Historians agree that bars in Massachusetts are about as old as the state itself. At the beginning of 2024, Massachusetts was home to 828 bars and 1,645 beer, wine, and liquor stores. As far as how much alcohol Massachusetts consumes compared to the rest of the 50 states, we're basically right in the middle. In VinePair's recent ranking of how much alcohol each state drinks, Massachusetts came in at number 21. Massachusetts has become the 27th state to officially make cocktails to-go permanent in support of local businesses and consumers.