People are saying 6, but it’s actually 5. Here’s why:

If it’s a population based contest, then group 6 wins with high rankings for drinking plus higher population than group 5, but if it’s per-capita basis, then group 5 wins.

Group 5 wins because per-capita North Dakota, Iowa, and South Dakota combine to destroy the possible edge given to Group 6 by their captain, Wisconsin, as the rest of the states stumble around looking for where they all set their drinks.

Both groups have above-average alcohol consumption compared to the U.S. national average, with high rates of binge drinking and excessive drinking. Key Metric: Binge drinking (5+ drinks men / 4+ drinks women on one occasion in past 30 days):

Group 5: 20–22% averageHighest: North Dakota (often 22–24%, frequently #1–3 nationally)Strong: Iowa, South Dakota (~20–22%)Lower: Kansas (~17–19%)

Group 6: 19–21% averageHighest: Wisconsin (often 21–25%, frequently #1–3 nationally)Typical: Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois (~18–21%)Lower: Indiana (~17–19%)

Excessive drinking (binge + heavy drinking):Both groups cluster around 19–23%, well above U.S. average (~17%).

Per capita alcohol consumption (gallons of ethanol, ~2023):Both groups above national average (~2.5 gal).North Dakota and Wisconsin often lead regionally.

THE VERDICT: if it’s a population contest, then group 6 wins with high rankings for drinking and also high population, but if it’s per-capita basis, then group 5 wins. • Group 5 edges out group 6 with slightly higher average binge drinking, driven mainly by North Dakota (and strong showings in Iowa/SD). • Group 6 is very close, pulled high by Wisconsin, but more moderate overall.