These are the best states for beer lovers. How did Pa. do? | Monday Morning Coffee

Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

On the first day of the working week after a protracted — and mildly  excruciating — budget season, we’re already planning ahead for happy hour.

Thus, as a publication that focuses on Pennsylvania politics and policy, what better way to do it than with a list running down the list best states for beer lovers?

The data comes from the folks at VinePair, who weighed a number of data sets as they drew up their rankings list.

They included:

Below, a look at the top five states — and where Pennsylvania finished. Though we’ll admit we come to the table with a certain bias.

From such big guns as Yuengling and mid-sized concerns as Yards, to craft brewers such as Rubber Soul and Mellow Mink, Pennsylvania has a rich and varied beer landscape. Heck, even Ben Franklin had his own recipe — which really makes beer an ingrained part of the commonwealth’s culture.

 Anyway … read on. Responsibly.

(Photo via pxHere.com)

The Top 5 Best States:

1. Vermont

2. Colorado

3. Oregon

4. California

Andddd … 

5. Pennsylvania: The Keystone State “boasts a whopping 3,244,840 barrels of craft beer produced each year. One barrel equals 3,968 fluid ounces, and if our math’s correct, that’s enough for 1,072,960,426 rounds (if we’re counting 12-ounce pours),” according to VinePair.

The commonwealth’s “486 craft breweries are second only to California. About those craft barrels: They’re good for second overall, and fourth per capita,” VinePair’s rankers wrote.

“The state is home to Yuengling, the oldest operating brewery in the country, and the largest craft brewery,” they continued. “The state’s beers may not place near the very top of critical lists, but you cannot ignore the presence of stalwarts like Troegs and Victory.”

No, you certainly cannot.

A man shoots AR-15 rifles and other weapons at a shooting range during the “Rod of Iron Freedom Festival” on October 12, 2019 in Greeley, Pa. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images).

Our Stuff.Six states will have to rewrite their gun laws after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling, our friends at Stateline.org report.

ICYMI:Did the end of Roe open the door to the return of sodomy laws? Victoria A. Brownworth, of our partners at the Philadelphia Gay News, considers the implications.

Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs continued their county-level listening tour last week, visiting Allegheny County to hear from substance use disorder treatment providers and prevention specialists about local efforts to manage addiction. Cassie Miller has the story.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed the 2022-23 state budget into law last week, celebrating its investments in public education, Marley Parish reports.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly has approved a five-part proposed amendment package, which includes language that would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to state that it does not guarantee any rights to abortion or public funding for abortions. Marley Parish, Jaxon White, and Peter Hall have the details.

En la Estrella-Capital: Los créditos tributarios, suscritos por el Plan de Rescate Estadounidense, que ayudan a las personas a pagar su cobertura de salud a través de la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio, expirarán a finales de 2022, lo que aumentará los costos de atención médica para aproximadamente 230,000 residentes de Pensilvania.

Y la presidenta del Comité de Supervisión y Reforma de la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos dijo el jueves que solicitó que los directores ejecutivos de tres compañías de fabricación de armas comparezcan ante el Congreso para testificar en una audiencia a finales de este mes sobre la violencia armada.

On our Commentary Page this morning: We’re seeing the reordering of the nation around the beliefs of a minority of Americans, Dr. Oge Young, a retired obstetrician and gynecologist, writes in an op-Ed first published by our sibling site the New Hampshire Bulletin.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman [Capital-Star photo by Cassie Miller] Elsewhere.

The Inquirer checks in on the increasingly pugilistic tone of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race.

The Post-Gazette takes a closer look at the spending in the state’s newly adopted $45.2 billion budget.

LancasterOnline runs the budget numbers on the local schools.

A group of Pennsylvania Republican power players have formed a pro-Josh Shapiro political action committee, PennLive reports.

Doug Mastriano stumped in Luzerne County over the weekend. The Citizens’ Voice has the story.

USA Today’s Pennsylvania Capital-Bureau looks at the crucial role that abortion rights will play in the race for governor (via GoErie — subscriber-only).

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and Josh Shapiro are standing up for the city after it was highlighted in a CBS News story about the roots of the Jan. 6 insurrection, the Morning Call reports.

A Lancaster County cinema canceled the premiere of a film that highlighted such prominent Pennsylvania right-wingers as Doug Mastriano, PoliticsPA reports.

Philadelphia’s financial oversight board has been extended until 2047, WHYY-FM reports.

Gov. Tom Wolf has vetoed a trio of Republican-authored bills that, among other things, bans transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that align with their identity, the Associated Press reports (via WITF-FM).

Here’s your #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day:

What Goes OnThe House is out of voting session until Sept. 12. The Senate is out until Sept. 19.3 p.m., G50 Irvis: House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee

What Goes On (Nakedly Political Edition)9 a.m.: Golf outing for Rep. Josh Kail, Seven Oaks Country Club, Beaver, Pa. Admission runs $250 to $10,000 (At that level, presumably someone just takes your ball from you and puts it in the cup for a hole-in-one).

WolfWatch11 a.m., Main Rotunda: Gov. Tom Wolf joins members of SEIU and Leading Age PA, and others, to talk about long-term care spending in the newly adopted state budget.

Heavy RotationGene Holder, bass player for indie rock stalwarts, The dB’s, recently rang in another birthday. In his honor, here’s one of my favorite tunes from the NYC-by-way-of-N.C. combo. From their third record, ‘Like This,’ it’s ‘A Spy in the House of Love.’

Monday’s Gratuitous Soccer LinkThe Guardian looks at the challenge facing Erik ten Hag as he attempts to right the listing ship that is Manchester United.

And now you’re up to date.