Molson Coors Beverage (TAP) 10-K2021 FY Annual report

Class A Common Stock—2,562,506 shares            

Class A Exchangeable Shares—2,717,367 shares

This Annual Report on Form 10-K ("this report") contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the "Exchange Act"). From time to time, we may also provide oral or written forward-looking statements in other materials we release to the public. Such forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

The market and industry data used in this report are based on independent industry publications, customers, trade or business organizations, reports by market research firms and other published statistical information from third parties (collectively, the “Third Party Information”), as well as information based on management’s good faith estimates, which we derive from our review of internal information and independent sources. Such Third Party Information generally states that the information contained therein or provided by such sources has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable.

Unless otherwise noted in this report, any description of "we," "us" or "our" includes Molson Coors Beverage Company ("MCBC" or the "Company"), principally a holding company, and its operating and non-operating subsidiaries included within our reporting segments. As of December 31, 2021, we changed the names of our reporting segments to the Americas and EMEA&APAC segments (formerly named the North America segment and Europe segment, respectively) to better reflect the geographic locations encompassed within the reportable segments. This change to our segment names had no impact on the composition of our segments, our financial position, results of operations, cash flow or segment level results previously reported. Our Americas segment operates in the U.S., Canada and various countries in the Caribbean, Latin and South America and our EMEA&APAC segment operates in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Serbia, the U.K., various other European countries, and certain countries within the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Certain figures and certain discussions of markets throughout this section focus on the largest regions of our Americas segment and excludes discussion of Latin America and the Caribbean due to data not being readily available. Certain figures and certain discussions of markets throughout this section focus on the largest region of our EMEA&APAC segment and excludes discussions of the Middle East, Africa and APAC due to data not being readily available.

Unless otherwise indicated, information in this report is presented in USD and comparisons are to comparable prior periods. Our primary operating currencies, other than the USD, include the CAD, the GBP, and our Central European operating currencies such as the EUR, CZK, HRK and RSD.

Molson and Coors were founded in 1786 and 1873, respectively. Our commitment to producing the highest quality beers is a key part of our heritage and remains so to this day. Our brands are designed to appeal to a wide range of consumer tastes, styles and price preferences. Coors was incorporated in June 1913 under the laws of the state of Colorado. In October 2003, Coors merged with and into Adolph Coors Company, a Delaware corporation. In February 2005, Adolph Coors Company merged with Molson Inc. ("the Merger"). Upon completion of the Merger, Adolph Coors Company changed its name to Molson Coors Brewing Company. On October 11, 2016, we entered into a purchase agreement with Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV to acquire 100% of the outstanding equity and voting interests of MillerCoors, previously a joint venture between MCBC and the former SABMiller plc. In January 2020, we changed our name from Molson Coors Brewing Company to Molson Coors Beverage Company in connection with our expansion beyond the beer aisle.

Our revitalization plan, announced on October 28, 2019, focuses on the execution of the following principal strategies: building on the strength of our iconic core brands, growing our above premium portfolio, expanding beyond the beer aisle and investing in our capabilities and supporting our people and communities. Through the execution of the revitalization plan, we broadened our range of products and offerings within our portfolio to also include, among others, hard seltzers, ready to drink beverages and a variety of non-alcoholic beverage offerings. In order to support the overall premiumization of our portfolio, we have strategically de-prioritized certain non-core economy SKUs. The revitalization plan is intended to drive sustainable net sales and earnings growth, despite potential volume declines as the portfolio mix shifts towards a higher composition of above premium products.

Starting at the end of the first quarter of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic had a material adverse effect on our operations, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. In 2021, we saw improvements in the marketplace related to the coronavirus global pandemic as on-premise locations began to re-open around the world at varying degrees, despite setbacks in certain markets related to the outbreak of new variants. The extent to which our operations will continue to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic will depend largely on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted, including the level of governmental or societal orders or restrictions on public gatherings and on-premise venues, including any vaccine mandates or testing requirements, the severity and duration of the coronavirus pandemic by market, including outbreaks of variants, changes in consumer behavior, inflationary pressures resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of vaccination and the efficacy of vaccines against the coronavirus and related variants. We continue to actively monitor the ongoing evolution of the coronavirus pandemic and resulting impacts to our business.

