Our Company’s History Can be Traced Back to 1774.

No

Meet Our Families

 

In 1786, English immigrant John Molson founded Canada’s oldest beer brewery on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Montreal. He wrote, “My beer has been universally well-liked beyond my most sanguine expectations.” The legacy continues seven generations later with brands like Molson Canadian, which was first brewed in 1959 and remains today one of Canada’s most iconic and best-selling beers.

Adolph Coors, a penniless brewer’s apprentice, stowed away on a ship from Germany in 1868 and made his way west, coming upon the perfect water of Clear Creek in Golden, Colo., at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. He opened a brewery in 1873. A century later, in 1978, Coors Light was born. It is now one of the best-selling beers in the U.S. and enjoyed by beer drinkers in more than 25 countries worldwide.

Frederick J. Miller began his apprenticeships in brewing as an adolescent. By 1849, he was brewmaster to a German prince. After immigrating to the U.S., he settled in Milwaukee, and in 1855 leased and later purchased the suburban Plank Road Brewery for $2,300. He brought a unique brewer’s yeast from Germany to ferment his beers that gave them unique flavor and character. Its descendant yeast is still used in some of our beers.

1700

1774

William Worthington began brewing in Burton on Trent, England.

1777

William Bass sets up shop in Burton, England.

1786

John Molson opens brewery in Montreal, Canada.

 

1800

1855

Frederick J. Miller leases and later purchases the Plank Road Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisc.

 

1867

Jacob Leinenkugel and business partner John Miller open the Spring Brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisc.

 

1869

Staropramen Brewery established in Smíchov region of Prague.

 

1873

Adolph Coors opens the Golden Brewery in Golden, Colo.

 

1881

The Plovdiv Brewery was the first brewery established in Bulgaria.

 

1885

Coors launches its first recycling effort - 45 cents for dozen empty quart bottles.

 

1893

The Zagreb Brewery was founded and became famous for having the city's first electrical light.

 

1896

Beer kettle and Montenegro mountainsThe first and only brewery in Montenegro, the Trebjesa Brewery, was established.

 

1900

1916 - 1933

Prohibition hits Colorado in 1916 and then the nation in 1919. Miller and Coors survive by brewing soda, near-beer and malt syrups until Prohibition is lifted in 1933.

1941

Coors aids war effort by setting aside half of all beer brewed for the military.

 

1945

Molson offers up public ownership in the company.

 

1959

Molson Canadian is introduced. Also, Coors introduces aluminum cans, cold filter brewing and launches an American recycling revolution by offering a penny for every can returned to the brewery.

1961

Miller purchases Milwaukee's A. Gettleman Brewing Co., including its Milwaukee's Best brand.

 

1975

Coors becomes a publicly traded company.

 

1978

Coors Light is introduced and dubbed the "Silver Bullet."

 

1988

Miller buys the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, enabling the family brewery to grow and expand into a national brand.

1989

Molson merges with Carling O'Keffe, becoming Canada's largest brewer and fifth-largest brewer on North America.

1995

Coors launches Blue Moon. The Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field in Denver is the first brewery in a Major League Baseball Stadium.

2000

2002

Coors acquires the England and Wales-based business of Bass Brewers and creates Coors Brewers Ltd., the UK's second-largest brewer.

SAB acquires Miller Brewing Company.

2005

Molson and Coors combine in a merger of equals. Later that year, the combined company acquires Creemore Springs Brewery in Ontario.

2008

Molson Coors and SABMiller form a joint venture, MillerCoors, that combines the U.S. and Puerto Rico business.

2009

Molson Coors purchases Granville Island Brewery in British Columbia.

 

2011

Molson Coors creates joint venture with Cobra Beer Company in India.

 

2012

Molson Coors acquires Staropramen-maker, StarBev.

MillerCoors acquires Crispin Cider Company.

 

2013

Molson Coors acquires Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork, Ireland.

 

2015

Molson Coors acquires Mt. Shivalik Brewery in India.

MillerCoors acquires Saint Archer Brewing in San Diego.

2016

MillerCoors acquires Terrapin Beer Co. of Athens, Ga.; Hop Valley Brewing Company of Eugene, Ore.; and Revolver Brewing of Granbury, Texas.

Molson Coors acquires remaining shares of the MillerCoors joint venture from SABMiller.

2017

Molson Coors acquires Sharp’s Brewery of Rock, England.

 

2018

Molson Coors acquires Clearly Kombucha of Fairfield, Calif.

Molson Coors acquires Aspall Cyder of Suffolk, England.

Molson Coors and HEXO Corp. form a Toronto-based joint venture called Truss to develop cannabis-infused beverages for the Canadian market.

Molson Coors acquires Vukovarsko Pivo of Vukovar, Croatia.

2019

Molson Coors acquires Pardubicky pivovar of Pardubice, Czech Republic, and Hop Stuff Brewery of London.

2020

Molson Coors changes corporate name to Molson Coors Beverage Company.

Molson Coors acquires Atwater Brewery of Detroit, Mich.