The '80s Lager You'll Likely Never See Again

Like a dear friend who moves away, sometimes beer companies pull the rug out from under longtime fans without warning (we still miss you, retired '90s beer Red Dog). Today, we're shining the spotlight on one of the discontinued old-school beers everyone used to drink: Coors Extra Gold Lager. The brew debuted in the mid '80s as Coors Brewing Company's cold-filtered, cost-effective answer to Miller High Life.

Coors Extra Gold Lager was a robust, full-bodied, 5% ABV American adjunct lager with a signature bright yellow hue. It was slow-brewed with pronounced notes of corn and malt, and (crucially) sold in 30-packs. While it may not have been the top brew on the market, the cereal-sweet flavor and smooth mouthfeel were downright impressive for its budget-friendly price point, subsequently inspiring a devoted fanbase among sippers who prized quantity as much as quality. During the '80s, this low-cost beer inspired high-class merch from mirrored bar signs to pinup posters. Thanks to Extra Gold Lager, fans could blast Motley Crüe and dog on Reaganomics in the garage with a 30-rack for less than $10.

Widespread availability and heavy promotional campaigns ran through the early '90s, then dropped off. Finally, Coors Extra Gold Lager began vanishing from stores around 2021, when Coors parent company Molson Coors discontinued many of its "spinoff" offerings, including the now-ceased cult favorite Hamm's Special Light and Mickey's Ice. After 2021, forlorn fans on social media began asking where the beer had gone. As it turned out, sales might have been down.

In a Reddit thread dedicated to Coors Extra Gold Lager, one commenter wrote, "My brother was a Coors distributor around the time this was out, he used to call it 'Coors Extra Old' because they could never sell any of it." However, the sales factor seems mixed; another commenter chimes in, "Beer store near me said that they sold a lot of it. In my opinion, it's better than Coors Banquet."

Elsewhere online, discerning imbiber reviews on BeerAdvocate give Coors Extra Gold Lager solidly mid to low marks for quality, yet still seem to respect the beer as an overall classy brew. A review written in October 2025 read, "Last I heard, they don't make this any longer. More's the pity. ... This stuff was probably the best-tasting cheap-a** beer I had on regular rotation back in the day. Wish they still made it." Another review from 2022 echoed, "I researched and can't get a straight answer on if this beer is still brewed by Molson Coors."

While Molson Coors has not released a formal announcement of the product's discontinuation, Extra Gold Lager has quietly disappeared from store shelves across the U.S. to the point of seeming extinction. It remains unclear whether the brew is gone for good, but regardless of its vitals status, it's difficult to find and purchase now. If you can find it, count yourself lucky, and prime to enjoy golden hour.