Molson Coors Unveiling Massive Golden, Colo., Brewery Upgrade

Oct. 17, 2024

Four years in the making, the 200,000-sq.-ft. expansion should make the 150-year-old original Coors plant capable of another 150 years.

Dave Fusaro

Molson Coors is nearing completion of a multi-million-dollar, multi-year project to modernize its Golden, Colo., facility, “the largest brewery in the United States,” replacing everything between the brew house and the packaging line.

The massive overhaul of the original Coors brewery was first announced back in 2020. Company officials wanted to make the 150-year-old brewery capable of another 150 years, they said at the time.

The cost of the project was not disclosed. Since breaking ground, over 2.4 million hours have gone into the project. It includes 200,000 sq. ft. of space that stretches 1,000 ft. end to end. Horizontal fermenters were replaced with more than 100 vertical tanks. Snaking through it all is 45 miles of piping and 150 miles of wire.

“The equipment that we replaced was 50, 60 and in some cases 70 years old,” said Peter Coors, the fifth-generation family member of Coors’ founders. “Not only were we able to replace the previous equipment, but it’s been a boon from a sustainability perspective.”

The improvements should cut water usage by 80 million gallons annually and require 25% less energy, while also capturing 30% more CO2 than before. These sustainability improvements are designed to significantly reduce the company’s carbon footprint, while helping it save money for brewing materials.

Although the project will be completed in 2025, the facility is now operational and the first beers recently entered the market. The building will make Coors Banquet, Coors Light, Miller Lite, Miller High Life and Blue Moon.

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.