Sunday, April 26, 2020

Coors Extra Gold in the Running Man April 26, 2020

Continuing with my searching for booze and beer references in movies while under the stay-in-place order due to COVID-19, today's selection comes from the Richard Bachman (aka Stephen King) inspired movie The Running Man (1987.)


Now aside from a bunch of yuppies drinking while watching the Running Man, there aren't many booze or beer references...except for one. A quick eye will find it.

Now Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is about to leave to catch the ride to the fancy part of the city. As the camera pans across the lovely vista of the hood, there is a bar in the background with a neon sign all aglow. Here is the image:

Coors Extra Gold? I vaguely remember the brand from the 1980s. Back down the internet rabbit hole to find out some information about this particular beer.

In the mid-1980's competing brands Coors and Miller (which are now under the same umbrella Molson Coors) tried to lure drinkers with their own versions of fuller bodied lagers: Coors Extra Gold and Miller High Life Genuine Draft.


Aside from being marketed as being a fuller beer, the brews also had a richer taste than their company's standard beers: Coors Banquet Beer and Miller High Life. Both brands had a light version which were short lived. Both beers are still available, the Miller Genuine Draft (MGD) and the Extra Gold Lager. Now known as Extra Gold, the beer is described as follows from the Blue Ridge Beverage Company website:
Extra Gold Lager is a rich, full-flavored lager with a deep golden color. Extra Gold Lager starts with the slow aging of its roasted malts, which are then combined with its other premium ingredients and slow-brewed to produce this exceptional, refined lager.
 Many ads for the Coors Extra Gold included some extreme sports of the time:


sponsorship at monster truck rallies:


Models:


 and models with Harleys:



While Miller Genuine Draft can still be found regularly, I can't say that I have ever seen the Extra Gold Lager. Untappd's listing has people checking in drinking the beer. Primarily from Colorado and Pennsylvania. It clocks in at 5.0% ABV with an unknown IBU.

Here is a commercial for Coors Extra Gold from 1988:



I guess once I'm able to get out past the Bronx, I'll check to see if I can find some of the Extra Gold. Any of you fine gals and guys ever have this beer. 👍? 👎? 😐? 🤮? Let me know what you think in the comment box.

Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking,
SiscoVanilla

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4 comments:

  1. I loved coors extra gold on draught or bottle I won a holiday to Denvor went to the brewery 5 miles square no storage just brewery I think it would still be a popular drink and would make a big impact and a big seller especially on draught

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    1. Here in NYC the only Coors products you find on draft are the Silver Bullet. Had a customer ask for a "Banquet" and the other customers were like what that. I told them it was a can of Coors, not the light kind.

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  2. Extra Gold, previously referred to as Coors Extra Gold was always my go-to beer. I've had several liquor stores near me stock it and it always disappears off the shelves but I'm told it isn't being brewed these days, supposedly due to a can shortage. I'd love to discover they plan to reintroduce it soon

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    1. Would love it if they did. Would at least like to try it once.

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