The brewing industry has significantly evolved over the years to become an increasingly global beer market. The industry was previously founded on local presence with modest international expansion achieved through export, license and partnership arrangements. Over time the market has become increasingly complex as the consolidation of brewers has occurred globally, resulting in a small number of large global brewers representing the majority of the worldwide beer market. In addition to the consolidation and the acquisitive nature of the industry, exports, licensing and partnership arrangements continued to be used and these transactions typically occurred between the same global competitors that make up the majority of the market. At the same time, smaller local brewers within certain established markets have experienced accelerated growth as consumers increasingly place value on locally-produced, regionally-sourced products. In addition to the growth of smaller local craft breweries, changing consumer trends are pushing the industry toward above premium, including flavored malt beverages, craft beer and beyond beer altogether. In recent years, the hard seltzer market has emerged and has experienced significant growth, particularly in the U.S. While we do not believe that the rapid growth will continue as the market has matured, we do believe the hard seltzer market will continue to be of importance. As the beer industry continues its evolution of consolidation and diversification of its products to meet consumer demand with broadening preferences, we believe large global brewers are uniquely positioned to leverage the scale, depth of product portfolio and industry knowledge to continue to lead the market forward. We believe we are well positioned to compete in this continually evolving market, particularly in beer, hard seltzer and beyond.

We evaluate ourselves in relation to other global brewers using various metrics, including overall market capitalization, volume, net sales, gross margins and net profits, as well as our position within each of our core markets, with the goal to be the first choice for our people, consumers and customers. To provide a perspective of the relative size of the major participants in the global brewing market, the market capitalization of our primary global competitors, based on foreign exchange rates as of December 31, 2021, were as follows:

In 2021, we operated the following segments: Americas and EMEA&APAC. A separate operating team manages each segment and each segment manufactures, markets, distributes and sells beer as well as offers a modern and growing portfolio that expands beyond the beer aisle. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of our consolidated sales in 2021, 2020 or 2019.

The Americas segment also includes a partnership arrangement related to the distribution of beer in Ontario, Canada, Brewers' Retail Inc. ("BRI"), and in the western provinces of Canada, Brewers' Distributor Ltd. ("BDL"). BRI and BDL are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The majority of ownership in BRI resides with Molson Canada 2005 (a wholly-owned subsidiary of our Company), Labatt Breweries of Canada LP (a subsidiary of ABI) and Sleeman Breweries Ltd. (a subsidiary of Sapporo International). BDL is jointly owned by Molson Canada 2005 and ABI. In addition, we have an agreement with Heineken that grants us the right to import, market, distribute and sell certain Heineken products in Canada. The Americas segment also includes Truss, our joint venture with HEXO Corp. ("HEXO") in Canada which produces and markets non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused beverages in Canada.

Additionally, in the third quarter of 2020, in collaboration with D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. ("Yuengling"), we formed The Yuengling Company LLC ("TYC"), a joint venture equally owned by MCBC and DGY West Holdings, LP ("DGY West") that, pursuant to an operating agreement, was formed to expand commercialization of Yuengling's brands for any new market expansion outside of Yuengling's then 22-state footprint and New England. During the third quarter of 2021, TYC commenced retail operations with its first product sales in the state of Texas.

Our go to market strategy differs slightly between the geographic regions of the Americas segment due to the differences in regulations among those geographic areas.

In the U.S., beer is generally distributed through a three-tier system consisting of manufacturers, distributors and retailers. A national network of approximately 350 independent distributors and one Company-owned distributor, Coors Distributing Company, purchases our products and distributes them to on- and off-premise retail accounts. Coors Distributing Company distributed approximately 2% of our total owned and non-owned Americas segment volume in 2021. Transportation of our product to distributors in the U.S. is primarily contracted through third-party logistics providers and shipped by truckload. We have long-term contracts in place with third-party logistics providers to mitigate price fluctuations in freight costs. In instances where transportation needs cannot be met by contracted freight carriers, we utilize the spot freight market. Over the years, the trucking industry has experienced an aging driver demographic which has led to a decreased supply of truck drivers. Additionally, since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, this trend accelerated as the trucking industry has seen an increased shortage in truck drivers which has resulted in inflation across certain supply chains. In response to trends seen within the transportation industry, we have begun to transport more products via railway, through insulated boxcars or intermodal shipping containers, as an action taken to mitigate the level of inflation seen in freight costs within the trucking industry.

