Our company’s history can be traced back to 1774.
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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
The first and only brewery in Montenegro, the Trebjesa Brewery, was established.
1900
1916 - 1933
Prohibition hits Colorado in 1916 and then the rest of the United States 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.
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 acquires Vukovarsko Pivo of Vukovar, Croatia.
2020
Molson Coors changes trading name to Molson Coors Beverage Company.
Molson Coors acquires Atwater Brewery of Detroit, Mich.