Keystone is one of those beers that have largely gone under the radar yet retained a staunch, loyal fan base. The beer shipped over 3 million barrels of beer in the United States in 2017, making it one of the most popular light beers. Here, we go back to the beginnings of the beer and consider where it was made. Let’s start with a quick answer.

Keystone beer was first produced in 1989 by MillerCoors in Chico, California. Now, the beer is produced in many breweries across the United States, including Denver, Golden, Chippewa Falls, and Milwaukee. Aside from North America, the beer is also made in Hungary and Czech.

That quick answer doesn’t disclose the full gist about where Keystone beer is brewed; however, this article will change that. We will examine where Keystone was first brewed and the countries it is brewed in currently. Also, we will consider who truly owns the beer brand and the company’s headquarters. Keep reading!

Where Is Keystone Brewed In The United States?

Keystone has made its way to several countries in the world. Similarly, it is brewed in multiple countries. However, most of its breweries are in the United States and Canada. This makes sense considering the two units that merged, Adolph Coors Company and Molson Brewery, were based in Colorado and Montreal, respectively.

Below are the locations breweries Molson Coors operates in the United States:

  • Golden, Colorado (Opened in 1873) Original Coors Brewery
  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Opened in 1855) Original Miller brewery
  • Denver, Colorado (Opened in 1995)
  • Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (Opened in 1867)

There is no indication that a brewery here does not produce Keystone. However, the primary producers of the beer would be the brewery at Golden, Colorado. This is the Coors Brewing Company, the largest single brewing facility on the planet.

Moreover, you can have tours and sample beers in these breweries. You first need to make reservations, though. For tours, the reservations come with a 28-day notice, while it is seven days for sampling.

The tours last 30 minutes, and staffers will show you the malting, brewing, and packaging processes. Also, you will see artifacts and historical elements throughout your time in the brewery.

Where is Keystone Brewed In Canada?

Canada is the other major country where Molson Coors brews Keystone. As I mentioned, half of the company has Canadian roots. In fact, Canada has the oldest brewery in the whole of Molson Coors.

The location for these breweries include:

  • Montreal, Quebec (Opened in 1786) Original Molson Brewery
  • Creemore, Ontario (Opened in 1987)
  • Chilliwack, British Columbia (Opened in 2019)

The original Molson brewery is called Montreal Brewery and will likely carry the bulk of the production load of Keystone. It is not only the oldest brewery in the company but also the oldest in North America.

The newest brewery on the list launched in 2019. That’s relatively recent and makes it seem like the original Molson brewery was opened in the dinosaur age! The brewery, precisely in Fraser Valley, replaced the brewery in Burrard Street, Vancouver.

Where is Keystone Brewed In The Rest Of The World?

Outside North America, a few Molson Coors breweries produce Keystone. This is to make up for the logistics of transporting beers over the Atlantic, saving money and energy.

Molson Coors breweries in the rest of the world are at:

  • Bőcs, Hungary (Opened in 1973)
  • Pardubice, Czech Republic (Opened in 1871)
  • Prague, Czech Republic (Opened in 1869)

Obviously, these international brewers are experienced and will effectively produce Keystone beers. As you will also notice, all of these breweries are in Europe, as the company is yet to intensify brewing efforts in other continents, particularly Asia.

Perhaps the most notable absence in Europe is the UK. There’s an arm of Molson Coors in the UK, known as Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK) Limited.

However, while there’s little information about their brewing process, Keystone is not expected to be on their list. This is because this UK arm focuses a lot on malting, supplying most of the other breweries in the UK.

Where Was Keystone Founded?

Keystone was first brewed in Chico, California, in the United States. The beer was first launched in 1989, having one of the smoothest finishes. The beer took great pride in this, even advertising itself with the slogan “Always Smooth, Even When You’re Not.” That’s quite a tagline, isn’t it?!

There have been six varieties of the original beer. The original version of the beer didn’t fare too well, with the light offering emerging as the brand’s flagship. While the beer didn’t reach the heights of some of its Molson Coors counterparts after its California debut more than three decades ago, it was the sixth best-selling light beer in the US in 2017.

Unfortunately, the company has not stayed away from controversy. It entered a legal battle with Stone Brewing in 2017 over the design of its can.

Stone maintained that Keystone intentionally and wrongly deceives buyers by printing “stone” without the preceding “key” on the same line. Basically, the beer appeared as Stone from one side. This year, a jury ruled in favor of Stone, with Keystone having to pay $56 million.

Who Owns Keystone Beer?

Keystone is a product of Molson Coors Beverage Company, which should automatically hint to you that it has gone through its fair share of transitions. Let me briefly walk you through it.

The company’s history dates back to the 18th century when John Molson, an English immigrant, founded Canada’s oldest beer brewery in Montreal. This was in 1786.

The following vital piece is Adolph Coors, who came from Germany in 1868 to open an American brewery in 1873.

Last but not least is Frederick Miller, who also migrated to the United States from Germany, settling in Milwaukee in 1855 with the ambition of brewing “confoundingly good beers.”

These three men were the pioneers of the individual bodies that became Molson Coors. While many credit Miller Coors with the brewing of Keystone beer, Molson Coors acquired the company in 2016. Therefore, it is safe to say Molson Coors owns Keystone beer.

Where is Keystone Headquarters?

Molson and Coors have their headquarters at 250 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Some people would rather have MillerCoors stated as the beer’s parent company. That still wouldn’t change much as they also have their headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. You can reach them at 800-645-5376.

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