In Canada, because provincial governments regulate the beer industry and provincial liquor boards control the distribution and retail sale of alcohol products, distribution strategies vary by province. The transportation of our products in Canada varies by the go to market strategy in each province.

In Québec, the distribution and sale of beer is governed by the Québec Alcohol Corporation ("SAQ"). Beer is distributed to retail outlets, primarily by truckload, directly by each brewer or through approved independent agents. We are the agent for the licensed brands we distribute. The brewer or agent distributes the products to permit holders for retail sales for on-premise consumption. Québec retail sales for off-premise consumption are made through grocery and convenience stores, as well as government operated outlets.

BDL manages the distribution of our products throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Our products can be purchased by consumers at the government's Liquor Distribution Branch retail outlet, at any independently owned and licensed retail store or at any licensed establishment for on-premise consumption in British Columbia and, in Alberta, at retail outlets licensed by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission or licensees such as bars, hotels and restaurants. BDL primarily distributes products to customers by truckload. Our products are distributed and sold by local liquor boards in the Maritime Provinces, except Newfoundland, independent distributors in Newfoundland and government liquor commissioners in Yukon, Northwest territories and Nunavut.

References to on- and off-premise sales volumes are sales to retailers, which we believe is a useful data point relative to consumer trends.

In the Americas segment, the on-premise channel includes sales to bars and restaurants while the off-premise channel includes sales in convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores and other retail outlets including The Beer Store in Ontario, Canada which is Canada's largest beer retailer.

The following table reflects the industry channel share trends over the last five years in the largest regions of our Americas segment, the U.S. and Canada. Percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

Prior to the year ended December 31, 2020, the split between on-premise and off-premise remained relatively stable. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we experienced a significant adverse impact resulting from the closure of the on-premise channel and increased restrictions as a result of the on-set of the coronavirus pandemic which effectively shut down the on-premise channel in the U.S. and Canada which began in March 2020 and continued into June 2020. During the second half of 2020, we saw a limited on-premise channel reopening in the U.S. and Canada as the on-premise channel was restricted at varying degrees. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we began to see a return to the on-premise channel in the U.S. and Canada as a result of the on-premise channel progressively reopening. However, business and consumer uncertainty in this channel persisted and, as a result, we did not see a full return to pre-pandemic levels. While improvement has occurred in many provinces in Canada in 2021, the level of restrictions continues to evolve, frequently moving along a spectrum between full lock down and the easing of restrictions based on the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic and related variants.

We use high quality ingredients to brew our products. Hops used to brew our products are purchased from suppliers in the U.S. and Europe. These contracts vary in length based on market conditions and cover our supply requirements through 2022.

We malt a majority of our production requirements in the U.S. and Canada, using barley purchased primarily under annual contracts from independent farmers located predominately in the western U.S. and Canadian Prairies. In addition, we source barley malt from three other commercial providers, from which we have a committed supply until at least 2022. Other brewing adjuncts are sourced from three main suppliers, all in the U.S. and Canada, with committed supply through 2022. Other malt and cereal grains are purchased primarily from suppliers in the U.S. and Canada.

In the U.S. and Canada, we both own and lease water rights, as well as purchase water through local municipalities and communities, to provide for and sustain brewing operations in case of a prolonged drought in the regions where we have operations.

We do not currently anticipate future difficulties in accessing water or agricultural products used in our brewing process in the near term.

The following summarizes the percentage of packaging materials by type for the largest regions of our Americas segment, the U.S. and Canada, for the year ended December 31, 2021. In recent years, we saw a shift to aluminum cans from glass bottles, and this trend accelerated during the year ended December 31, 2020 as a result of the on-premise channel closing at various degrees from March 2020 into June 2020. While we saw a shift back from aluminum cans to kegs during the year ended December 31, 2021, as a result of the on-premise progressively reopening, aluminum cans continue to represent a greater percentage of packaging materials as compared to the years prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Across the Americas segment, crowns, labels, corrugate and paperboard are purchased from a small number of sources unique to each product. In Canada, the standard returnable bottle requires significant investment behind our returnable bottle inventory and bottling equipment.

