Molson Coors eliminates a bunch of Ice & similar beers, I cry for Weinhards

[Woodsy]

So mega brewer trims a bunch of dead growth. Not sure I have even seen, let alone drank many of these

But in College in CA in the early 90s Weinhards was cheap and ubiquitous and seemed a step up from the yellow fizzy US beer du jour. Maybe it was just the house of guys and girls I lived with...

Not that I have had one in years...

Pour a little Ice beer out....

Molson Coors has announced plans to axe 11 of its economy brands. The list contains some seemingly familiar names but many of the disappearing products are offshoots of more popular brands that won't be going anywhere.

Here are the 11 brands set to be discontinued, confirmed to us by Molson Coors. Though Keystone Light will remain, Keystone Ice and Keylightful will both be disappearing. Interestingly enough, the two spinoffs came from vastly different eras: The former was created during the "ice beer" craze of the '90s, while Keylightful was launched just last year to attempt to keep up with Natural Light's Naturdays. Speaking of ice beers, Icehouse will survive, but the 8-percent ABV Icehouse Edge is going away. And Mickey's Ice is also disappearing while the rest of Mickey's lineup will stay around.

Milwaukee's Best Premium is being retired but its Light and Ice versions will still be brewed. Elsewhere, a couple of light beers are being dropped: Miller High Life Light and Hamm's Special Light are both being retired. The original Steel Reserve 211 is ceasing production, though its fruity spinoffs appear to be surviving. And sticking with malt liquor brands, the higher ABV spinoff Olde English HG 800 will be gone, as will the Magnum brand. Finally, Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve is also going to be retired.

Though most of these specific brands weren't mentioned during Molson Coors most recent earnings call, CEO Gavin Hattersley did offer a broader explanation. "After an extensive analysis of our business, we are meaningfully streamlining and premiumizing our U.S. portfolio," he stated (though we can't help but note the irony that Milwaukee's Best "Premium" is one of the brands being dropped). "This will improve supply chain flexibility for our more profitable priority brands, enhance our innovation efforts, enable us to better focus resources and ensure dependable and on-time shipments to our distributors."

And also mentioned that at least some of these brands still had cult followings in certain areas. "Distributors who sell brands like Magnum and Mickey's are going to feel it when they are discontinued," he added. "So our local sales teams are partnering with distributors and retailers on a market-by-market basis on exit plans and to identify swaps that make sense."

[The AD]

Agreed. I haven't seen Weinhard's for years, so this doesn't surprise me much.

[dan_pdx]

Agreed. I haven't seen Weinhard's for years, so this doesn't surprise me much.

Bummer. I grew up browsing used books at Powell's, just down the street from the Weinhard's brewery. You could smell them brewing inside Powell's - beer+books, a great combination.

[rideit]

12 years ago when I was a raging Alkie, I used to drink cases and cases of Steel Reserve. It was the cheapest 8% swill you could get. Un drinkable when warm, though. This was well before the high ABV availability of decent beers. It was either that, or when I was feeling flush with cash, Spaten Optimator, or a Scotch Ale. Never loved the Belgian ales.

I am so glad those days are long gone.

[ZomblibulaX]

How is Coors Extra Gold managing to survive? Does anyone drink that shit?

I'm impressed they've managed to surmise that the average Milwaukee's Beast drinker isn't really interested in a "premium" option. Same with Hamm's Light: if you're drinking swill ostensibly named after deli meats, you probably don't need a light beer.

[The AD]

I wonder how many of these beers nowadays are actually identical other than the label? I find it hard to believe that these massive breweries are actually varying the recipe to produce, say, Rainier versus Hamm's or whatever.

[scmartin69]

Sorry to see Weinhards go; I too had many a great time with a bottle of "Hanks" in my hand... And "You can't get it in Chicago"
https://youtu.be/BJUxHxyogsY

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[Woodsy]

How is Coors Extra Gold managing to survive? Does anyone drink that shit?

I'm impressed they've managed to surmise that the average Milwaukee's Beast drinker isn't really interested in a "premium" option. Same with Hamm's Light: if you're drinking swill ostensibly named after deli meats, you probably don't need a light beer.

you are lucky Lemon Boy doesnt linger in these parts anymore, he would cut you for Hamms blasphemy.


& Rideit, remember somehow Steel Reserve seemed to separate itself from the other Malt Liquors. Fancy cans and shit.


