Karan Bilimoria, a peer in the House of Lords since 2006 and current chairman of Cobra Beer, has been added to a bid by the American Ricketts family to buy Chelsea FC.
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Bilimoria founded Cobra in 1989, eight years after moving to London from India. Running the business from his flat and working with one of India's largest breweries to develop the recipe, the first shipment of beer from Bangalore arrived in 1990. Since 1997 Cobra has largely been brewed in the UK to satisfy demand.
The beer has become a fixture of curry houses across the UK, which Bilimoria partly attributed to the eye-catchingly large bottles. Molson Coors became the majority shareholder in 2009 after Cobra went into administration. Bilimoria retains a 49.9% share of the company's British business.
“I founded Cobra Beer just down the road from Stamford Bridge and have been a season ticket holder for many years", Bilimoria explained. "So, when Tom Ricketts approached me to discuss a leading role in his bid group, there was no way I could refuse."
If the Ricketts bid is successful, Bilimoria would join the Chelsea board as a director and serve the club as an ambassador. The group stated that "the move will further boost the bid team's credentials and its connection with UK business, sport and politics".
Tom Ricketts is the owner of the Chicago Cubs MLB team. Alongside his siblings he serves on the Cubs' board of directors. The family made their fortune when their father Joe Ricketts founded TD Ameritrade, a brokerage platform, in 1971.
Bilimoria's is not the first name in the drinks industry to become involved in the jostle for ownership of Chelsea after Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale. Swiss billionaire and winery owner Hansjorg Wyss was rumoured to be interested.
Bilimoria founded Cobra in 1989, eight years after moving to London from India. Running the business from his flat and working with one of India's largest breweries to develop the recipe, the first shipment of beer from Bangalore arrived in 1990. Since 1997 Cobra has largely been brewed in the UK to satisfy demand.
The beer has become a fixture of curry houses across the UK, which Bilimoria partly attributed to the eye-catchingly large bottles. Molson Coors became the majority shareholder in 2009 after Cobra went into administration. Bilimoria retains a 49.9% share of the company's British business.
“I founded Cobra Beer just down the road from Stamford Bridge and have been a season ticket holder for many years", Bilimoria explained. "So, when Tom Ricketts approached me to discuss a leading role in his bid group, there was no way I could refuse."
If the Ricketts bid is successful, Bilimoria would join the Chelsea board as a director and serve the club as an ambassador. The group stated that "the move will further boost the bid team's credentials and its connection with UK business, sport and politics".
Tom Ricketts is the owner of the Chicago Cubs MLB team. Alongside his siblings he serves on the Cubs' board of directors. The family made their fortune when their father Joe Ricketts founded TD Ameritrade, a brokerage platform, in 1971.
Bilimoria's is not the first name in the drinks industry to become involved in the jostle for ownership of Chelsea after Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale. Swiss billionaire and winery owner Hansjorg Wyss was rumoured to be interested.
Molson Coors took ownership of Aspall Cyder for £40m in 2018 from the Chevallier Guild family, who had been custodians of the brand for eight generations.
Over the past three years the production site, next to the village of Aspall, has been modernised. Capacity has been increased by 60%, with the new fermentation building utilising technology at a company which has been in existence since 1728. The increase in facilities will bring Aspall's production up to approximately 70 million pints of cider per year.
Other new features include measures to reduce the environmental impact of production. These include a new waste water treatment plant, which will mean that all waste water is cleaned on site, rather than being transported away. There is also a new weighbridge, which will precisely measure the loads of lorries transporting cider from the site to make sure that logistical operations are as efficient as possible, thus reducing freight traffic from the site.
The advertising campaign, set to premiere in June, will be a television first for Aspall. Molson Coors marketing controller for cider, Phil Pick, found the prospect "truly exciting": "It will further raise Aspall's profile and help capitalise on the growth in the popularity of premium ciders, that our newly rejuvenated Cyder House is ready to meet."
The campaign will also be seen on social and digital media, on-demand video and outdoor advertising.
Henry Chevallier Guild, who remains a brand ambassador, told the East Anglian Daily Times that 
The brands, which include Miller Chill, Miller Genuine Draught, Coors, Molson Canadian and Magners, reportedly account for around 13 million litres per annum in the the Australian market and will drive growth for GDA.
