Several sources claim that Coors was 'smuggled' back East to be served on Air Force One during the Eisenhower and Ford administrations.
By the late 1960s, Coors’ scarcity had helped it cement cult status. According to legend, Eisenhower and Gerald Ford packed it aboard Air Force One, and Ford had it served at the White House mess every Thursday.
https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nati...-coors-banquet
It certainly was fashionable to carry Coors eastbound on military aircraft large and small forty years ago. Or, so they tell me.
Just as with the more recent fake golf clubs smuggled from Asia and sold on eBay, some idiot in the squadron would sell a few cases of the Coors to his buddies and the local tax people would go ballistic. A memo would come down saying no more Coors cross-country flights. Then a general or admiral would get thirsty, the beer would be loaded again until somebody else messed up the deal for everyone once more.
Another favorite liquid contraband was wine from the Azores. Military planes would land for a 'fuel stop' at Lajes coming back from Europe whether they needed it or not. Mateus and Lancers Portuguese wine was about 70 cents a bottle (probably twice what it's worth
) at the Air Force exchange and they had had handtrucks to load cases into planes on the ramp.