Company nabs the top spot as the craft brewery with the most five-star rated check-ins in 2022, it makes sense that this state cracks the top five on this list.
Clocking in with just shy of 2.4M check-ins, Massachusetts has a pantheon of amazing breweries within its borders. Those like Samuel Adams, of course, have been leading the way for decades. But also highly rated breweries, including Trillium Brewing Company, Vitamin Sea Brewing, Night Shift Brewing Co., Lamplighter Brewing Co., Coastal Mass Brewing (nee Channel Marker Brewing), and Jack's Abby, among many, many more.
Hop Culture's 5 Best Breweries in Boston
Tree House Brewing Company
Charlton, MA United States
Regional Brewery
4. Pennsylvania, USA 🇺🇸 2.5M
There's a reason why Other Half opened its latest taproom in Philadelphia; there's a reason Aslin opened its latest taproom in Pittsburgh. The state of Pennsylvania has an incredibly robust drinking scene from Philly all the way to Pitty!
So it's also no surprise that the first episode of Untappd's new travel show Next Exit took place in Pittsburgh, PA. Revered breweries such as Dancing Gnome, Cinderlands Beer Co., and Necromancer Brewing have turned this blue collar Steel City into a craft beer powerhouse.
And why Next Exit's fourth episode traveled to Philly.
In the City of Brotherly Love, breweries like Human Robot, Fermentory Form, and Crime & Punishment are pushing the boundaries of beer beyond what we could ever expect.
With so many great breweries to drink from, the Untappd community's 2.5M check-ins in the state prove that Pennsylvania deserves to be in the top-five most-checked-in regions of 2022.
Hop Culture's 9 Best Breweries in Philadelphia, PA
Hop Culture's 11 Best Breweries and Bars in Pittsburgh, PA
3. Vlaanderen, Belgium 🇧🇪 2.9M
The country of Belgium has one of the richest beer histories. From Belgian pale ales to Belgian quads to some of the rarest beers in the world, Belgian beers are just simply incredible.
With a huge jump into the third spot, the Vlaanderen (aka Flanders) region of Belgium notched over 2.9M check-ins in 2022 at the time of publication.
The Northern half of Belgium encompasses a cornucopia of established breweries, including Duvel Moortgat (whose iconic Duvel Belgian Strong Golden Ale ranked as the craft beer with the tenth most five-star check-ins on Untappd in 2022, Westmalle, Rodenbach, Delirium Tremens, Hoegaarden, Orval, Karmeliet, Chimay, and Westvleteren. The aforementioned's Trappist Westvleteren 12, one of the rarest beers in the world, nabbed seventh place on the list of beers with the most five-star check-ins this year.
Pretty much that list just makes us go 🤯. And apparently you all think so too!
Hop Culture's 4 Essential Beer Destinations in Belgium
Brouwerij De Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren
Westvleteren, Vlaanderen Belgium
Micro Brewery
2. New York, USA 🇺🇸 3.9M
It's hard to ignore that Untappd's fourth brewery with the most five-star check-ins of the year—Other Half Brewing Co.—calls New York home.
But it's not the only one that vaulted the Empire State into third on this list with 3.9M check-ins in 2022 so far.
Some are within the five boroughs. Such as Finback Brewery, TALEA Beer Co., Wild East Brewing Co., Threes Brewing, Back Home Beer, and so many more.
And others you'll find a few hours outside the city. For instance, Hudson Valley Brewery, The Drowned Lands, Plan Bee Farm Brewery, Suarez Family Brewery, Equilibrium Brewery, Foreign Objects Beer Company, District 96 Beer Factory, Decadent Ales, and more.
Hop Culture's 11 Best Breweries and Bars in Brooklyn
Hop Culture's 11 Best Breweries in the Hudson Valley, New York
Other Half Brewing Co.
Brooklyn, NY United States
Regional Brewery
1. California, USA 🇺🇸 4.6M
With over 4.6M check-ins on Untappd in 2022 at the time of publication, California blew all the competition out of the proverbial water, malt, hops, and yeast. And rightly so.
Where to start?
Well, in the Northern part you have revered breweries like Russian River Brewing Company notching third place on our list of craft breweries with the top most five-star check-ins in 2022, followed by the brewery's Pliny the Elder winning the crown in the number one spot on our list of most five-star checked-in craft beers of the year. And we'd be remiss not to mention the stalwart Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. that calls Chico, CA, home.
In the Bay Area, New Belgium opened its own outpost in 2021, joining already-acclaimed breweries such as Fort Point Beer Co, Cellarmaker Brewing, Anchor Brewing, Temescal Brewing, and Ghost Town Brewing, to name a few.
In the central coast, Firestone Walker Brewing Company has been churning out genre-bending beers for twenty-five years.
Heading even farther south, Los Angeles and San Diego have been the birthplace of behemoths such as Stone Brewing and Karl Strauss. Along with smaller phenoms such as Pure Project, Burgeon Beer Company, Societe Brewing Company, Highland Park Brewery, Monkish Brewing Co., Homage Brewing, Cellador Ales, Mumford Brewing, plus so many more.
Without a doubt, California is one of the largest beer-drinking states in the country and you all have proved that with a whopping number of check-ins in 2022. The only question now is: Will California keep the crown in 2023?
Hop Culture's 7 Best Breweries in Los Angeles, CA
Hop Culture's 5 Best Breweries in San Diego, CA
Russian River Brewing Company
Windsor, CA United States
Regional Brewery
Surprised by any of the regions on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
Looking for more?
Hop Culture's 14 Best Breweries of 2022
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*Statistics as of 12/9/22
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