Our Favorite Cheap Beer Brand Of All Time Was Also The Favorite Of Miners

We're as grateful for the craft beer revolution as any sensible American, but that doesn't mean we exclusively drink fancy-pants IPAs with names that sound like Guided By Voices song titles. ("Levante Tickle Parts", "Queen of Cans and Jars", "Rhine Jive Click", "Dancing Gnome Astroid" — IPA or GBV? You decide!) Sometimes, you just want something cheap and satisfying to give you a buzz and make you feel as satisfied as your dad relaxing in his den sometime in the 1970s. If it's cheap beer you want, make it a Coors Banquet — The Takeout tried and ranked 10 cheap beers, and this was the victor.

The golden color scheme of Coors Banquet is only appropriate considering the fact it originated in Golden, Colorado. The brewery was founded by Adolph Coors in 1873, and its beer was made with fresh water from the Rocky Mountains and fine Moravian barley. Golden was a mining town that sprouted up in the middle of the 19th century as part of the Colorado Gold Rush. The miners engaged in some pretty arduous labor, and at the end of a long, painful day would often enjoy themselves (when they were able) with a big meal, aka a banquet. And what was a banquet without a bit of libation? The saying goes that the richest man in a gold rush is the one who sells shovels — but it turns out the one who sells beer does pretty well for himself too.

You can find Coors Banquet in tall, gold-colored cans or distinctive glass bottles. "The one we sampled came from a brown, stubby bottle that obscured the color," our taste tester wrote. But what a treat it was once it was poured from the bottle. "Once poured into a glass, it was a much lighter color than we anticipated. We had to work to build a head, but once it started to foam, the head was creamy and persistent. The beer was flavorful, well-rounded, and had a clean finish." In other words, it's exactly what you want from a beer, cheap or not.

From its humble beginning providing tasty beer for thirsty miners, Adolph Coors grew a brewing empire that lasts to this day. For a time, Coors was only sold in a few Western states (it was a favorite of Willie Nelson), and it wasn't until 1991 that it became available in all 50 states. Today, Coors Banquet is still brewed using the traditional methods of Adolph Coors 150 years later, helping make Colorado the surprising state that brews the most beer.