Coors, Cannabis, and the Bandit’s Bootleg Legacy

Welcome back to PerryPhernalia, where cannabis culture, craft beer, and fine liqueurs meet—always responsibly, legally, and with style. Today’s spotlight is a legacy brew with outlaw roots: Coors Banquet. Once the most smuggled beer in America, Coors earned pop culture immortality in 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit, where Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed raced 400 cases from Texarkana to Atlanta in under 28 hours.

🍺 Coors: The Original Contraband

In the 1970s, Coors wasn’t pasteurized and lacked preservatives, meaning it couldn’t legally cross state lines without refrigeration. That made it a cult item east of the Mississippi—smuggled in trunks, coolers, and semi-trailers. Smokey and the Bandit turned that bootlegging into a cinematic legend, with Bandit (Reynolds) running interference while Snowman (Reed) hauled the beer.

Fun fact: President Gerald Ford reportedly had Coors smuggled to the White House. Clint Eastwood and Paul Newman were fans. Coors was the beer of rebels, ranchers, and road warriors.

🌿 What If Bandit Hauled Cannabis?

Fast-forward to 2025: cannabis is legal in 24 states, but federal law still complicates interstate transport. If Bandit and Snowman were hauling THC gummies instead of Banquet beer, they’d need GPS spoofers, encrypted manifests, and a lawyer on retainer. Bandit’s Trans Am would be electric, Snowman’s rig would run hemp biodiesel, and the CB chatter would include strain reviews and dispensary drop points.

“Breaker breaker, this here’s Green Ghost. Got a payload of Sour Diesel headed for Richmond. Watch out for Johnny Law near Roanoke.”

And Coors? They’d be in on it. The brewery now makes THC-infused drinks under the brand Veryvell, sold in select legal states. The outlaw spirit lives on—just with better branding and compliance paperwork.

🛠️ Gear Pick

Celebrate the legacy with some fun products from Amazon. Hats, T-Shirts, Coolers… all kinds of Coors Banquet retro metal fun. It’s vintage, bold, and perfect for your bar, garage, or just hanging around.

🛠️ Gear Pick

Then cue up the original outlaw run with a Smokey and the Bandit viewing, while enjoying a cold Coors and what ever else you may legally enjoy. Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, and Jerry Reed at full throttle — no streaming required. It’s the perfect companion to your Coors gear and cannabis commentary. Or maybe you’ll like some cool gear… like a Trans Am Die-Cast Car!