Based on the past year’s sales, the partnership is expected to deliver an additional AUS$35 million-AUS$40 million in revenue and up to AUS$4 million annually in EBITDA.
GDA managing director John Hoedemaker said: “The transition from the previous distributors has been well planned and well executed in the trade.”
Hoedemaker added: “We are excited to have these products complement our growing Good Drinks portfolio and look forward to them contributing meaningfully to this year’s volume, revenue and earnings, as well as creating new market opportunities for our existing brands.”
GDA is already home to brands including: Gage Roads Brew Co, Matso’s Broome Brewery, Atomic Beer Project, Alby, Hello Sunshine and San Miguel.
Leading the way is China, and with a population of around 1.4 billion it is perhaps unsurprising that this would be the case - the People's Republic has been the biggest beer consumer consecutively since 2003. Recent reports suggest that 
Everything is bigger in America, but, when it comes to beer consumption, the United States will have to settle for second. The US is still 
Corona and Modelo are two of the 
German beer consumption is not just reserved for Oktoberfest. The country has long been associated with brewing, though 
Whether it's at a football stadium, a pub or in the comfort of home, the British do enjoy their pints. However, as the cost of a pint continues to soar, breaking the £7 barrier in London, 
Though tourists may return from Vietnam with tales of beer costing US$1, sales of the drink have actually taken a hit in recent years due to pandemic-related lockdowns. Last year, 
With the smallest population on this list, at approximately 47 million, the Spanish punch above their weight when it comes to beer consumption. 
Despite their reputation for being reliable performers during a period of turmoil, the global wine and spirits giants have followed the markets down in response to the intensifying crisis in Ukraine, the resultant chaos in the energy markets, a sudden rise in interest rates - and in the case of the UK a change of monarch and jitters about the new government's economic policies.
During the pandemic investors backed the big alcohol producers for their fleet-footedness in adapting their business models to address the rapidly changing patterns of consumption such as the switch to drinking at home and the boom in cocktails.
Consequently drinks shares were among the best performers as the world came out of lockdown, soaring in 2021 after displaying resilience in late 2020.
Today, however, they are on a different trajectory as investors take a less sanguine view of prospects despite a chorus from chief executives explaining that they have not seen consumer reaction to the increased prices they are taking to combat input cost inflation raging from raw materials to transport.
Surprisingly to some, London has remained one of the more stable places to invest. The FTSE 100 index of big companies has lost just 7% since the turn of the year compared with Wall Street falling by more than 18% and Paris by 20%.
By comparison, the world's biggest premium beverage alcohol producer, Diageo, has seen its shares fall by a little more than 6% since last Christmas, whereas European-based rivals have fared far worse.
Despite all returning recent bumper double-digit organic growth numbers of up to 20% and sticking to forecasts of further progress in the 6% to 9% range in the current year, their shares have followed stock markets down.
Pernod Ricard's are down by 13% despite announcing its best ever results at the start of September. LVMH has shed 17% in value, Remy Cointreau has fallen by 20% and Davide Campari Milano has suffered a 30% slump.
Among the global brewers Heineken has lost 14% in value, Molson Coors 112% and AB InBev 11%.
Across the Atlantic, however, both Constellation Brands and Brown Forman have weathered the storm much better than Wall Street overall.
Their shares have both fallen by about 7% and 5.5% respectively this year, cushioned by the perceived better prospects for the US economy and strong investment news.
Constellation has unified its previous two-tier share structure - a measure investors liked - and has reached agreement on the site of its new mega-brewery in Mexico to meet surging demand for the premium Modelo and Corona brands,
European tariffs on bourbon have been removed and Brown Forman is expanding its facilities at Lynchburg. It has also landed what could be a transformational deal with Coca-Cola to produce an RTD version of Jack [Daniels] and Coke. A trial market will start in Mexico before Christmas.
The most resilient performance has come from Treasury Wine Estates whose shares have shed less than 1% of their value since Christmas, largely on the basis that they were weak enough following the imposition of China's punitive tariff regime on Australian wines combined with a recognition that chief executive Tim Ford has taken sufficiently drastic action to steady the company and make its equity look comparatively attractive.
