THE BANQUET BACKSTORY

The history of Coors stretches back more than 140 years, with generations of the family overseeing the brewery. Through thick and thin, we’ve never wavered on our values of hard work, dedication and the stubborn resolve to brew the best beer we know how.

Early Days

THE LONG ROAD

In 1868, German brewing apprentice Adolph Coors headed to America. He made his way across the country working a series of odd jobs from bricklayer to gardener. Within five years, he founded the Golden Brewery where it still stands today.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Mr. Coors headed west and refused to rest until he found the perfect water for his beer. Water he discovered flowing through the mining town of Golden, Colorado at the base of the Rockies.

A LEGEND IS BORN

As the story goes, it was the hardworking miners of Golden who gave our beer its name. In the coming years, “The Banquet Beer” would become synonymous with Coors.

The 20th Century

DRAINED BUT NOT DEPLETED

When prohibition hit Colorado in 1916, the brewery was ordered to drain 561 barrels of beer. Undaunted, Mr. Coors leaned on new business ventures, such as manufacturing porcelain and producing malted milk for candy companies until April 7, 1933 when the beer flowed again.

A SYMBOL OF RESOLVE

By the 1930s, Banquet’s distribution was limited to just a handful of states in the western US. The brewery unveiled the Stubby Bottle in 1936, and after 17 dry years, the iconic bottle became a symbol of standing tall in the face of adversity.

A PACKAGING PIONEER

After years of development, Bill Coors scrapped the traditional tin can and introduced a more environmentally friendly aluminum container. This sparked a recycling revolution, and the aluminum can soon became industry standard.

BUILDING THE MYSTIQUE

Despite its limited distribution, thirst for Coors was booming by the 1970s. Legends abound of presidents, celebrities and everyday folks stocking up to haul the precious beer back east.

This Day And Age

BEER FOR ALL

For decades, Banquet was only available in 11 states, all west of the Mississippi River. The beer wouldn’t find its way east until 1976. But demand continued to grow and it was in 1991 that Coors finally showed up in all 50 states.

HERITAGE YOU CAN HOLD

The Banquet Beer’s rich heritage is something to be celebrated. So we wanted to do it as authentically as possible. Inspired by our history, the Banquet Heritage cans are our annual toast to the Banquet spirit, past and present.

STUBBY MAKES A COMEBACK

After more than 70 years in the vault, the 1936 Stubby Bottle made its triumphant return to stores and watering holes all over the country.

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