While we have experienced some challenges in obtaining supplies required for certain packaging materials in 2021 as a result of the global supply chain disruption, partially due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, these more severe supply constraints were short term in nature and overall, did not impact our ability to produce product and meet production forecasts.

We have agreements to brew, package and ship products for Pabst Brewing Company, LLC ("Pabst") and TYC, and an agreement with Labatt USA Operating Co, LLC to brew and package certain Labatt brands for export.

Total industry volume is sensitive to factors such as weather, changes in demographics, consumer preferences and drinking occasions. Weather conditions consisting of high temperatures and extended periods of warm and dry weather favor increased consumption of our products, while unseasonably cool or wet weather, especially during the summer months, adversely affects our sales volumes and net sales. Accordingly, consumption of beer in the Americas segment is seasonal, with nearly 37% of sales volume occurring during the months from May through August.

The beer industry in the largest regions of our Americas segment, the U.S. and Canada, is highly competitive, and the two largest brewers, ABI and MCBC together represented the majority of the market in 2021. However, the two largest brewers lost share in 2021 due to volume growth in the flavored malt beverage (including hard seltzers), import and super premium portfolios as consumer preferences continue to shift within the industry to above premium. We believe growing or even maintaining our market share will require building on the strength of our core brands, premiumizing our portfolio and continuing to increase our presence in the fast-growing areas of the industry and beyond the beer aisle.

The following table summarizes the estimated percentage market share by volume of beer (including flavored malt beverages) and other alcohol beverages, including wine and spirits, as a component of the overall U.S. and Canada alcohol market over the last five years. We anticipate that the 2021 data, when available, will reflect a continuation of the recent consumer trends. Percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

Our portfolio of beers competes with numerous above premium, premium and economy brands. These competing brands are produced by international, national, regional and local brewers. We compete most directly with ABI brands, but also compete with imports and other providers of craft beer and flavored malt beverages. Our products also compete with other alcohol beverages, including wine and spirits, and thus their competitive position is affected by consumer preferences between and among these other categories. Driven by, among other things, increased spirits advertising, a narrowing price gap with wine and spirits, along with increased wine and spirits sales execution, sales of wine and spirits have grown faster than sales of beer in recent years, resulting in a reduction in the beer segment's lead in the overall alcohol beverage market.

The following table summarizes the estimated percentage share of the largest regions of our Americas segment, U.S. and Canada, represented by MCBC, ABI and all other brewers over the last five years. Current year percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

The U.S. beer business is regulated by federal, state and local governments. These regulations govern many parts of our operations, including brewing, marketing and advertising, transportation, distributor relationships, sales and environmental issues. To operate our facilities, we must obtain and maintain numerous permits, licenses and approvals from various governmental agencies, including the U.S. Department of Treasury, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state alcohol regulatory agencies and state and federal environmental agencies.

In Canada, provincial governments regulate the production, marketing, distribution, selling and pricing of beer (including the establishment of minimum prices), and impose commodity taxes, mark-ups and license fees in relation to its production, distribution and sale. In addition, the Canadian federal government regulates the advertising, labeling, quality control, and international trade of beer, and also imposes commodity taxes on both domestically produced and imported beer. Both levels of government are also similarly involved in other categories of alcoholic beverages produced or imported into Canada. In 2021, our Canadian business excise taxes, federal and provincial, were approximately $59 per hectoliter sold on a reported basis. Further, certain bilateral and multilateral treaties entered into by the federal government, provincial governments and certain foreign governments, especially with the U.S., affect the Canadian beer industry.

In the European countries in which we operate, beer is generally distributed through either a two-tier system consisting of manufacturers and retailers, or a three-tier system consisting of manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Distribution activities for both the on-premise and off-premise channels are conducted primarily by third-party logistics providers. Most of our beer in the U.K. is sold directly to retailers. We have an agreement with Tradeteam Ltd. ("Tradeteam," a subsidiary of DHL) to provide the distribution of our products throughout the U.K. until April 2029. We utilize several hundred third-party logistics providers across our Central European operations. We also conduct a small amount of secondary distribution in Czech Republic utilizing our own fleet of vehicles. It is also common in the U.K. for brewers to distribute beer, wine, spirits, and other products owned and produced by other companies, which we refer to as factored brands, to the on-premise channel (bars and restaurants). Approximately 14% of our EMEA&APAC segment net sales in 2021 represented factored brands.