The problem is that drinks groups' yields to investors - the percentage of a company's share price that it pays out in dividends each year - are low.
As a guide, the companies in London's FTSE 100 Index, have yielded a combined average of 3.9% over the past five years. Today only Diageo is offering just more than 2%, Campari less than 1%.
There are more attractive propositions in other sectors despite the potentially greater risks in investing in them.
Because its share price is less than half of what is was before the pandemic and China dealt the dual blows, Treasury Wine Estates is the odd one out, offering almost 4%
FTSE 100 yields have generally risen across the board as share prices have dropped during the latest market turmoil following the mini-budget (aka "fiscal event"). That has put drinks shares further in the shadows.
Meanwhile, two separate events this week will be followed with interest.
Tomorrow, Diageo will update its shareholders at their annual meeting on its trading performance in the first couple of months of its present financial year.
In addition, chief executive Ivan Menezes' remuneration will come under fire from institutional investors.
He is overpaid compared to the average employee, getting almost 70 times as much pay, according to influential shareholder advisory group PIRC, which has recommended firing a warning shot by voting against the resolution on the board's pay.
But given the progress Diageo has made in the nine years under his stewardship - the share price has more than doubled and the dividend has increased every year - he would seem safe, especially as his package of £7.9 million last year is not excessive by comparable standards and is benchmarked against performance.
On Thursday, Constellation Brands will report its latest numbers, which will be heavily scrutinised for trends in America. Are there signs of consumer resistance to its price rises and how successful is it in mitigating continuing input cost increases.
There will also be interest in whether the American group says anything about possible mergers and acquisitions - the rumours about energy drink giant Monster refuse to die.
Coca-Cola is continuing its cautious-yet-burgeoning foray into the alcoholic beverage sector through its partnership with brewing giant Molson Coors.
The two companies have already collaborated on the recent launch of Simply Spiked Lemonade, as well as last year's range of Topo Chico hard seltzers, which Molson Coors says is the fast-growing hard seltzer brand.
Now, Coca-Cola and Molson Coors have announced that they will be rolling out a range of Topo Chico canned cocktails in 2023.
According to a press release, the canned cocktails will feature "100% real spirits" in a lineup of "familiar cocktails" that will be recognisable to consumers.
"Taking inspiration from the popular cocktails made in bars and restaurants today, Topo Chico Spirited will bring something completely different to our aisle," said 
The nail polish, which has been created in partnership with Le Chat Nails, is the beer company’s take on bringing fun to the holiday season and echoes how Coors Light beer cans feature a special technology that allows the mountains in its logo to turn from grey to blue when the beer is chilled.
Coors Light 'Chill Polish', which has been introuced in time for the festive season and changes colour depending on the temperature, is set to remind people that “Coors Light is best served ‘As Cold As The Rockies’.
By shutting down the American arm of the joint venture, named Truss USA, Molson Coors will effectively exit the CBD beverage business in the US from 31 December.
Back in 2018, Molson Coors and Hexo launched Truss initially to develop cannabis drinks for the Canadian market, and in 2020 Truss USA was formed to pursue CBD opportunities stateside.
The decision to discontinue the US CBD business, which was based in Colorado, has been, according to 
Molson Coors has sold the trademarks for the three brands to the independent drinks company. The brands have been produced and distributed by 
Steve Perez, chairman and founder of Global Brands, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome the Hooch, Hooper’s and Reef brands as fully-fledged members of the Global Brands family. This will give us the opportunity to invest further into the brands with the added security of owning the equity."
The company re-launched Hooch in 2012 at the Publican Awards with Keith Lemon and "reinvigorated the brand, with new flavours and focus", according to Perez.
Indeed, as its producer and distributor, Global Brands expanded the Hooch range with the launch of Pink Hooch in 2020 and Orange Hooch in the summer of 2022.
Perez added: "Hooch is a staple of the RTD category sold by major retailers, and is a popular, well-loved brand. This deal will reinforce Global Brands’ position as the leading independent producer of RTD brands in the UK."
In December 2022 db reported that Molson Coors was set to unwind the US portion of its CBD joint venture with Canadian marijuana grower Hexo by the end of the year.
