Gov. John Hickenlooper toasts Colorado tourism with a Rocky Mountain Soda Co. Golden Ginger Beer as members of Colorado’s tourism industry and lawmakers celebrate during a Discover Colorado rally at the Capitol in 2013. (Photo By Cyrus McCrimmon/The Denver Post)
Gov. John Hickenlooper, who brewed beer and then gave it up to enter politics, has mentioned his favorite beverage in his previous four State of the State speeches.
Will he do it today to lawmakers?
Hickenlooper is so aligned with suds on the Democrat during his re-election bid last year accused the politician of drinking and promoting Colorado beer. Republicans claimed the governor’s inconsistencies and his “aw shucks, let’s just talk about it over a beer” manner .
Voters disagreed, which is the why the guy who used to craft beer is now crafting his next State of the State speech. Here are the previous references to beer in his earlier speeches:
Brewpub pioneer John Hickenlooper poses with some of the different brews from his Wynkoop Brewery in this 1991 picture. (Denver post file)
Together, we can work to show the people of Colorado that we are here to serve them, and that our efforts reflect the Western values of hard work, honesty and respect. And letap not forget humor. Or the value of sharing a beer after a hard day’s work.
When people think of the West, itap easy to envision wagon trains, Buffalo Bill, the glory days of the Gold Rush. Cowboy hats come to mind. Rocks. Even beer. But letap talk about hats. John B. Stetson left Pennsylvania in the early 1860s, suffering from tuberculosis, and came west. He soon found himself panning for gold in the Colorado Rockies.
We also start the year with the country’s strongest and fairest rule disclosing the ingredients in the “fracking” process. The old geologist in me is champing at the bit to go into detail about this process, but I won’t. Of course, the brewer in me would like to talk about it over a beer.
Some have suggested a divided government, that is divided chambers, has been a blessing for our administration. Our blessing was not divided government in the last two years; our blessing was in the many relationships we formed with lawmakers. These relationships endure. They span the geography of our state and they transcend political affiliation. And they’ve been nourished by our working together, helped along every once in awhile by a cold Colorado beer.
As some of you know, I took what you might call an unconventional path into running for office. I started out here in Colorado as a geologist. During a downturn, everyone in our company got laid off. Next thing I knew I was making beer and starting a brewpub business.
