Beer Institute awarded William “Bill” Coors, Director Emeritus and Technical Advisor at MillerCoors, with the 2017 Jeff Becker Beer Industry Service Award for his lifetime of dedication to the beer industry and America’s beer drinkers.
Pete Coors, nephew of Bill Coors and Vice-Chairman of the Board at Molson Coors, accepted the award on his behalf at the Beer Institute’s Annual Membership Meeting, which was held in San Diego, California.
“Bill’s innovation and commitment to bettering the lives of people around him have earned him the respect and admiration from professionals across the beer industry,” said Jim McGreevy, president and CEO of the Beer Institute. “From his work designing the modern recyclable two-piece aluminum can to his long serving commitment to the company founded by his grandfather, Bill has changed the way that we enjoy beer, and today continues to contribute to MillerCoors through his technical expertise.”
Bill Coors is the senior employee at Coors with 76 years of service where he shaped how the world drinks beer and other beverages. In the 1950s, he played a major role in the development of the aluminum can, which today is the standard in the beverage industry. He also is credited with the introduction of light, pilsner beers and the development of a proprietary, sterile-fill packaging technology that enables MillerCoors to provide consumers with brewery-fresh, packaged draft beers.