By shutting down the American arm of the joint venture, named Truss USA, Molson Coors will effectively exit the CBD beverage business in the US from 31 December. 
More than 100 drinks companies, including AB-InBev, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, C&C Group, Whyte & Mackay, Edrington, Brewdog, Lanson, and Molson Coors, have signed a the letter to ministers that pleads: “Don’t destroy Scotland’s drinks industry.”
According to 
In a deep dive report in 
Speaking to the drinks business, Kathryn Reynolds, marketing controller – premium beers at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said: “The expert Staropramen team has perfected their method of brewing a zero alcohol lager that truly delivers on flavour. The result - Staropramen 0.0 - a full-flavoured Czech pilsner with zero alcohol.”
Staropramen 0.0 will roll out in 330ml bottles and multipacks across selected retailers in March and joins Molson Coors’ line-up of alcohol-free brand variants, including: Cobra Zero, Rekorderlig Alcohol Free and Doom Bar Zero.
Reynolds told db: As the number of alcohol-free occasions continues to increase, we’re confident Staropramen 0.0 will be a popular choice with shoppers and boost low-and-no alcohol sales in retail. This will help the brand continue its upward trajectory, which has already seen it climb seven places in three years to enter the top 30 lager brands in Great Britain.”
Molson Coors outlined how achieving 0.0% alcohol is “significantly more difficult to brew than 0.5%” but stated that Staropramen 0.0 maintains a “subtle sweet flavour and soft malty-fruity aroma”.
The beer launch will be supported by a marketing campaign kicking off in March, including digital advertising, paid social media activity and point-of-sale materials to create theatre in-store.
The deal, which will see Molson Coors exclusively distribute the Pure Milk Vodka Company-owned brand variants Black Cow Vodka and Black Cow Vodka & English Strawberries in the UK, will begin from 3 April.
Black Cow Vodka, which was co-founded by fifth-generation dairy farmer Jason Barber and his neighbour and friend Paul Archard, is distilled using milk from the dairy farm’s herd of 250 grass-grazed cows. The brand was originally created as part of the farm’s zero-waste policy with the milk being separated into curds and whey and the curds are taken to make cheese while the whey, which would otherwise be discarded, became used to make the vodka.
Oliver Berney, chief executive at Black Cow, said: “Molson Coors distribution network and industry knowledge will be invaluable as we look to expand our presence while ensuring that we can remain true to our core values when it comes to quality and sustainability.”
Black Cow Vodka, which was previously distributed by Mangrove Global, is set to join Molson Coors’s Beverage Hub spirits portfolio, which also includes: Bandero Tequila, Tarquin’s Gin, Twin Fin Rum and the Miami Cocktail Company brand.
Laura Lee, strategy and change director at Molson Coors explained: “Black Cow is a fantastic example of an innovative British alcohol brand that brings something truly unique to the spirits market.Its zero-waste ethos and commitment to quality is perfectly aligned with our own values, making this a natural partnership.”
Lee added: “Our Beverage Hub team continues to identify more growth opportunities beyond our beer and cider heartlands and Black Cow complements our expanding premium spirits portfolio. We’re confident that it will prove popular among consumers and help our customers generate more sales.”
According to the Comité Champagne, which requested “the destruction of the illicit goods,” the decision was simply an act of being the European protector of Champagne and going to lengths to do what is necessary to defend it from counterfeit products.
Charles Goemaere, managing director of the Comité Champagne said: “This destruction is the result of a successful collaboration between Belgian customs authorities and the Comité Champagne. It confirms the importance that the European Union attaches to designations of origin and rewards the determination of the Champagne producers to protect their designation”.
The 2,352 Miller High Life cans, sent from brand owner Molson Coors in the US were en route to Germany before they were intercepted in the port of Antwerp.
In a 
The North American brewer, which owns brands including Coors, Staropramen, Carling, Madri Excepcional and Blue Moon as well as recently announcing a 
In what many are calling “woke’ and “tone deaf” in light of the 
According to reports, Heineken had seen an opportunity in the US market’s light beer category prior to the recent 
The new ‘graffiti style’ design is the beer company’s response to what it terms “changing consumer tastes” and explained that it had taken guidance following a recent national survey led by research company Opinium.
