Alabama may not have the nation's most prolific beer industry, but by one measure, it does have the fastest growing.

California had the most new breweries in 2012 with 31, according to data collected by Bloomberg.com. But California already had 332 breweries in 2011, meaning the number of breweries only increased by a little more than 9 percent.

Alabama ended 2011 with only seven breweries statewide, but nearly doubled that in 2012, adding five more. That change of more than 71 percent led the nation, followed by Kentucky at 61 percent (eight new breweries for 21 in 2012).

The data come from the Beer Institute and the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The numbers are for permitted brewers, so may include new breweries that have filed their paperwork and acquired permits but aren't fully operational.

Alabama's high growth rate is mostly due to the small number of breweries operating in the state. Only 10 states and the District of Columbia have fewer breweries. Mississippi, the last state without legal homebrewing until a law passed in March goes into effect July 1, added one brewery in 2012 to bring its total to three.

Gov. Robert Bentley signed a bill legalizing homebrewing this month, and Alabamians are already learning from established brewers about making the perfect beer.