Smithsonian Institution hiring first ever beer historian

Cheers to learning more about beer. (mediaphotos)

It’s the career opportunity of a lifetime for sudsy sippers across the country.

The Smithsonian Institute's Museum of American History is looking to hire a beer historian for a three-year appointment based in Washington, D.C.

Museum curator Paula Johnson told the Washington City Paper that the job is a brand new position funded by the Brewers Association—a national trade group that represents craft beer makers and that the Smithsonian is looking for a candidate who can "focus and dedicate efforts towards research, documentation, and collecting American brewing history."

"We have collected food history for many years, so when we were doing the research for the exhibition, which is all about big changes in the post WW II era in how and what we eat, one thing we were curious about is the craft beer movement," Johnson says. "We were looking at wine, coffee, cheese, artisanal bread, and farmers markets. Well, this movement with small-scale, local regional beer is part of the ethos."

Currently, the Museum of American History has information about beer history dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but very little from the 1960s til today—which many consider to be the heyday of the craft beer movement.

According to data from the Brewers Association, there are now 4,269 breweries in America—a historical high since 1873, when there were 4,131 breweries in the country.The number of beermakers in the U.S. jumped 15 percent in 2015 alone.

The historian/scholar position requires individuals to travel, interview beer industry professionals, write articles about beer, perform research for exhibits and archives—and of course drink the stuff. The position pays $64,650 plus plenty of bubbly benefits.

According to the official posting, “Candidates with an advanced degree in American business, brewing, food, cultural, or similar specialization within history are encouraged to apply.”

But beer lovers should get moving. Applications for the Smithsonian Food Project’s beer history expert are due Aug. 10.