Peter H. Coors stood in front of a vivid painting sprawling the width of Coors Brewery Friday.

“When I was growing up, we couldn’t have painted that wall because those buildings weren’t even there,” he says. “So how far we’ve come is really remarkable.”

And by “far,” the former chairman of Molson Coors Beverage Co. means 150 years.

Molson Coors Beverage Co. kicked off their 150th anniversary celebration with the official unveiling of the brewing building’s new 7,425 square-foot mural Friday. 

The colossal mural at the intersection of Ford and 13th streets — decorating the side of the building with an ode to the company’s longstanding American history — was designed and painted by Colorado native and muralist Julia Williams, aka “The Designosaur.” 

The final mural takes inspiration from the state’s landmarks and landscapes, using realism and fantastical realism to highlight the local ingredients and visuals that makes the Coors brewery and Golden historical locations.

It was the largest mural Williams had ever done, requiring help from four other artists. And though it took around five weeks of strenuous effort, Williams said she feels honored to leave her mark in Golden.

“I’m especially honored to feel so much more beautiful for the people that live here,” Williams added. “It’s now a delightful thing that people get to enjoy.”

“Thank you for capturing Coors’ legacy through your vision and art, which has helped turn this project into reality,” Peter J. Coors, fifth generation Coors family member and director of the Coors Brewery modernization project, said to Williams.

“If it weren’t for the decades of support we’ve received from the Golden community, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Coors added. “We thank the people of Golden for being the catalyst of Molson Coors and the growth in Golden.”

And Molson Coors looked to bolster its thanks to the community with a $150,000 grant to five Golden-based businesses as a means of investing into the community that has made the company successful. 

The recipients of the $150,000 donation are: Golden Civic Foundation, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden Fire Department, Golden History Museum and the Golden Visitors Center.

Lacey Golonka, community affairs manager for Molson Coors, said those organizations were picked because they have long-term projects in the community. She said that they will always invest in Golden.

“We would be remiss not to showcase our appreciation by giving back to the community that helped us reach this milestone,” Golonka said in a news release.

Rounding out the anniversary festivities, Golden will kick off Molson Coors’ street festival in downtown Golden at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30.

As for the next 150 years, Coors joked that it is “a bit daunting” to think about.

“I think back 150 years and I’m just a link in the chain,” he said. “I’m just proud to be a part of the legacy and help kick it into the 151st year and beyond.”

Coors spoke of the G150 project being the next step in the company’s future. The “hundreds of millions of dollars” upgrade to the brewing plant was announced in 2020 and is set to stretch into 2024. It will help the company “reduce our energy usage, our water usage and be better for the city of Golden,” Coors said.

The Coors’ family’s technical ceramics company — CoorsTek Inc. — is also redeveloping its campus in downtown Golden. Coors said that the 1.3 million-square-foot project is on track to have its first building completed in 2025.

Peter H. Coors closed out his speech by saying how lucky his family is to be continuing the company’s 150-year career.

“Some families are lucky to have three or four generations still invested,” he said.

“Sixth is on the way,” he said of his grandson in college. “Hopefully we’ll continue to have a great future and a great relationship with the community.”