The 80-Year Partnership Behind Every Coors Beer

July 24, 2026

For eight decades, Molson Coors has built its brewing legacy on a simple philosophy: great beer starts with great barley. That commitment continues today through long-standing partnerships with family farmers across the Four Corners barley-growing region, including Colorado's San Luis Valley.

This week at the Molson Coors Colorado Barley Field Day at the Coors Farm near Center, company leaders and growers reflected on the relationships that have helped sustain both the brewing company and generations of farm families.

David Coors, Chairman of the Board for Molson Coors, says the annual field days remain one of the most meaningful traditions for the company.

"It's so special to get back together with our growers," said Coors. "We've been doing this for 80 years. I started coming to these when I was a little kid, and this is the first time I've brought two of my own children—sixth-generation Coors family members. It's special to engage with the people who grow the barley that ultimately makes our beer taste as good as it does." 

A Vision That Started 80 Years Ago

Coors credits the company's late founder, Bill Coors, with recognizing early that quality beer begins long before brewing ever starts.

The Molson Coors barley program, now celebrating its 80th anniversary, was created to ensure the company had access to premium malting barley while building direct relationships with growers.

"It's remarkable to think about the seed Uncle Bill planted 80 years ago," said Coors. "His focus on quality has grown into a network of farming partners, employees and communities that continues today." 

That focus, he says, still guides company leadership as Molson Coors manages iconic brands that have been part of American culture for more than 150 years.

Four Generations of Growing for Coors

Few families illustrate that partnership better than Ron Reinhardt's.

Reinhardt farms near La Jara, Colorado, where his family has been raising barley for Coors for more than four decades. The relationship actually stretches back even farther, beginning with his father and uncle in the early 1960s.

"My wife Mary and I have been raising barley for Coors for about 45 years," said Reinhardt. My dad raised barley before that, and he and my uncle started growing for Coors back in the early '60s."

He says the relationship has grown beyond a business contract into something that feels much more personal.

"It really does feel like family," said Reinhardt. "We're a fairly small community of growers, and we've known each other for years. Coors has been a good partner to the valley."

A Critical Crop for the San Luis Valley

For many farms in Colorado's San Luis Valley, barley remains an important part of a diversified operation.

Reinhardt says reliable contracts with Molson Coors have helped stabilize farm income during years when other grain markets have struggled.

"The Coors contract has been huge for the valley," said Reinhardt. "We've struggled to make money on wheat and other barley, so it's been really important to our family. My brother, cousin and nephew all raise barley for Coors as well."

He also values the opportunity to gather with fellow growers during appreciation events like this one.

"It's always appreciated. It's like a Farmer Appreciation Day," said Reinhardt. "We get updates on how sales are doing and what the future looks like. If they don't sell beer, they don't need barley, so we're always interested in hearing how things are going."

Stewarding a Legacy Brand

While the beer industry continues to evolve, Coors says the company's mission remains balancing innovation with protecting the brands consumers know best.

"There's such a wonderful legacy that's been built over the last 153 years," said Coors. "Every industry goes through challenges, but Coors Banquet has been growing over the last six or seven years. That's a testament to sticking to our values, focusing on quality and being consistent with our brand." 

Ultimately, he says every step in the brewing process depends on what happens first in the field.

"There are no truer words than 'great beer starts in the barley fields'," said Coors. "If you fall apart at the beginning of that value chain, everything falls apart. That's why our partnerships with barley growers remain so important." 

As Molson Coors celebrates 80 years of its barley program, company leaders and growers alike say the future still depends on the same foundation it was built on decades ago: trusted relationships, shared commitment to quality, and family farms producing the barley that becomes some of America's most recognizable beers.

Source: Western Ag Network