Coloradans, toss back a cold one in celebration of this latest honor.
Last year, Colorado officially became the largest beer-producing state in the nation, an honor not held by the state since 1990, according to the Beer Institute in Washington, D.C.
The Colorado brewing industry produced more than 23.3 million barrels of beer in 2006, pushing California out of the top spot.
Charlie Papazian, president of the Boulder-based Brewers Association, said the state has about 100 brewers but that 90 percent of the volume can be attributed to Coors Brewing Co. in Golden and Anheuser-Busch in Fort Collins.
But John Bricker, owner of the state’s smallest beer-producer — Three Barrel Brewing in Del Norte, which produces almost 350 barrels a year — said the little guys deserve credit too.
“Colorado’s smallest brewery put them over the line,” he joked. “Every little drop counts.”
Staff writer Karen Rouse can be reached at 303-954-1684 or krouse@denverpost.com.
