'Beer Here!' exhibit coming to Museum of Boulder

For many Coloradans, the changing of the seasons is marked by clear signs: the weather begins to warm, birds begin to chirp, and murmurs of "Do you want to go get a beer after this?" seem to fill the air as much as springtime pollen.

As the headquarters of the Brewers Association, the Brewers Guild and the American Homebrewers Association; the birthplace of the Great American Beer Festival and home to over 400 breweries, Colorado is a cornerstone of the brewing industry.

However, as evidenced by the Museum of Boulder's upcoming featured exhibition, "Beer Here!," the relationship between the Centennial State and its favorite barley-based beverage is complex.

The exhibit, which will be on display at the Museum of Boulder beginning Saturday, details more than 160 years of Colorado history, explored through the lens of beer.

Originally curated by History Colorado, the interactive exhibit showcases data, artifacts and stories that illustrate the profound influence of beer over the state's economic, social, and environmental development throughout the past two centuries.

The exhibit is broken up into five different eras in brewing history, beginning in the 1859 with the gold rush, spanning through the early 20th century with the industrial boom, passing through the prohibition, to the era of Coors, and ending in present-day Colorado with the craft beer movement.

According to Sam Bock, lead developer for the exhibit and public historian at History Colorado, "Beer Here!" is an exciting on-ramp for Coloradans and out-of-towners alike to learn more about the history of the state.

"We have a lot of people who are interested in Colorado history, especially a lot of new people who are moving to Colorado, and the idea of learning a lot about the gold rush might be somewhat appealing; but the idea of learning a lot about the gold rush through the lens of beer, that's a lot more appealing," Bock said.

One of the notable artifacts on display is an antique bottle smasher, which was used by prohibition-era police to reprimand rule-breakers during this time period.

"It illustrates the extreme police response, and the overwhelming power of the police to enforce prohibition, which is something that isn't as easy to imagine today," said Bock.

Indeed, if federal prohibition agents were still around today, they would be none too pleased to see the inside of the Museum of Boulder come this weekend.

According to Elizabeth Nosek, Museum of Boulder curator of collections and exhibits, the main gallery inside the museum will be transformed into a 19th-century mock saloon, outfitted with a bar, lanterns and barrels that would makeany coal miner proud.

"One of the regrets that History Colorado had with their exhibit is that there wasn't more of an opportunity to actually drink beer while learning about beer," said Nosek. "This is (Museum of Boulder's) attempt to allow visitors to be a little more immersed. People can appreciate the stories that are part of our beer history here in Colorado, but then they can go over and have their own experience and be even more involved in that history in the immersive side of the exhibit."

To tie the entire beer experience together, the Museum of Boulder will be hosting a series of happy hours with Boulder County breweries. Beginning March 24 until the exhibit's close at the end of the summer, guests attending happy hour will be granted access to the exhibit, a beer flight, food pairing and local beer knowledge from the visiting brewery.

For Charlie Papazian, this exhibition is a full-circle moment in his career as a brewer. A pioneer in the craft brewing revolution, Papazian's legendary journey as a home brewer changed the course of beer history.

Papazian's oral histories recounting his time as an elementary school teacher-turned-American Brewers Association of North America president are featured in the final section of the exhibit, titled the "Rise of Craft."

Papazian first moved to Boulder from Charlottesville, Va., in the early ’70s. By the late ’70s, Papazian was teaching home brewing classes out of his kitchen to as many people as he could fit inside.

"People came to Colorado and were just inspired by what we were doing here," said Papazian. "We had all different kinds of people that wanted to make beer — young, old, single, families — we were just all people who loved beer."

"I feel really grateful to be able to share in this history, this big thing that was happening," said Papazian, who still lives in Boulder County. "This exhibit is an example of how beer crosses cultural lines. As I used to say in the early days of my home brewing, beer is the original social network."

To hear Papazian's retelling of the roaring ’70s, see the might of the antique bottle smasher, and try a flight of craft beer while learning about Colorado history, visit the "Beer Here! Brewing the New West" exhibit at the Museum of Boulder. The exhibit will kick off with an opening reception 4:40-7:30 p.m. Friday for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. A $12 ticket will get patrons appetizers, access to the exhibit and there will be beer and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase. Friday's party is free for museum members. The exhibit is on display through Sept. 3. Learn more at museumofboulder.org.

Pottery pieces are on display at the Museum of Boulder's "Beer Here!" exhibit, are from the Coors Collection. Pottery was made at during Prohibition as a deterrent to drinking. "Beer Here! Brewing The New West," an exhibit originally developed by History Colorado, is on display at Museum of Boulder. Its five different sections span the history of beer in Boulder County from 1859 to the present. (Lori Preston / Museum of Boulder)

"Beer Here! Brewing The New West," an exhibit originally developed by History Colorado, is on display at Museum of Boulder. Its five different sections span the history of beer in Boulder County from 1859 to the present. (Lori Preston / Museum of Boulder)

Museum of Boulder Collections Facility volunteer Hannah Bachus works on labels that be on display for "Beer Here! Brewing The New West." (Lori Preston / Museum of Boulder)

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