Who Actually Owns Coors Beer?

Touted as a refreshing beer, Coors is a quintessential light American lager. But who's actually behind the magic? Oftentimes, our favorite brands have complicated ownership stories and outsourced production — like the real companies behind your favorite Costco alcohol. Not Coors; it's self-owned by the Molson Coors Beverage Company.

The name itself evolved over the past 150 years, but the business always remained self-owned. The year 1880 saw the axing of a partner and dropping of the "Schueler & Coors Golden Brewery" name, while by 1989, Coors Brewing Company was adopted. Molson Coors Beverage Company was finally settled upon in 2005 when Molson and Coors joined forces (which the companies publicly specify was a merger of equals).

Adolph Kuhrs, a Prussian-born immigrant, founded the company in Colorado in 1873. It took a brief hiatus through the Prohibition before reopening in 1933, and the rest is history. While not the hoppiest of choices, Tasting Table placed Coors' beers in the middle of our ranking of the most popular beers. That crispness really shines through. The thermo ink on bottles of Coors Light — which turns blue when the beer is cold enough to drink — is a nice creative touch, too. It's easy to see why it's a top contender in many bars and households.

Molson Coors is not a one-trick pony. The company has a whole collection of brands under its umbrella, with 13 as of 2024. Coors' most famous sister brands are Cobra and Carling. And Molson Coors' goal is "brewing beverages that unite people to celebrate all life's moments," so it's no shock that its brand portfolio embraces so much diversity and heritage.

A traditional Indian beer with a modern UK-inspired twist, Cobra is a fascinating product in the Molson Coors portfolio. Lord Karan Bilimoria masterminded the smooth-tasting beverage in 1989 and partnered with Molson Coors in 2009, who helped repurchase it out of administration. It's widely associated within the U.K. as a drink to accompany an Indian restaurant meal or takeaway — an interesting cultural phenomenon.

We'll burst the bubble right here, though. Carling doesn't quite have the same affectionate reputation as Coors, despite featuring as one of the most popular beers in European countries. A top seller in the U.K. for decades, the sneaky suspicion is that the low price tag is the reason for its success. It's the subject of occasional ridicule, but maybe that's just the U.K.'s love of an aired grievance (I can vouch for that; I'm British). It was just piped to the number one spot by Moretti in 2024. Maybe buy one of each and decide which is best.