Coors beer faced two major obstacles in Oregon, which resulted in its illegal status in the state. The first hurdle was a 50-year-old statute that prohibited the sale of unpasteurized beer. According to the law, unpasteurized beer was officially deemed as unhealthy, and this directly affected Coors as their beer was cold filtered instead of being pasteurized.
The prohibition on unpasteurized beer can be traced back to concerns about the potential risks associated with consuming raw or unprocessed beverages. Pasteurization, a process of heating liquids to kill off harmful bacteria, was seen as a necessary step to ensure the safety of beer. However, Coors had chosen to employ a different method by utilizing cold filtration to achieve a similar outcome. Despite the effectiveness of this method, the Oregon law did not explicitly recognize cold filtration as an acceptable alternative to pasteurization.
The second obstacle Coors faced in Oregon was their reputation for being perceived as anti-labor and anti-environment. This negative perception had been built over time, leading to a significant backlash from various stakeholders, including consumers, labor unions, and environmental activists.
Coors had gained a reputation for its perceived anti-labor stance due to multiple labor disputes and allegations of unfair treatment of workers. These incidents had created a deep-rooted mistrust and animosity towards the company, making it difficult for Coors to gain support or acceptance within the state.
Furthermore, Coors had also faced criticism for its environmental practices. The company had been accused of polluting water sources near its breweries and disregarding environmental regulations. These allegations further fueled the negative perception of Coors among environmental activists, who were already concerned about the potential impact of the company's operations on local ecosystems.
The combination of these two factors – the prohibition on unpasteurized beer and Coors' negative reputation – resulted in the beer being deemed illegal in Oregon. The state's strict adherence to the pasteurization requirement and the strong opposition from labor unions and environmentalists made it challenging for Coors to operate within the state's boundaries.
The legal prohibition on unpasteurized beer and Coors' negative reputation played significant roles in making Coors beer illegal in Oregon. The combination of these factors created a hostile environment for the company, making it difficult for them to overcome these hurdles and gain acceptance within the state.