Updated on Aug. 13 at 8:12 p.m. to include additional comments on the closing.
Molson Coors is planning to shut down the experimental beer arm AC Golden Brewing Co., known for its line of Colorado Native beers that feature locally grown ingredients.
AC Golden will cease operations by the end of September, Molson Coors spokesperson Adam Collins confirmed to The Denver Post. The details, first reported by Brewbound, were explained in an email to wholesalers Tuesday sent from Michelle St. Jacques, Molson Coors’ chief commercial officer.
Founded in 2007, AC Golden was an effort from Molson Coors – then called MillerCoors – to compete with small-batch beer makers rising in popularity at that time. The company was nestled within the large production brewhouse in Golden with “the leeway to experiment with bold beers and, if necessary, fail without eating millions of dollars,” according to the Coors website.
The foundation of that effort was leaning into the company’s local heritage by creating beers made with Colorado-grown barley and hops. The Colorado Native amber lager debuted in 2010 and by 2014, AC Golden was earning accolades at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival competition. The Colorado Native brand has since grown to a year-round lineup of more than a dozen styles, and AC Golden produces other product lines such as Juicy IPAs and a German pilsner inspired by founder Adolph Coors’ homeland.
With Colorado Native, AC Golden single-handedly catalyzed an entire hop-growing industry in Colorado. About a decade later, however, many of the brewery’s farmers were out of business because it had amassed a backlog of the crop. Still, Molson Coors touted that Colorado Native was “thriving” in 2022 despite an overall downturn in the craft beer market accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company said it will discontinue brewing Colorado Native.
But it’s clear Molson Coors is now divesting even more widely in the craft sector. On Tuesday, Canadian cannabis company Tilray announced plans to purchase four craft brands from Molson Coors, effectively dissolving its Tenth & Blake craft subsidiary.
In her note to wholesalers, St. Jacques said that the sale of the craft brands “frees up resources to focus our people, time and money behind the initiatives we believe will best help us meaningfully grow our U.S. above premium portfolio and build a scale business with beyond beer in the U.S.”
That includes Blue Moon, Blue Moon Light, non-alcoholic Blue Moon, and ZOA Energy drink, she added.
