Wyoming Is The Second Most Expensive State For Beer Lovers

The Elkhorn Bar and Trading Post in Bondurant, Wyoming, sits at the far end of the beer distributing universe in Wyoming.

With its cowboy hats on the wall and Americana vibe, the Elkhorn is an ideal place to grab a cold one after a day of horseback riding in the Upper Hoback Basin or kayaking the Hoback River. 

A frosty bottle of Budweiser costs $3 at the Elkhorn. In Jackson, about 35 miles away, the price jumps to $6 a bottle.

Those distributing and selling beer across Wyoming told Cowboy State Daily the price of beer is driven by a mixed pack of factors. This includes the challenges that come when trying to distribute anything across great distances to a relatively small number of people.

Like Alaska, Wyoming is a big place with few people, and that’s one reason why these two states typically top the annual rankings for places with the most expensive beer. 

The online content producer Visual Capitalist recently posted a map of the U.S. listing the average cost of a 24-pack of beer, according to Bud Light and Miller Lite sales data from 2024. 

In first place was Alaska with cases of America’s favorite golden beverage going for $33.62, while cases in Wyoming sold for $28.78 on average. 

The cheapest state for a case of brew? Illinois, cases costing on average $16.43. 

Behind the high prices in Wyoming, several factors are at play: tourism, the cost of shipping and a bartender’s sensitivity to locals’ pricing. 

“Geographically we have to get all of our beer from Jackson,” said Ian Schroth, owner-operator of the Elkhorn. “The closest bar to the south of us, they still charge $2.50 for a Bud. So they don't make a lot of money.”

At the Elkhorn, it’s $3 Buds, and $5.50 for local craft beer like the Wind River Pale Ale from Pinedale. 

People traveling to and from Jackson have told Schroth that his prices are too cheap.

“So, you try to find a balance,” said Schroth. “We get the seasonal tourists, but predominantly, our regulars or locals are more like ranch-hand folk.”

Long Necks, Long Distances

Teton Distributing in Jackson delivers cold beers to remote corners of Wyoming.

“A lot of our routes will run 70 miles before they hit the first town,” said Chad Taylor with Teton Distributors. 

“The cost of getting beer into the state, like freight, there's not a lot of stuff coming out of the state,” said Taylor, and that matters because truck drivers are more willing to deliver loads to Wyoming if they are able to pick up a return load and generate more shipping revenue on the way home. 

“They don't want to come in unless they've got something coming back out of the state,” said Taylor, who said high winds and the risk of truck blow-overs also lowers the number of willing truck drivers coming and going from Wyoming. 

Those cold Pabst Blue Ribbon tallboys seen tucked into ski jackets and fishing boat coolers come from California. Other beer imports come from as far away as New Jersey, said Taylor, who credited tourism for helping to support the state’s vast beer distribution network. 

“When it comes to Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole and Devils Tower and Flaming Gorge, we rely on our tourism because it does help bring a lot of money into the state,” said Taylor, adding that when it comes to stocking the most remote beer coolers in Wyoming, tourism makes the cost of remote distribution worthwhile. 

“It's tough to manage some of the stuff that our guys deal with,” said Taylor. “You got wind, and you got weather.”

“I've always joked and said that we're better than the post office because there's times where they've shut down because they can't get out. But we do. We find a way to make sure that we're getting product out to our retailers and out to their customers.”

Loss Leader

Bison Beverage delivers beer to Laramie, Cheyenne, Torrington, Wheatland, Sheridan and Gillette.

“It takes us four warehouses, and teams scattered across all Wyoming to deliver,” Todd Lewis, president of Bison Beverage, told Cowboy State Daily. “And you know what? Most beer distributors probably deliver in the five-mile square radius right around their warehouse.”

That’s how it is in neighboring Fort Collins, Colorado, said Lewis. 

Colorado, where the average cost of a 24-pack was $19.49 in 2024, benefits from price suppression brought on by large gas station and grocery store chains, which use beer as a loss leader to lure in customers. 

“They're these big, massive chains and it brings kind of the whole price down when there's that much more competition and lower, lower retail margins,” said Lewis.

Wyoming has yet to see that kind of market pressure applied to drive down the cost of beer because the state isn’t home to as many chain stores, observed Lewis.

The suppliers serving Bison Beverage raised prices earlier this year, he said. 

“We were just hit with some here in January, so we won't see anything for a while,” said Lewis. “But what we don't know is, if these tariffs on aluminum come to fruition, that's a concern for our industry.”

“It takes us a lot of overhead, a lot of trucks, a lot of miles,” added Lewis. “The account across the street in Cheyenne pays the same as the guy in Lusk.”

And when it comes to local craft breweries, there’s price pressure on the shipping costs necessary to bring in all the ingredients. 

“The barley and wheat and all the things that go into the product,” said Lewis. “Getting that remote area involves quite a bit of cost.”

Laura Grott, director of the Wyoming Beer Distributors Association, said traveling long distances to ensure cold beer is available from Lusk to Bondurant is, “Just the cost of doing business.”

“They deliver the products. They stock it. They rotate the beer so it doesn't get expired for the customer,” said Grott. 

When asked where to get the best beer at the cheapest price in Wyoming, Grott proceeded with caution.

“Do you think I would jeopardize my job for one beer against the other?” said Grott, insisting, “I love all beers.”

David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.