91 Years Ago
The Depression was hard on Golden, and–with our beer-dependent economy–Prohibition made it still worse. Things were looking up in the spring of 1933. Prohibition had been repealed in early April, and many citizens were back at work in the Coors Brewery. The company’s newer businesses–the porcelain plant and the malted milk production line–were also providing employment.
Since 1929, the Rocky Mountain Motorists had been running an advertising campaign that invited tourists from the “Hot Belt” (Midwestern states) to come enjoy the cooler weather in Colorado. With the re-opening of the brewery, Coors agreed to support the Hot Belt Advertising campaign.
The June 8, 1933 Colorado Transcript announced that Coors would open their brewery and malted milk production facilities to tourists. “This action of Mr. Coors will result, it is predicted, in bringing to Golden thousands of visitors from the dry states of Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Oklahoma. None of these states have legal beer at this time and it is thought that the opportunity to visit a brewery which is turning out 500 barrels per day will attract a great number.”
Coors had always been a generous host, often inviting large groups to tour their brewery, but this was the first time they planned to open the plant on a regular basis to the general public. “The Coors interests plan to put one or more guides on duty during the summer months, in order to explain to the many visitors the process of manufacture of Coors Golden beer and Coors Malted Milk”
The Golden Transcript (originally called the Colorado Transcript) has been publishing since 1866. The Golden History Museum has been working on digitizing the historic issues. You’ll find old Transcripts online at coloradohistoricnewspapers.org.
