QuickLinks -- Click here to rapidly navigate through this document

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2005

Registration No. 333-            



UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549


FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


MOLSON COORS BREWING COMPANY
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  84-0178360
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

311 Tenth Street
Golden, Colorado 80401

1555 Notre Dame Street East
Montréal, Québec, Canada, H2L 2R5
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including zip code)

Molson Coors Brewing Company Incentive Compensation Plan
(Full title of the plan)

Annita M. Menogan
Vice President, Secretary and Deputy General Counsel
Molson Coors Brewing Company
311 10th Street
P.O. Box 4030
Golden, Colorado 80401-0030
(Name and address of agent for service)

(303) 279-6565
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE


Title of securities to be
registered

  Amount to be
registered(1)(2)

  Proposed maximum
offering price
per share

  Proposed maximum
aggregate offering price

  Amount of
registration fee


Class B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (options granted)   1,599,360 Shares   $74.36   $118,928,410   $13,997.87

Class B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (options not granted)   3,400,640 Shares   $77.85(3)   $264,739,824   $31,159.88

Total   5,000,000(1)           $45,157.75

(1)
The number of shares to be registered represents the aggregate number of shares issuable upon the exercise of the options granted or to be granted under the above named plan. In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of common stock which become issuable under the above-named plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any other similar transaction effected without the receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the number of our outstanding shares of common stock.

(2)
Pursuant to Rule 429 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the prospectus which is part of the registration statement is a combined prospectus which also relates to 1,110,999 shares registered under Form S-8 Registration Statement 333-110855.

(3)
Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(h) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, solely for purposes of determining the registration fee.





PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

        The information requested in Part I of this Registration Statement is included in the prospectus for the Molson Coors Brewing Company Incentive Compensation Plan (the "Plan"), which the Registrant has excluded from this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").


PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

        The following documents, which have been filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission (File No: 001-14829) are incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference:

        All documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

        Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.


Item 4. Description of Securities. Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel. Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

        Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation may indemnify any person, including an officer or director, who was or is, or is threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by



such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of such corporation, and, with respect to any criminal actions and proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any person, including an officer or director, who was or is, or is threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending or contemplated action or suit by or in the right of such corporation, under the same conditions, except that such indemnification is limited to expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person, and except that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if such person is adjudged to be liable to such corporation. Where an officer or director of a corporation is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above, or any claim, issue or matter therein, the corporation must indemnify that person against the expenses (including attorneys' fees) which such officer or director actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith.

        The Registrant's certificate of incorporation provides that none of its directors will be personally liable to it or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law as currently in effect or as the same may hereafter be amended.

        The Registrant maintains directors' and officers' liability insurance policies. The Registrant's certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide generally for indemnification of the registrant's officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law; provided that in connection with a proceeding commenced by a director or officer, such indemnification is not required if the commencement of such proceeding was not authorized by the Registrant's board of directors.


Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed. Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits. Reference is made to the attached Exhibit Index, which is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 9. Undertakings.

2


provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

3



SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Golden, State of Colorado, on this 14th day of April, 2005.

    MOLSON COORS BREWING COMPANY

 

 

By:

 

/s/  
W. LEO KIELY III      
        Name: W. Leo Kiely III
        Title: President and Chief Executive Officer


POWER OF ATTORNEY

        KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints W. Leo Kiely III and Annita M. Menogan and each of them his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities (including his or her capacity as a director and/or officer) to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on April 14, 2005.

Signature
  Title

 

 

 
/s/  W. LEO KIELY III      
W. Leo Kiely III
  President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/  
TIMOTHY V. WOLF      
Timothy V. Wolf

 

Global Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

/s/  
RONALD A. TRYGGESTAD      
Ronald A. Tryggestad

 

Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)

/s/  
FRANCESCO BELLINI      
Francesco Bellini

 

Director

/s/  
JOHN E. CLEGHORN      
John E. Cleghorn

 

Director
     

4



/s/  
PETER H. COORS      
Peter H. Coors

 

Director

/s/  
MELISSA E. COORS      
Melissa E. Coors

 

Director

/s/  
CHARLES M. HERINGTON      
Charles M. Herington

 

Director

/s/  
FRANKLIN W. HOBBS      
Franklin W. Hobbs

 

Director

/s/  
ANDREW T. MOLSON      
Andrew T. Molson

 

Director

/s/  
ERIC H. MOLSON      
Eric H. Molson

 

Director

/s/  
DAVID P. O'BRIEN      
David P. O'Brien

 

Director


Daniel J. O'Neill

 

Director

/s/  
PAMELA PATSLEY      
Pamela Patsley

 

Director

/s/  
H. SANFORD RILEY      
H. Sanford Riley

 

Director

/s/  
DR. ALBERT C. YATES      
Dr. Albert C. Yates

 

Director

5



EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number

  Description
4.1   Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Annex G of the Joint Proxy Statement/Management Information Circular on Schedule 14A, dated December 10, 2004, as supplemented).

4.2

 

Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Annex H of the Joint Proxy Statement/Management Information Circular on Schedule 14A, dated December 10, 2004, as supplemented).

4.3

 

Molson Coors Brewing Company Incentive Compensation Plan.

5.1

 

Opinion of Annita Menogan, Vice President, Secretary and Deputy General Counsel.

23.1

 

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

23.2

 

Consent of Annita Menogan (included in Exhibit 5.1).

24.1

 

Power of Attorney of certain officers and directors of the Company (included in the Signature Pages).



QuickLinks

PART I INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
PART II INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
SIGNATURES
POWER OF ATTORNEY
EXHIBIT INDEX