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Adolph Coors founded the Golden Brewery within 5 years of arriving in America in 1868. Ever since Golden Brewery produced Coors living the motto “no cutting corners. You get what you give, and we give only the best beer we can brew.”
Unfortunately, the prohibition was introduced between 17 January 1920 to 5 December 1933 which hit Colorado and the brewery badly. The brewery was ordered to drain 516 barrels of beer they had in their reserves.
After the prohibition ended on 5 December 1933 Coors started producing beer again. Initially it Coors Banquet was only available in only 11 western states.
The reason for the limited distribution was that Coors was unpasteurized, it contained no preservatives, and it had to be kept at a cold temperature.
This made it impossible to transport on long journeys to get it to more states.
In 1936 the brewery introduced the quintessential stubby bottle which is now the symbol of the brewery’s heritage and history.
Coors Brewing Company set a new landmark in 1959 when they introduced the environmentally friendly aluminum can.
The aluminum can is used as an industry standard for packaging beverages. Furthermore, the aluminum can sparked a recycling revolution.
National distribution became a reality in the 1950s when Coors pioneered the use of cold filtering, sterile filling, aluminum cans, and refrigerated trucks.
Coors Banquet built the brand slowly and Indiana became the last state to receive Yellow Jackets in 1991 making it broadly available in all 50 US states.
What Type Of Beer Is A Yellow Jacket?
Coors Banquet is an adjunct beer brewed using unmalted grains (such as wheat, barley, oats, corn, rye, etc), or grain products such as malted barley used in brewing beer to supplement the main mash ingredient.
Yellow jackets are Coors Banquet a lager beer featured in shows like Yellowstone and Smokey and the Bandit where Burt Reynolds and Sally Field transported Coors from Texas to Georgia
Former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was a great yellow Jacket supporter and is known to have enjoyed a few Coors Banquet beers on the odd occasion.
He was not the only celebrity to enjoy a Yellow Jacket. It is said that Paul Newman demanded them in his on-set mini fridge.
Who Brews Yellow Jacket Beers?
Molson-Coors brews the almighty Coors Banquet, a refreshing lager, that is enjoyed across the USA by beer lovers.
Where Does the Term Yellow Jacket Come From?
Coors Banquet beer can be identified by the yellow label found on the bottle or aluminum tin. The yellow label led to Coors Banquet lovers to coin the term “Yellow Jacket”.
The Ingredients
Since the first batch was brewed in 1873 the ingredients have remained stable to retain the taste that Coors Banquet is renowned for.
So, what are the ingredients?
- Barley Malt
- Rocky Mountains Water
- Yeast
- Hop Extract
- Corn Syrup is only used as a part of the brewing process.
Let it be known that Coors Banquet does not utilize high fructose corn syrup.
The Barley
Adolph Coors II received a gift of Moravian Barley seeds in 1936 which originated from the Czech Republic. The seeds were planted in an employee’s garden.
After the successful trial, the seeds were used to grow barley in the foothills of the Rockies, which is comparable to the Moravia region in the Czech Republic.
Moravian Barley seeds were introduced in 1937 by Adolph Coors Jr. to brew Coors Banquet. This is the same barley that is still used today.
Bill Coors realized that beer is made in the barley field. Without access to good barley, you can’t make good beer.
In 1946 the Coors leadership showed their vision in 1946 by creating partnerships with growers across the Rocky Mountain region to have exclusive access to good quality, high-yield barley.
The Water
Coors Banquet beers used Rocky Mountain water ever since it was introduced to Americans in 1874 by Adolph Coors.
It starts high in the mountains where the snow-covered peaks of the Rockies melt, gather minerals, and makes its way down to the Golden Brewery.
The high altitude of the water produces that, “drinkable “Mile High Taste”.” that Coors Banquet is renowned for.
To retain the integrity of the water quality, Golden Brewery employs a team of water experts close to the source to ensure every drop is of the required quality.
Filter Process
Coors Banquet is filtered using an old-school technique combined with Enzinger filters. Although it is regarded as old school and not used by many breweries, Coors decided to retain the filter process as it contributes to good character and good beer, brewed with time.
Fermentation Process
Yellow jackets are renowned for their distinctive banana flavor produced during the fermentation process.
Molson-Coors brewing company notes that they only their classic technique of closed horizontal box fermentation, at cold temperatures for up to 30 days, This plays a major role in giving Coors Banquet its banana characteristic.
Where Can You Buy Yellow Jacket Coors Banquet Beers?
Yellow Jacket Coors beers can be bought from your local grocery store, or alcohol retailer (small or large).
Online purchases are enabled on a variety of alcohol retailers with websites and apps.
In addition to the retail outlets, Yellow Jacket beers are sold at some local breweries since they call their craft brew Yellow Jacket.
- River Hawk Brewing
- Spearfish Brewing
Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per 12 oz serving
- 147 Calories
- 7g Carbohydrate
- 0g Fat
- 0g Protein
- Coors Banquet is 5% ABV (Alcohol By Volume)
- Coors Banquet is 15 IBU (International Bitterness Unit). The higher the IBU the more bitter the taste.
FAQ
Is Coors Banquet a good beer?
The brightness of Coors Banquet makes it stand out compared to most other domestic lagers.
It offers a relatively clean, crisp finish produced in the carbonation process.
Is Coors still unpasteurized?
Yes. Coors Light and Coors Banquet are still cold-filtered and unpasteurized.
What Beer Is Coors Banquet Comparable To?
Coors Banquet is similar to Miller Higher Life, Budweiser, and Pabst Blue Ribbon
