As an expert sommelier and brewer, I can provide you with a detailed answer to your question about when Anheuser-Busch bought Coors. However, it is important to note that Anheuser-Busch did not directly buy Coors. Instead, there have been various acquisitions and mergers involving both Anheuser-Busch and the Coors Brewing Company over the years.
To begin, let's go back to the year 2002. At that time, the Coors Brewing Company merged with Molson, creating the Molson Coors Brewing Company. This merger brought together two major players in the beer industry, with Coors being known for its popular Coors Light brand and Molson being a well-known Canadian brewery.
Fast forward to 2008, and we see a significant development in the beer industry. Anheuser-Busch, the largest brewing company in the United States and the makers of Budweiser, was acquired by InBev, a Belgian-Brazilian brewing company. This merger resulted in the creation of Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), which became the largest beer company in the world.
Now, let's move ahead to 2015, when AB InBev announced its intention to acquire SABMiller, another global brewing company. SABMiller was the second-largest beer company in the world at the time, and this acquisition was poised to create a massive consolidation in the beer industry.
The acquisition process between AB InBev and SABMiller took several months and involved various regulatory approvals and negotiations. on October 10, 2016, the merger between AB InBev and SABMiller was completed, forming a new entity known as Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV.
As part of the merger agreement, SABMiller agreed to divest itself of its stake in MillerCoors, a joint venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors. On October 11, 2016, the spinoff deal was completed, and Molson Coors became the sole owner of MillerCoors.
So, to summarize, Anheuser-Busch did not directly buy Coors. Instead, there have been various mergers and acquisitions involving Coors and other brewing companies, leading to the formation of Molson Coors and the subsequent spinoff of MillerCoors from SABMiller.