Megabrew, the $103 billion tie-up of Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller, drew big headlines in the beer world, but make no mistake: It was a mega year for Molson Coors Brewing Co., too.
In 2016, the Denver-based company officially became the third largest brewer in the world.
Molson Coors took over the 58 percent of the MillerCoors U.S. joint venture that it didn’t already own in October, doubling the company’s size. Molson Coors also gained the rights to distribute Miller brands globally as part of the $12 billion deal, an offshoot of the AB InBev-SABMiller merger.
“I have never seen Pete Coors with such a big smile on his face,” CEO Mark Hunter said at the time.
The deal truly marks a new era for the brewer, which got its start in 1873 when German immigrants Adolph Coors and Jacob Schueler opened the Golden Brewery along Clear Creek. Coors Brewing merged with Canadian brewer Molson in 2005.
How Molson Coors uses its new heft amid sluggish beer sales remains to be seen. More than 75 percent of the combined company’s sales will come from North America, according to analysts.
One change beer drinkers could notice in 2017 — more Canadian brands showing up on U.S. shelves and vice versa.
Read the rest of the top business stories of 2016
- Amazon and Colorado make peace
- Vail buys Whistler Blackcomb
- Voters lift minimum wage
- Towns get creative to solve high country housing crisis
- Chipotle’s less-than-healthy recovery
- Internet shakes up how we watch TV
- A new era for Molson Coors
- R.I.P. Sports Authority
- Cybersecurity firms gain investment as hacks proliferate
- Overtourism becomes an issue
- Denver home prices stay hot, but rent gains cooling
- Energy outlook brightens
