"Coors" news and stories

When you snag an icy can of Coors for Sunday's game, you might notice something different about your favorite easy-swilling banquet beer.

Right in time for the Super Bowl, brewing giant MolsonCoors has goosed its flagship beer's inconic look, rolling out a quartet of retro designs -- but not a corresponding retro flavor -- dating from 1880 to 1959. That year, Coors unveiled America's first aluminum can, and thus birthed the legend of the "yellow belly" beer vessel.

Miller will geniunely be on draft, in the fridge. Photo: William Hartz, Flickr

Beer conglomerate MillerCoors, The Wall Street Journal reports, has responded to sliding sales with some tweaking in the packaging department. For $20, their new "Home Draft" beer box will keep 1.5 gallons -- equivalent to 16 12-ounce beers -- of Miller Lite or Coors Light fresh in the fridge for about 30 days, a change from previous "mini-keg style" distribution systems meant to be consumed in one sitting (with a number of guests, of course!). This disposable, recyclable and affordable "draft beer system" has already begun test marketing in a number of cities.

MillerCoors is hoping the new packaging will help woo "the 30 percent of beer drinkers who say they prefer draft beer to the bottled or canned variety." Much like Heineken's DraughtKeg which started with strong sales before cooling off, the novelty of the gadget itself may be part of the appeal. With Miller Lite witnessing a 7.5-percent sales drop, they're happy to move product any way they can.



[Via The Wall Street Journal]

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Budweiser mastered the mass-marketing of beer across America. And Miller gave us the first mainstream "lite" beer, creating a nationwide sales phenomenon. But Coors gave us the aluminum can.

The Rocky Mountain News reported that yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of Coors unveiling the U.S. beer industries "first seamless, recyclable aluminum beer can." Previously, beer was canned in tin containers that were hard to recycle and tainted the beer's taste. Industry transition to the now ubiquitous aluminum can didn't happen overnight -- other brewers with entrenched interests objected -- but eventually the entire steel beverage can industry was rendered obsolete.

To this day, Coors owns and helps operate the nation's largest aluminum can manufacturing plant. And in today's "go green" world, Coors also likes to remind us that in 1959, immediately after introducing the aluminum can, "Coors launched a recycling revolution by offering a penny for every can returned to the brewer." As they succinctly state in their environmental stewardship brochure: "We invented the recyclable aluminum can."

So Coors may or may not have been the alcoholic beverage of choice that caused that vagrant you see collecting aluminum cans to live on the street, but they're definitely the ones who helped give him a second chance!

What?! Too soon? Come on, it's been 50 years! Happy golden anniversary to Golden, Colorado's aluminum can.

[via Rocky Mountain News]

For my entire life, when it came to American breweries, three names came to mind: Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors. Well, in 2002, Miller was purchased by South African Breweries to form SABMiller. In 2005, Coors merged with Canada's Molson to form Molson Coors. And now, the multi-continent conglomerate InBev is buying Anheuser-Busch. It's enough to make your head-spin: You shouldn't need an M.B.A. to get tipsy.

The question becomes, with all of these international buyouts, what true blue American breweries are left?

A lot of companies have been quick to fly the American flag, but fittingly, the new #1 American owned brewery takes their brand name from an American patriot. Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams, is now not only America's largest "craft brewer", it's also the country's largest domestically owned brewery. If that doesn't further blur the line between the modern craft brewery and their macro counterparts, I don't know what does.

So who are in line to be the new "Big 3"? Breaking it down strictly by 2007's beer sales volume here you go: 1) Boston Beer (makers of Sam Adams), 2) Yuengling, and 3) Sierra Nevada.

Surprised? I was. See the entire list (compiled by the not-for-profit Brewers Association) here.

[Photo Credit: yuengling.com / sierranevada.com / samueladams.com]

Denver is the home of Coors Brewing Company, and this summer the city will also host the Democratic National Convention. Beyond that locational proximity, what could the two possibly have in common? Beer! Well, waste beer to be more precise.

According to RealBeer.com, the Dems will be shuttled about in flex fuel cars using waste beer as the bio-diesel. Coors will be donating all the waste beer-ethanol needed by the fleet of GM flex fuel cars.

Not only is beer good fresh, but perhaps waste beer would be a good alternative to corn based ethanol (ignoring the hops shortage for the moment). I'm not saying that beer can solve all the world's problems, but it might not be a bad place to start.

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