Per capita cheese consumption in the US

As Americans have eaten more cheese per capita, craft distilleries have multiplied across the nation, a correlation of 0.993 that paints a portrait of a society that takes its artisanal vices seriously. The cheese ages, the whiskey ages, and the consumer who buys both does so with the deliberate intentionality of someone who has read a magazine article about terroir. The shared variable is obvious: disposable income and the conviction that everything tastes better when someone explains where it came from.

Cheese consumption grew from about 31 to over 40 pounds per capita between 2005 and 2022. Craft distilleries grew from about 200 to over 2,500. Both trends are powered by premiumization—the willingness of affluent consumers to pay more for artisanal, small-batch products with stories attached. The same cultural moment that elevated American cheese from Kraft Singles to cave-aged Gruyère also elevated American spirits from well whiskey to small-batch bourbon. Both industries benefited from the farm-to-table movement, food tourism, and the Instagram-era elevation of consumption into identity performance.

Eighteen years of cheese and craft distilleries growing together is a portrait of the premiumization economy: a society that has decided what it eats and drinks is who it is, and is willing to pay accordingly. The cheese wheel and the copper still are both artifacts of the same cultural moment—one that values provenance, craftsmanship, and the willingness to spend thirty dollars on something your grandparents got for three. The tasting notes are elaborate. The correlation is simple.