On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, the Arizona State Museum presents “Whiskey is for Drinking, Water is for Fighting Over” by Dr. Michael M. Brescia. This free in-person presentation will be held from 6:00-8:00 pm at Whiskey del Bac located at 2106 N. Forbes Blvd. #103, Tucson, AZ.
Drawing from his scholarly research and professional experiences as an expert witness, ASM ethnohistorian Michael Brescia will share a few vignettes as a way to understand the living legacies of old Spanish colonial property law and water rights in the American West. Dr. Brescia is the Curator of Ethnohistory in the Arizona State Museum with faculty affiliations in the Department of History and the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona. He teaches a wide range of courses on such topics as Mexican history, comparative history of North America, natural resources and the law in the Spanish Borderlands, world history, and historical research methods. Michael’s publications examine the broader historical forces that have shaped our continent from pre-Columbian times to the present, including the living legacies of Spanish law.
This is a FREE talk. RSVPs are requested but not required. For more information visit https://statemuseum.arizona.edu/events/whiskey or contact Darlene Lizarraga at 520-626-8381 or dfl@email.arizona.edu.