The Discontinued Molson Coors Beer You Might Have Drank 40 Years Ago

Calling all Hammpions (aka diehard Hamm's fans), far and wide. Over the years, Molson Coors has sold everything from CBD products to vegan milk. Today, we're shining the spotlight on one glowing member of the brand's light beer category: Hamm's Special Light. What's wrong with a pale lager with a pleasant mouthfeel, refreshing crispness, and flavorful malty grain? Nothing. Regardless, Hamm's Special Light hasn't been seen on store shelves since 2021.

When light beer began gaining popularity in the U.S. market, Hamm's was the smooth, clean brew to answer sippers' thirstiest prayers; it might have touched hearts nationwide if it had had the reach. The brew dominated the market in its home of St. Paul, Minnesota, from the early 1980s through 2021, and remained a fairly regional American lager — particularly popular in the Midwest — throughout its 40-year tenure. Hamm's beer signs illuminate beloved neighborhood watering holes like Small Bar in Chicago's Logan Square; John Cusack dives into a six-pack of Hamm's in the 2000 cult classic "High Fidelity," which is set in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. "The Beer.... Refreshing!" is a longtime favorite dating back to 1856 German beer tradition, the brainchild of legendary brewer Theodore Hamm — and if it ain't broke, don't fix it (or discontinue it).

On the palate, Hamm's Special Light arrived with malty, grain-forward tasting notes of corn, light grass, white bread, and a faintly bitter hoppy aftertaste. It featured a structurally light body, light gold hue, and an overall (as its name suggests) "lighter" version of the profile fans might expect from classic Hamm's — which comprises a fairly nondescript combination of water, barley, malt, corn syrup (maltose), yeast, and hops. Classic Hamm's clocks in at 142 calories per 12-fluid-ounce can, compared to 110 calories for Hamm's Special Light. Special Light also offered a 3.8% ABV, slightly lower than regular Hamm's at 4.7%. 

So, why did Hamm's Special Light disappear after a four-decade run? After all, light beer is still running a victory lap around the U.S. consumer market, and Molson Coors' continued, timeless success has analysts asking if beer is immune to inflation. Woe to Special Light pale lager, anyway. Chalk it up to a more streamlined brand portfolio for parent company Molson Coors (which also owns Miller Lite and Blue Moon). The 2021 cancellation was accompanied by a sweep of 11 other "spinoff" beer product discontinuations, including Miller High Life Light, Milwaukee's Best Premium, and Keystone Ice.

During the 2021 earnings call announcing the mass discontinuation,  then-Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley addressed the beers' regional cult followings, anticipating that fans would enter a mourning period. "Distributors who sell brands like Magnum and Mickey's are going to feel it when they are discontinued," said Hattersely," as reported by Food & Wine, "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." Still, Molson Coors likely didn't anticipate that fans would still be refusing to give up the ship four years later.

Online, many sippers mention buying bulk cases of Hamm's Special Light years ago at the time of the announcement and slowly working through their stashes. One Instagram post shares, "My favorite beer in the world, Hamm's Special Light, was discontinued a few years ago. Now I'm savoring my last ones — I only drank 6 in 2024." Another Reddit post asks, "Anyone else think Hamm's Special Light is the best mass-produced light beer[?]" There's even a petition on change.org to "Save Hamm's Special Light." Still, so far, Molson Coors has yet to even hint at any kind of Hamm's Special Light comeback. Until then, we've rounded up six more discontinued old-school beers everyone used to drink.