was created in 2005 with the merger of Coors Brewing Company of Colorado and the Canadian brewing giant Molson. The merger took place to create a company with an operating strength and financial scale to compete effectively as a top-five global brewer. Prior to the merger, Molson had a storied history starting with its founding in 1786 by John Molson. It showed consistent growth over the years and became very profitable. Molson merged with the Carling-O’Keefe brewery in 1989 to become one of the top five breweries in North America. In 2000 Molson expanded further by acquiring the Bavaria beer brand in Brazil. In 2002 Molson purchased the Cervejarias Kaiser brewery in Brazil.

In 1873 German immigrant Adolph Coors founded Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado. The brewery grew gradually to the point where it became the largest single-site brewery in the world, producing approximately 20 million barrels of beer per annum. Coors acquired the Bass brewing facilities in the UK in 2002, but the Bass brand was acquired by InBev. After the merger of Molson and Coors, the majority of the Brazilian brewing unit was sold, leaving the company with a combined 18 breweries: 9 in the United States, 4 in Canada, and 3 in the UK, producing a total of 65 brands. The company is structured as a dual-class ownership entity, with class A and B stock shares. Class A shares hold the majority of voting rights and are majority owned by the Molson and Coors families. Class B shares have minority voting rights and are held by institutions and the general public.

See also bass & company, coors brewing company.