These Will Be The Only States Where You Can Find Coors' New Whiskey When It Launches
Coors seems to be determined to become the official supplier of all of our alcohol needs if their forays into sodas, hard seltzers, and ciders (via Molson Coors) are any indication.
Coors is an iconic company with a long history in the beverage business. It got its start in 1873 when German immigrant Adolph Coors and his business partner Jacob Schueler opened the Golden Brewery in Golden, Colorado, and produced the first bottles of its Golden Lager a year later (via Denver Business Journal). Joint ventures and mergers with SAB Miller and Molson Brewing of Canada have given the Molson Coors Beverage Company (now headquartered not in Colorado but in Chicago, Illinois) a large chunk of the beverage market. Not content to rest on its laurels, Molson Coors recently formed a division of the company called "The Beverage Hub" (via Drinks Retailing News), which is busy developing additional beverages to add to Molson Coors' portfolio of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage brands.
One of Molson Coors' newest products is Five Trail Whiskey. Five Trail is a blended American whiskey, according to Thrillist. It will appear on store shelves beginning September 1. However, Coors' venture into the whiskey world is starting with just four states: Colorado, Nevada, Georgia, and New York. As of this writing, we know of no timetable for debuting Five Trails in other markets.
Coors' Five Trail whiskey exudes 'prestige'
According to a company blog post, the 95-proof Five Trail whiskey is Molson Coors Beverage Company's "first full-strength spirit." The post describes it as "a blended American whiskey made with Coors malt and Rocky Mountain water." More specifically, it uses Colorado single-malt whiskey (meaning it comes from just one distillery and exclusively uses malted barley, per The Manual) and three bourbons. Calling it an "ultra-premium" whiskey, the company says Five Trail is the result of a collaboration with the Kentucky-based Bardstown Bourbon Company. And it comes at a premium price. A 750-ml bottle has a recommended cost of $59.99.
Molson Coors Beverage Company says the Bardstown Bourbon "marries Colorado provenance with innovative distilling techniques of pioneering Kentucky-based distillers." The company hinted at additional, limited-edition whiskeys to come made from Coors' "high-country barley." According to company representative Kimberli Fox, the whiskey space is "a very interesting place for us to play as a beverage company," as whiskey drinkers enjoy exploring new products. Fox said there is much "territory to explore and you don't have to stay within the confines of a singular consumer expectation."
The Manual says Coors is attempting to appeal to buyers looking for "prestige" in their liquor products. According to Molson Coors, beer fans have a "built-in affinity" for "whiskey produced by a brewery."