A river of beer flows through Colorado’s past. Back in the gold rush, saloons weren’t just saloons. They were post offices, restaurants, hotels, and social clubs. But then Colorado banned alcohol—four years before Prohibition hit the rest of the country. By the 1970s, beer was big business again—really big business. Now, home brewers have gone pro and it seems like there’s a brewery on every corner. Learn more about the liquid history of Colorado and the west.