The data revealed that “61% of 18–34 year olds now reported that they were adventurous in trying new cuisines” and this information had directly led to the redesign of Cobra taking this into consideration.
According to Molson Coors, the new branding “echoes the demand for contemporary cuisines and dishes that Cobra is designed to accompany - such as Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Turkish, Lebanese, and Sri Lankan food”.
Speaking to db about the redesign, Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, founder of Cobra Beer said: “Cobra’s new creative puts the seal on our founding values - to create a beer that is irrefutably good to enjoy with spicy food. Britain’s taste buds are evolving and becoming more adventurous, and there’s an opportunity here for Cobra to sit at the heart of the Pan-Asian food revolution in the UK.”
Bilimoria added: “Cobra is firmly on the journey with Britain’s evolving taste buds, and I’m delighted to roll out this new look to give our consumers some food for thought.”
The new artwork will support Molson Coors’ latest brand campaign for Cobra titled: “Where There’s Spice, There’s Cobra” and will be rolled out across supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Asda, as well as restaurants such as the Giggling Squid, Mowgli and 28,000 independent Pan-Asian restaurants spanning the whole of the UK.
Molson Coors additionally pointed out that the campaign will reinforce how Cobra Beer is “brewed to sit neatly between a lager and an ale” and will assist in reminding consumers that “the beer's distinctive low carbonation and smoothness makes it the perfect accompaniment to dishes from around the world”.
The deal, which represents another step in Molson Coors’ evolution as a total beverage company while providing Blue Run with resources to continue its growth.
Blue Run, which is based in Georgetown, is one of the whiskey industry’s newest entrants since the brand’s launch in October 2020 and the deal marks Molson Coors’ first spirits acquisition.
The acquisition of Blue Run additionally boosts the company’s footprint in spirits as it continues to evolve from its storied history as a beer company and premiumise its portfolio.
In tandem with the acquisition, Molson Coors has established Coors Spirits Co, an expansion of its existing spirits business, which according to the company will house Blue Run, Five Trail Blended American Whiskey, Barmen 1873 Bourbon and future innovation.
According to Molson Coors, this acquisition will more than double the size of the company's spirits team, further supporting its premiumisation strategy.
Speaking about the deal, Molson Coors’ chief commercial officer Michelle St. Jacques said: “Molson Coors has been on a journey to broaden beyond our beer roots and build powerful brands in growing categories, and Blue Run joining us is an exciting next step as we establish Coors Spirits Co."
St. Jacques explained: "Blue Run has accomplished in three years what many brands hope to do in a generation and has done it at the luxury end of the whiskey category. Importantly, we are committed to maintaining Blue Run’s well-known quality, design and innovation as we continue to grow our spirits portfolio.”
Currently available in 31 states, Blue Run, with its trademark butterfly medallion on the bottle, can be found at retail and on-premise accounts in every region of the U.S and online. In March 2023, Blue Run announced plans to build a distillery in Kentucky. Now those plans will continue as part of the Molson Coors family. In addition, Blue Run has three new whiskies scheduled for a late summer release.
As part of the deal, Blue Run’s founders Mike Montgomery, Tim Sparapani, Jesse McKnight and Andy Brown will all remain with the business. Montgomery is set to take on an expanded role with Molson Coors as its vice president of Coors Spirits Co and Jim Rutledge will continue to serve as Blue Run’s distillery consultant and liquid advisor and Shaylyn Gammon will serve as whiskey curator for Coors Spirits Co. Additionally, David Coors will continue to lead Molson Coors’ full-strength spirits strategy and business development as executive chair of Coors Spirits Co.
Montgomery added: “Since launching Blue Run, we have always strived to do things a little differently to truly embrace today’s younger, more diverse generation of whiskey drinkers. We are humbled by how the whiskey community has embraced our vision and that Molson Coors wants to join and support us in this journey.”
The five-year deal is set to see Bartrums, which is currently constructing a new 70,000 sq ft, warehouse at its Suffolk-based headquarters, distributing over 28 million litres of Aspall Cyder and vinegar every year for Molson Coors.