Our operations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia Pacific include markets such as Australia, South Africa and South Korea, with the sale and distribution completed under local license agreements, or through the import of our brands with sale through local distributors.

In the EMEA&APAC segment, excluding the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, the on-premise channel includes sales to pubs and restaurants. The installation and maintenance of draught beer dispensing equipment in the on-premise channel is generally the responsibility of the brewer. Accordingly, we own refrigeration units and other equipment used to dispense beer from kegs to consumers that are used in on-premise outlets. This includes beer lines, cooling equipment, taps and counter mounts. The off-premise channel includes sales to supermarkets, convenience stores, liquor stores, distributors and wholesalers. Over the last few years, throughout the EMEA&APAC segment the off-premise channel has become increasingly concentrated among a small number of super-store chains.

Generally, over the years, industry volumes across countries in which we operate in have shifted from the higher-margin on-premise channel, where products are consumed in pubs and restaurants, to the lower-margin off-premise channel, also referred to as the "take-home" market. The years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021 proved unique as both years were impacted significantly by the coronavirus pandemic. As perspective, we estimate that in 2019 pre-pandemic levels, approximately 60% and 75% of our U.K. financial volumes and net sales, respectively, were from the on-premise channel. The U.K. comprised approximately 55% of our EMEA&APAC net sales, which were $1,986.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, we experienced a significant adverse impact resulting from the closure of, or increased restrictions to, the on-premise channel as a result of the on-set of the coronavirus pandemic which effectively shut down the on-premise channel from March 2020 into July 2020 in the U.K., and was mostly closed again as a result of a second lockdown during the fourth quarter of 2020. For the year-ended December 31, 2020, we estimate approximately 40% and 50%

We use high quality ingredients to brew our products. During 2021, our malt requirements were sourced from third-party suppliers. We have multiple agreements with various suppliers that cover almost all of our total required malt, with terms ending in 2022 through 2027. Hops are purchased under various contracts with suppliers in Germany, Czech Republic and Slovenia, which contribute to our anticipated requirements through 2026 in line with our planned supply coverage strategy. Adjuncts are purchased under various contracts with local producers, which are typically crop year contracts commencing in October of each year. Water used in the brewing process is sourced from various wells and through water rights and supply contracts. We do not currently anticipate future difficulties in accessing required water or agricultural products used in our brewing process in the near term.

The following summarizes the percentage of packaging materials by type for the largest region of our EMEA&APAC segment for the year ended December 31, 2021. In recent years, we have seen a shift to aluminum cans from kegs as industry volumes in Europe have shifted from on-premise to off-premise and this trend accelerated during the year ended December 31, 2020 as a result of the on-premise channel closing at various degrees for most of the second and fourth quarters. While we have seen a shift back from aluminum cans to kegs during the year ended December 31, 2021 as a result of the on-premise progressively reopening, aluminum cans continue to represent a greater percentage of packaging materials in the EMEA&APAC segment as compared to years prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Crowns, labels and corrugate are purchased from sources unique to each category. We do not currently foresee future difficulties in accessing these or other packaging materials in the near term.

In our EMEA&APAC segment, the beer industry is subject to seasonal sales fluctuations primarily influenced by holidays, weather and by certain major televised sporting events. Weather conditions consisting of high temperatures and extended periods of warm and dry weather favor increased consumption of our products, while unseasonably cool or wet weather, especially during the summer months, adversely affects our sales volumes. Accordingly, the peak selling seasons typically occur during the summer and during the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

Our beers compete not only with similar products from competitors, but also with other alcohol beverages, including wines and spirits. As the global economy continues to recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, continued restrictions to the on-premise channel, if prolonged in nature, will continue to impact the beer industry in the EMEA&APAC regions. The following table summarizes the estimated percentage market share by volume of beer and other alcohol beverages, including wine and spirits, as a component of the overall alcohol market, within the countries in which we have production facilities, over the last five years, for which data is currently available. We anticipate that 2021 data, when available, will reflect a continuation of the recent consumer trends. Percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

In the European countries where we currently operate, our primary competitors are ABI, Asahi, Carlsberg and Heineken. We believe our brand portfolio gives us strong representation in all major beer categories. The following table summarizes our estimated percentage share of the beer market within the countries where we operate and our primary competitors over the last five years. Current year percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available. Prior year percentages reflect the market data available subsequent to the filing of the prior year annual report.

