Keystone beer is a product of the
Molson Coors Beverage Company
The Molson Coors Beverage Company is an American-Canadian multinational drink and brewing company incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law and headquartered in Golden, Colorado and Montreal, Quebec.
Molson Coors was formed in 2005 t ...
in
Golden, Colorado
Golden is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 20,399 at the 2020 United States Censu ...
. It was first introduced in
Chico, California
Chico ( ; Spanish for "little") is the most populous city in Butte County, California. Located in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California, the city had a population of 101,475 in the 2020 census, reflecting an increase from 86,18 ...
in September 1989. Keystone Ice can be found in canned,
keg
A keg is a small barrel.
Wooden kegs made by a cooper were used to transport nails, gunpowder, and a variety of liquids.
A keg is normally now constructed of stainless steel, although aluminium can be used if it is coated with plastic on th ...
ged, and occasionally, bottled form, with 5.9% ABV. Keystone Light has a 4.13% ABV; a concentration less than standard American lagers, and roughly equal to other macro "light" brews. Keystone is a primary sponsor for Austin Cindric’s number 2 car in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Varieties
Six varieties of Keystone have been produced, as well as the original:
* Keystone, introduced 1989, found with a gold can, red label, later changed to Keystone Premium
* Keystone Premium, found with a red, white and blue can
* Keystone Light, introduced 1989, found with a blue label
* Keystone Dry, introduced 1991, found with a black can, red label
* Keystone Ice, introduced 1994, "ice brewed ale," found with a black label.
* Keystone Amber Light, introduced 1994, found with a gold can with a diamond "Amber Light" badge
* Keystone V9, Puerto Rico only.
* Keystone Lime, introduced in Stauffer West during 2013.
* Keystone Light Keylightful, introduced March 1, 2020 in 40 US States. Raspberry - Lime
The "Light" and "Ice" versions of the beer are far more prevalent and readily available for retail across the United States. Though Keystone Premium exists, it appears much less than its "Light" variety on liquor store shelves. "Dry" and "Amber Light" varieties were discontinued in the late 90s.
Recently, a new variety of Keystone, V9, has been introduced to
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
by a licensed distributor there, V. Suárez & Co. Inc., of
Guaynabo
Guaynabo (, ) is a city, suburb of San Juan and municipality in the northern part of Puerto Rico, located in the northern coast of the island, north of Aguas Buenas, south of Cataño, east of Bayamón, and west of San Juan. Guaynabo is spr ...
, intended to be sold cheaply.
The can is black with a blue "V9" and is labeled as 5.9% alc./vol.
In the province of Ontario (and most of Canada), Keystone Light is available in bottles, cans, and tall cans at 4.0% A.B.V. and featuring a 'near-discount' price.
Nutrition information
Marketing
*The advertising slogan in 2007 for Keystone was "Always Smooth, Even When You're Not." The official slogan was formerly "All Stones Must Be Thrown", and it was marketed as "bottled beer taste in a can" (due, according to Coors, to their use of specially lined cans). Another slogan used for Keystone Light called it the "Never Bitter Beer", with commercials touting it as a remedy for "Bitter Beer Face".
* The commercial theme in the early 90s was "Wouldn't it be great if..." followed by beer-drinker fantasies, concluding with "and they served beer, really great beer like Keystone and Keystone Lite—bottled beer taste in a can."
* In promotion of Keystone Light, Coors Brewing Company has created a fictitious character named Keith Stone. Keith Stone has appeared in numerous television spots promoting Keystone Light, where he dials a phone with beef jerky. The advertisements involving Keith Stone have inspired many customers to make spoof advertisements for distribution on the Internet.
* In 2011,
Coors Brewing Company
The Coors Brewing Company started as an American brewery and beer company in Golden, Colorado. In 2005, Adolph Coors Company, the holding company that owned Coors Brewing, merged with Molson, Inc. to become Molson Coors.
The first Coors brew ...
, in promotion of its product Keystone Light, re-engineered its 30-pack cases to allow its purchasers to play a modified game of
Cornhole
Cornhole (also known regionally as sack toss, or bags) is a lawn game popular in North America in which players or teams take turns throwing fabric bean bags at a raised, angled board with a hole in its far end. The goal of the game is to score ...
, a popular
lawn game
A lawn game is an outdoor game that can be played on a lawn. Many types and variations of lawn games exist, which includes games that use balls and the throwing of objects as their primary means of gameplay. Some lawn games are historical in natu ...
. The brewer rebranded its boxes to promote the game of "Canhole".
* March 1, 2020 Launch of Keylightful Raspberry-Lime infused Keystone Light attempt to lure younger, legal age drinkers. Marketing launch will feature a Sun-glass wearing French bulldog clad in a "Hawaiian" style shirt. Mascot name is Lil' Breezy Keezy
References
External links
Official Keystone Light Home PageCoors Brewing Home Page Keystone and other Coors product's nutritional information
{{Molson Coors Beverage Company
Molson Coors brands
Products introduced in 1989