The deal will also mean Bartrums will be solely responsible for all the UK outbound transport, factory clearance, storage and co-packing operations for the entire Aspall Cyder brand.
Speaking about the new agreement, Molson Coors regional operations director Roisin Carr said: “Aspall is one of Britain’s most distinctive cider brands and one of Suffolk’s best-loved exports. Staying true to our heritage and contributing to the prosperity of the region is key for us, which is why partnering with another established Suffolk business like Bartrums is so fitting.”
Carr explained: “We’re excited to be embarking on this new venture with such a like-minded local business. We’ve continued to invest in the Aspall brand and the Aspall Cyder house, and like us, Bartrums is committed to its own growth while maintaining a strong presence in its home county.”
Bartrums operations director Tremayne Johnson added: “Aspall Cyder is one of Suffolk’s most recognisable and prestigious brands and we’re absolutely delighted to have been chosen to partner with them on this long-term contract. We’re a family-owned and managed business and pride ourselves on honesty, transparency, and a willingness to respond positively to customer needs. The Bartrum family are choosing to invest in the business they own, and this contract win validates their vision and long-term strategy.”
The deal follows Molson Coors making a £13m three-year investment into the Aspall brand as well as supporting it with a multi-million pound marketing campaign and Aspall's first foray into television advertising.
As initially reported on social media by Great British Beer Guide veteran beer writer Roger Protz, who has regularly written about Worthington and Burton brewing history, Molson Coors has said it would now be pausing production of the beer.
The move, which sees Molson Coors “strengthen its investment in ZOA” is set to “increase media and marketing to drive incremental sales and expand distribution to international markets”.
Speaking about the deal, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson said: “We founded ZOA Energy to deliver the best quality energy drink formulations to the marketplace. Through innovation and commitment, we’ve created a range of high-quality products that both fuel the daily lives of our customers and taste great. With Molson Coors, a trusted partner that shares our passion for beverages, we can further deliver on that promise to an even wider audience.”
Molson Coors chief commercial officer Michelle St. Jacques admitted: “This investment is another meaningful step for Molson Coors and our transformation into a total-beverage company. ZOA is an incredible brand in a growing category, so we’re fueling it with the right resources to scale and accelerate its results to become a bigger player in the energy space.”
Molson Coors will continue to be ZOA’s exclusive distribution partner and will assume a presence on its board as part of the deal.
Molson Coors and ZOA first initiated a partnership with the launch of the brand in 2021. Today, ZOA is available at more than 42,000 retail locations and more than 160,000 points of distribution across the US and Canada. ZOA recently added two new flavours to its lineup, including: Strawberry Watermelon, and Cherry Limeade.
Last year, ZOA reported more than US$100 million in sales and 138% year-over-year growth. With Molson Coors’ expanded minority stake, the company confirmed that “ZOA is now primed to be positioned for further – and aggressive – growth across its retail and direct-to-consumer business” and revealed that “by way of Molson Coors’ expanded stake, ZOA plans to double its media investment in 2024”.
The agreement follows Molson Coors’ recent acquisition of Blue Run Spirits, which also complements the company’s “Beyond Beer” strategy as its portfolio expands to include an array of brands in growing categories and new routes to market.
Johnson explained: “The entire ZOA family couldn’t be more thrilled with the expanded Molson Coors relationship and the many opportunities for growth this collaboration creates. We’re grateful to play a pivotal role in Molson Coors’ investment into their ‘Beyond Beer’ growth and most importantly, playing a role in the wellness journeys of our loyal and growing consumers as we continue crafting drinks that help them show up as their best selves.”
St Jacques added: “We think ZOA is poised to be the next big energy drink brand, and it’s a great example of investing in a brand that’s disrupting a growing category.”
Legal representatives for Molson Coors have failed to overturn a judge's ruling that the beer giant must pay rival Stone Brewing a sum of £56 million for a trademark infringement.
This week a San Diego court upheld the decision, first made in 2018, that Molson Coors had violated Stone Brewing's trademark rights by using the terms 'Stone' and 'Stones' prominently in its marketing campaign for Molson Coors' Keystone beer product.
District Judge Roger Benitez said that Molson Coors was not entitled to a new trial or a court ruling in its favour. The court also rejected Molson Coors' bid to cut or overturn the damages payment.
