Brewed at Altitude: A Beer Lover's History of Colorado

A river of beer runs through Colorado’s history.

It started flowing during the gold rush, when saloons were much more than just a place to grab a drink. They were post offices, restaurants, hotels, social clubs, union halls, and more. But then, Colorado banned alcohol—four years before Prohibition hit the rest of the country—and a state born in a saloon ran dry for almost twenty years. Beer led the way back, and by the 1970s, brewing was big business again—really big business. Now, homebrewers have gone pro, and Colorado is one of the best places in the world to grab a brew. Join historians Sam Bock and Jason Hanson on a tour of Colorado history as seen through a pint glass. More than just a tale of ale, this is Colorado’s story—told over a few beers.

About the presenters:

Sam Bock is History Colorado’s director of interpretation and publications and hails from that hub of homebrew, Boulder, Colorado. He was the lead exhibition developer for Beer Here! Brewing the New West, a museum tour of Colorado’s history with a beer in hand. He’s the author of numerous articles about Colorado’s hoppy history, and conducted his graduate work in history at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Jason L. Hanson is the Chief Creative Officer at History Colorado. He has written and lectured about brewing history in a variety of publications and venues, and co-authored A Ditch in Time: The City, The West, and Water. When it comes to beer, he believes in being an aficionado, not a connoisseur—a lover, not a snob.

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Host or Publisher Museum of Boulder