What: Coors Brewing Company Tour (now known as: MillerCoors)
Where: Golden
When: “Summer†schedule (Memorial Day thru Labor Day): 10 AM – 4 PM Monday through Saturday; Noon – 4 PM Sundays; closed on holidays
Other times of the year: 10 AM – 4 PM Thursday through Monday; Noon – 4 PM Sundays; closed on holidays
2008 Update: We recently got word from the source that Coors is now officially MillerCoors, and the brewery tours are now self-guided, audio tours lasting 35 minutes.
After a day of rock climbing at North Table Mountain (a.k.a. “Golden Cliffsâ€), riding a bike along Golden’s bike paths, hiking the trails of White Ranch Park, or just driving around to places in metro-Denver, how about a cold one (or three)? Take a tour at one of Colorado’s best-known companies, Coors, and enjoy up to 3 free samples of their variety of beer products (if you are over 21), or complimentary soft drinks if you are younger or prefer something non-alcoholic.
More than 250,000 people take this popular free tour each year. Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis; no reservations are taken. Your audio tour device will guide you through the main steps of the brewing process at the world’s largest brewery at a single site.
Coors beer is brewed, packaged, and distributed cold. For many years, this dedication to keeping the beer cold at all times drastically limited the distribution region, since refrigerated transportation was nearly non-existent in the early days (the company has been around since 1873!), or too expensive to use until recently. Many college students who grew up in Colorado but attended an out-of-state University would bootleg cases of Coors beer when they returned to school after a break, and their special cargo would be in huge demand among their peers on campus!
Coors was also the first company to produce an all-aluminum, two-piece beverage can in 1959. Beer had been available in cans since 1935, but the cans were made of steel, which left a metallic taste and created a large disposal problem. The use of aluminum cans made it possible for Coors to no longer pasteurize its beer, which requires heat (and we’ve already learned that they like keeping everything cold). Coors uses a sterile fill process instead throughout their Golden facility. Another benefit of aluminum cans, of course, is that they can be recycled, and they don’t hurt as much as steel when you try to crush them on your forehead.
Prohibition – definitely not a good time for a beer company! But when Prohibition hit, the Coors family focused on their relatively small porcelain business, and it thrived, making everything from cooking utensils to scientific equipment. The brewing equipment began cranking out malted milk and a near-beer, and the Coors Brewing Company remained profitable during the “dry†years.
The tour takes 35 minutes; allow additional time to enjoy your 3 beer samples, to browse the gift shop, and sober up before you drive.
For more information, contact:
MillerCoors
13th and Ford Streets
Golden, CO 80401
866-812-2337 (toll free)
303-277-2337 (303-227-BEER)
303-277-2552 (Large Groups or Special Needs/Handicap)
www.millercoors.com