Molson Coors had argued that Stone Brewing was unable to provide sufficient evidence to prove that consumers would be confused by the advertising. Following the decision, a spokesperson for Molson Coors said the company disagreed with the ruling and is "evaluating its options", including a potential appeal. Molson Coors had previously suggested that the legal action was driven not by consumer confusion but by the fact that Stone Brewing owed a US$464 million debt to its private equity investors and needed a way of raising the cash.
Sapporo-owned Stone Brewing first sued Molson Coors in 2018 claiming that its use of the term 'Stone' in its marketing caused consumer confusion. It said that Molson Coors had in fact rebranded its Keystone beer product in order to capitalise on consumer goodwill towards Stone Brewing. Part of the rebranding included shortening the beer's name to Stone on its packaging.
In March 2022 a jury returned a verdict in Stone Brewing's favour, ordering Moors Colson to pay US$56 million for the breach.
"This is a historic day for Stone Brewing, and for the craft beer industry," said Stone Brewing co-founder Greg Koch at the time. "Molson Coors threatened our heritage, but we stood up to that threat. They will put the 'Key' back in 'Keystone', ending their hostile four-year co-op of the Stone name. Cheers to our legions of fans, friends and supporters who believe in the good that craft beer brings. This is your win too."
Molson Coors has completed a series of recent acquisitions and investments including 
The statement was made by its CEO Gavin Hattersley, and comes as the 
Speaking during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call this week, Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley said: “At the start of last year, no one, absolutely, nobody could have predicted what would happen in the beer industry. Since then, we increased our expectations for the full year, not once but twice. In 2023, our global net revenue grew more than 9%, and we grew our bottom line by nearly 37%. These are our highest reported dollar results on record ever, on top of the already impressive results in 2022.”
Hattersley pointed out that, despite the headwinds, Molson Coors has managed to deliver profit growth that it had not expected to achieve until 2028. Hattersley revealed: “Every year, for the past three years, our industry has faced challenges. We’ve gotten good at managing them, even when they’re massive enough to permanently alter the beer industry. And every year for the past three years, we have navigated successfully through the challenges. We have delivered against our vision, and we have grown. But growth is not a strong enough word to describe what we achieved in 2023. We’ve set a new baseline for our business, and you don’t need to look any further than our bottom line. In fact, our 2023 underlying pre-tax income was higher than we thought it would be, and frankly, higher than anyone I am aware of said it would be in 2028. So, Molson Coors delivered six years of profit growth, six years of growth in just one year. That focus is a new baseline. We are ready for this moment”.
To illustrate the size of the achievement, Hattersley explained: “In 2023, our top five brands around the world drove over two million more hectolitres than they did the prior year. This is like adding the entirety of Blue Moon’s global volume to our portfolio.”
Looking at America, Molson Coors has seen a boost in both its distribution as well as its presence in supermarkets with more retailers listing its beers. In fact, this momentum and knock-on revenue spike is what has boosted the business to such great heights and reinforced distributor confidence in listing Molson Coors’ beers.
Hattersley confirmed: “In the US, our core brands are growing distribution and space at retail. And we expect to gain significantly more space in the spring. Last year, our brands in the US also grew more share of the on-premise than any other brewer. This includes our core brands, and it also includes growth for Blue Moon. Coors Light and Miller Lite each grew more dollars in the on-premise than Constellation did as a total brewer. I’ll let that sink in for a second. Because of this momentum, we added an incremental US$1 billion in distributor revenue to our network in 2023, and our distributors are just as motivated to grow again this year.”
Molson Coors is, crucially experiencing loyalty with its newly-acquired consumers it has inarguably gained from 
It is a mystery as old as...a few years. But nevertheless, it is one that has created a huge amount of intrigue around the upcoming golf major championship: who makes the delicious beer served to fans at the Augusta National Golf Club?
For years the brew was Blue Moon, brewed by macro-brewery Molson Coors, but this was replaced in 2021 by the Crow's Nest beer, which was named after the infamous clubhouse accommodation for amateurs competing in the tournament.
Going on the hunt for the brewery who makes this beer has proved a tricky task, as shown by 
