Exploring the Rich History of Brewing in Colorado

Since the gold rush of the 19th century, Colorado has been a brewing powerhouse. In 1859, Rocky Mountain Brewing became the first known brewery in the state, but it only lasted for a year. Despite this, the demand for beer was high and other establishments soon followed suit. At the peak of the gold rush beer boom, there were an estimated 129 breweries across Colorado.

This is the only known image of Rocky Mountain Brewery, the first commercial brewing company in what would become Colorado. The brewery was operational and producing around 30 barrels a day by January 25, 1893. It also supplied malt to breweries in Denver and Pueblo. In the late 1960s, activists from The Movement called for a boycott of Coors to protest against unfair hiring practices. This helped spur the redevelopment of Denver's Lower Downtown district, which is now a vibrant neighborhood with plenty of restaurants and breweries.

Women's Role in Prohibition

Women played a prominent role in the Prohibition campaign as they suffered most from drunken men.

Zang Brewing: A Colorado Icon

Zang Brewing was one of the top five breweries in Colorado in 1910 and was located in what is now the Denver Aquarium. Denver is still home to most of the members of the Colorado Brewery List.

Modern Day Brewing in Colorado

Today, visitors can enjoy a cold glass of craft beer on a sunny patio with the mountains in sight. Before visiting any of the other three breweries planned for the day, be sure to take advantage of the extra time to enjoy all that south-central Colorado has to offer.

Betsy Nevels
Betsy Nevels

Hardcore tv aficionado. General music trailblazer. Friendly bacon maven. Lifelong twitter specialist. Infuriatingly humble social media maven.

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