Each country that is part of our EMEA&APAC segment where we carry out significant brewing or distribution activities is either a member of the European Union ("EU") or a current candidate to join, with the exception of the U.K., which left the EU during 2020, and Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia which are potential EU candidates. As such, there are similarities in the

We have certain activity that is not allocated to our segments, and primarily includes financing-related costs such as interest expense and income, foreign exchange gains and losses on intercompany balances related to financing and other treasury-related activities, and the unrealized changes in fair value on our commodity swaps not designated in hedging relationships recorded within cost of goods sold, which are later reclassified when realized to the segment in which the underlying exposure resides. Additionally, only the service cost component of net periodic pension and OPEB cost is reported within each operating segment, and all other components remain unallocated.

We own trademarks on the majority of the brands we produce and have licenses for the remainder. We also hold several patent and design registrations with expiration dates through 2038 relating to brewing methods, beer dispensing systems, packaging and certain other innovations. We are not reliant on patent royalties for our financial success. Therefore, these expirations are not expected to have a significant impact on our business.

We have a long legacy of commitment to sustainability.

In 2012, MCBC became a charter member of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking ("IARD"). This collaborative industry body represents the 13 leading beer, wine and spirits companies, and partners with public sector, civil society and private stakeholders. IARD works with governments globally to support the WHO NCD Global Monitoring Framework target of 10% reduction in harmful use of alcohol by 2025.

In 2017, we launched Our Imprint 2025 agenda, which included a set of ambitious goals across a range of matters relating to environmental sustainability and community and people. We further added to these goals in 2019, incorporating our ambition to make our packaging more sustainable. These goals include our commitment to use more recycled materials in our plastic packaging, improve recycling solutions in our key markets and make 100% of our packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

In 2021, we added a new target to increase diverse representation in our company by 2023 and streamlined Our Imprint 2025 strategy to reflect our four priority focus areas. The four areas where we believe we can make the greatest contribution and demonstrate leadership include: diversity, equity and inclusion ("DEI"), water, climate and packaging. The enhanced focus areas aim to address the expectations of our consumers and stakeholders, while we continue to make our operations even more resource efficient and resilient.

More information about Our Imprint 2025 goals can be found on our sustainability website, www.MolsonCoorsOurImprint.com, which includes:

The information provided on our website (or any other website referred to in this report) is not part of this report and is not incorporated by reference as part of this report.

We have a global and varied workforce, with major employee centers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Romania. As of the end of 2021, we employed approximately 16,300 employees within our business globally with approximately 9,800 within our Americas segment and 6,500 within our EMEA&APAC segment. Of the approximately 16,300 employees, approximately 600 of our employees are in our Global Business Services Centers based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Bucharest, Romania. As of the end of 2021, approximately 32% and 26% of our Americas segment and EMEA&APAC segment workforces, respectively, are represented by trade unions or councils, which are subject to collective bargaining agreements, which come due for renegotiation from time to time.

We believe that people are the heart of our Company. We strive to create a culture where people are encouraged to and feel comfortable about bringing their diverse perspectives and experiences to the table. As a global company, we believe we have a responsibility to nurture a workforce that reflects our local communities. We believe this makes us a better employer, partner and company of choice for our consumers and customers, and it is why we are committed to championing DEI.

