What would the United States be like without beer? A study conducted by John Dunham & Associates, jointly commissioned by the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association, shows that without the beer industry, the U.S. economy could be very different. America’s beer industry, which consists of brewers, beer importers, beer distributors, brewer suppliers and retailers, directly and indirectly contributes $246.6 billion annually to the U.S. economy, according to the Beer Serves America study. The industry generates more than 2 million American jobs, accounting for nearly $79 billion in wages and benefits and more than $246.6 billion in economic activity, it adds. The industry also contributed $49.1 billion in the form of business, personal and consumption taxes in 2012, the study finds.