The Lowdown On Coors Banquet’s Iconic Stubby Beer Bottles

(Courtesy Molson Coors)

It’s been 10 years since Coors Banquet’s historic stubby bottles returned to the market and we’re happy they have.

Here’s the deal…

When one thinks Coors, more times than not, its flagship brand Coors Light comes to mind. That’s not surprising, after all it’s the second bestselling beer in America, and has been for a while.

But there’s another Coors brand with a rich western heritage and fanatic cult following, Coors Banquet Beer, which has been brewed exclusively in Colorado for almost 150 years.

Originally brewed for Colorado gold and silver miners to enjoy after a hard day’s work, Coors Banquet has been a part of history and pop culture for a century and a half.

The iconic stubby bottle was even smuggled across the country before it became available east of the Mississippi in 1981. A known favorite among rock stars, actors, cowboys and presidents, Coors Banquet honors the same brewing tradition since its start 150 years ago.

And Coors Banquet’s signature stubby bottles are very much part of this beer’s backstory…

“First introduced in 1936, shortly after Prohibition ended, the 12-ounce bottles were foreign to consumers, who were used to seeing Banquet in an array of bottles, including 5-, 8- and 11-ounces, as well as 12-ounce cans,”  Coors’ archivist Heidi Harris told Beer & Beyond.

But…

“Consumers weren’t too particularly happy with the stubby bottle, because they thought they were getting shorted on the amount of beer. Since it was shorter, they thought they were getting less beer, when in reality, it was 12 ounces. Some labels even said, ‘same as tall bottle.’”

And for reasons such as that Coors’ stopped using the iconic stubby bottles for years and they were almost forgotten as was the Banquet brand.  But in the mid-2000s the Coors Banquet beer experienced a rebirth. And in 2013 company tapped into the brand’s roots and returned the iconic stubby embossed bottles and the rest is, well, history.

“It’s rooted in authenticity and history,” said Adrian Benkonvich, former Coors Banquet brand manager. We thought, we have a story, it’s authentic and disruptive and different.”

“Giving people a piece of history they can hold in their hand is a cool way to drive what the brand is all about,” added David Coors, former Coors Banquet associate brand manager.

And the Banquet stubby bottle has undergone another change this summer. Its famous yellow label now proudly reads, “Coors Banquet: 150 years strong.”

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(All image credits: Molson Coors)