Weinhards info
Brewed in Portland from 1863 until the closure of the Portland brewery in 1999, Henry Weinhard's was brewed at the Olympia brewery in Tumwater, Washington until that brewery too was closed in 2003. Some of its beers were brewed under contract at the Full Sail Brewing Company in Hood River until 2013.

Guess Miller/milson/Coors still do the premium Sodas.

[BmillsSkier]

Mickeys Ice, what kind of a psychopath would drink something like that?

Good to hear Beast Ice is staying on as I know from viewing first hand that there is a subset of the population that needs something akin to a alcoholic diesel fuel in their diet. Freshman year in undergrad there was this one guy who would crush it by the case. Called it ninja juice, which was odd because when he was 7-8 in he lost any and all ninja abilities he may have thought he had until somewhere around 12-17 where the tides turned and it had some kind of energetic effect on him. I doubt he's still alive, but he would be happy to hear this news.

[dunfree]

Same with Hamm's Light: if you're drinking swill ostensibly named after deli meats, you probably don't need a light beer.

the light beer drinker trades “up” to the silver bullet.

i don’t miss weinhards beer that much, but it was cool to have regional beer culture that wasnt microdouchetastic

[Art Shirk]

Mickeys Ice, what kind of a psychopath would drink something like that?

Good to hear Beast Ice is staying on as I know from viewing first hand that there is a subset of the population that needs something akin to a alcoholic diesel fuel in their diet. Freshman year in undergrad there was this one guy who would crush it by the case. Called it ninja juice, which was odd because when he was 7-8 in he lost any and all ninja abilities he may have thought he had until somewhere around 12-17 where the tides turned and it had some kind of energetic effect on him. I doubt he's still alive, but he would be happy to hear this news.

[raises hand] but its been awhile since I bleached my insides with iced beer. I think maybe I am drinking a Mickeys Ice in a pic in a NYC trip report from over a decade ago.

Molson is erasing my college experience by nuking Hank and Mickey's Ice. If they had scratched the beast they would have received a strongly worded letter.

[Diamond Joe]

during the "ice beer" craze of the '90s

Man am I glad I was in High School (and College) during the 90s. Ice beers = bang-for-your-buck pre-game supplies.

[m2711c]

Molson is obviously feeling the heat from the resurgence of Utica Club. They know when to fold them, they know it’s better to walk away than to have to run…..








fact.

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

Ice beers = bang-for-your-buck pre-game supplies.

Most of my hangovers in high school were directly related to this exact type of fiduciary logic.

[BmillsSkier]

Most of my hangovers in high school were directly related to this exact type of fiduciary logic.

Same. And for some reason when you got through that 6er of Nicehouse pregaming, we always had a 12er of Leinenkugel in reserve. What the hell happened to that?

[skialpy]

Now what will I duct tape to my hands this weekend?

[bagtagley]

Ice beer was upscale malt liquor. We stuck with the real deal until, despite being young and dumb, we realized it was unsustainable.

Steel Reserve was as shitty as the rest. If you wanted to go fancy with your forty, St Ides was the answer.

[OregonDead]

they killed Weinhards years ago. current version which has been around for at least a few years is the sold at same bottom of the bottom shelf price point as rolling rock and tastes worse IMO

[bagtagley]

Now what will I duct tape to my hands this weekend?

Edward Forty Hands. Cute name, ugly results.

[dunfree]

Ice beer was just slightly higher abv beer. Like 5.5% or 5.9% abv, which seems really quaint after the microbrew ABV wars of Imperial everything beers that drink like wine.

[The AD]

Ice beer was upscale malt liquor.

I'm not even sure what was "upscale" about it. It certainly didn't taste any better than most malt liquors.

[Marshall Tucker]

fuckin bunch of beer snoobs you all are.

#pabstforlife

[m2711c]

#beersnoobs!

[riser4]

Edward Forty Hands. Cute name, ugly results.

Heh.

[The AD]

I wonder how many of these beers nowadays are actually identical other than the label? I find it hard to believe that these massive breweries are actually varying the recipe to produce, say, Rainier versus Hamm's or whatever.

I asked my brewer friend about this since I was curious. He said they actually are slightly different. He says the major brewers work from just a few "wort streams," but then they use some subtle differences in things like hops, specialty malts to add color, and yeast to this common wort stream to create a beer that is unique.

Just thought a couple of you beer snoobs might be interested.