Coors is a beer brand that requires little, if any, introduction. The American beer company is practically ubiquitous, coming in at fifth place in terms of brand awareness and in the top ten in terms of popularity, according to a 2024 survey. And while much of the brand’s public recognition sprouts from its immediately recognizable Coors Light, there’s another Coors offering that is worthy of recognition in its own right.
The Coors brand specializes in producing lagers, different in kind to ales and distinct from similar beers like pilsners. The popular Coors Light is a lager; Coors Banquet is another lager that arguably has even more to offer to the beer consumer. Coors Banquet, sometimes known simply as golden lager, is a product more in keeping with the traditional ingredients and brewing methods of the original Coors beer. And while this domestic offering is definitely not a stand-in for a craft beer, it’s certainly worth a try if you’ve written the Coors name off based solely on its popular light beer.
What is Coors Banquet and how did it get its name?
While Coors Banquet isn’t a light beer, it’s still a very crisp, clean, and clear lager with an IBU of merely 15 and an ABV at a standard 5%. However, the sweeter taste of the beer, especially at the front of the flavor profile, has made Coors Banquet somewhat underrated. The lager is very approachable and easy to drink, making it the perfect accompaniment for some delicious food pairings. And it’s actually in this role that Coors Banquet earned its name and reputation as “the banquet beer.”
Back in 1873, when Adolph Coors first opened his brewing company in Golden, Colorado, the mining industry was a pervasive presence in that region of the country. Hard-working silver and gold miners would flood their local saloons for a refreshing beer to drink with their hearty meals. Once word of Coors’ quality spread, the beer became synonymous with that satisfying post-work sip, as well as the feast that accompanied it. These gatherings of coworkers and friends alongside good food and drink were seen (perhaps somewhat cheekily) as “banquets” with the classic Coors product front and center. And even though the times and the beer industry have changed significantly — including huge lulls following the slowing of the mining industry as well as the implementation of prohibition — Coors Banquet still taps into the essence of the beer that started the huge brewer’s growth.