We strive to be a provider of meaningful experiences for our employees and a safe and healthy workplace for all employees. We believe that building a diverse and inclusive workforce is a significant contributor to our success as a business and to deliver on our purpose, and that we value and respect our differences. We believe that diversity and equity with inclusion is the key to collaboration and a winning team culture. A significant component of the revitalization plan announced in October 2019 was the launch of a refreshed purpose (uniting people to celebrate all life’s moments), ambition (first choice for our people, consumers and customers) and shared company values (the first of which is Putting People First), all designed with a purpose of shifting the culture of the organization to drive stronger employee and business engagement. In addition, we refreshed and stream-lined our ESG strategy in 2021 to further focus on areas in which we believe we can have the biggest impact, including a focus on people. More information about our ESG strategy can be found in our ESG Report, located on our sustainability website, www.MolsonCoorsOurImprint.com. The information provided on our website (or any other website referred to in this report) is not part of this report and is not incorporated by reference as part of this report.

With the overarching goals described in the preceding paragraph as guides, the leadership team and the chief people and diversity officers for the Americas and EMEA&APAC segments are tasked with managing all employment-related matters including recruitment, retention, leadership and development, compensation planning, succession planning, performance management, and DEI. The Compensation and Human Resource Committee ("CHR Committee") of the Board of Directors is responsible for establishing and reviewing the overall compensation philosophy of our Company and providing oversight on certain human capital matters, including our talent retention and development, leadership development, talent pipeline, programs and systems for performance management and DEI initiatives. Further, the CHR Committee is responsible for overseeing our progress against our social initiatives related to human capital management. The Audit Committee oversees our ESG and sustainability programs and reporting, as well as its enterprise risk management program to identify and mitigate potential risks, including human capital issues. The Board of Directors receives regular reports and recommendations from management and the board committees to help guide our strategy on retaining and developing a diverse and talented workforce.

We believe DEI should be deeply embedded in our corporate culture and how we operate, from how we work together to how we grow as a company. In 2020, we created a new position of Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to help ensure we have a robust DEI strategy. We accelerated our DEI efforts by creating a three-year DEI roadmap and action plan for the U.S. and Canada as a result of an assessment of our existing culture, programs and talent management processes. We identified the strengths and opportunities for improvement in our corporate culture through discussions with Company executives and senior leaders, our focus groups and our employees.

In order to further increase awareness around DEI issues, we launched a Month of Inclusion in 2021, which builds on the Week of Inclusion we introduced in 2020. The Month of Inclusion brings together our U.S. and Canada employees, and our Western Europe employees, respectively, to focus on prioritizing inclusion, equity and workplace respect. This year’s Month of Inclusion included a variety of presentations, interactive sessions and fireside chats with leaders and external experts that were centered around our five corporate values and designed to be conversation starters to help facilitate potentially difficult discussions.

We promote and maintain employee resource groups ("ERGs") for a number of different communities in our employee population - by race/ethnicity, by gender, LGBTQ+, early professionals, young families, and veterans, amongst others. These ERGs are aimed to help foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with our values and culture. We encourage participation in these groups as we believe it provides an open forum for individual employees who may share similar concerns or experiences. We also rely on these ERGs to help activate our DEI strategy through community building and creating a culture of allyship. In the U.S. and Canada, the ERGs host monthly Inclusion in Action events on different topics helping employees build knowledge, broaden perspective and develop meaningful understanding of various viewpoints.

In addition, as part of our wider DEI strategy, an Inclusion & Diversity Director, EMEA&APAC, was appointed in 2021. In EMEA&APAC, over 5,500 employees completed a Respect at Work learning module and over 500 leaders completed an Inclusive Leader training program. We believe these actions underline our commitment to accelerating our DEI efforts to help build an inclusive culture where our people feel accepted and valued.

As we work to a more diverse workforce and management team, we developed programs to encourage the recruitment, retention and training of diverse leaders and working to ensure we have a highly skilled and diverse workforce.

We encourage our employees to develop their careers and learn every day and have embedded that belief in our core company values as “Learn Every Day.” Our aim is to help employees unlock their full potential so they can thrive in their current job and also realize new, potential growth opportunities. In 2021, we launched a new talent planning experience, which is designed to help us understand our employee’s ambitions and identify growth opportunities that fit their needs, as well as the needs of our Company.

We also promote and emphasize leadership and development opportunities for our employees which includes our First Choice Learning Center, in-person and online training programs, and experiential training opportunities to encourage and promote employee health and safety, assist in building core competencies, learning best practices and developing leadership capabilities. In addition, employee performance is assessed at year-end based on achievement of individual goals and the degree to which our values are modeled to achieve them.

We offer competitive, affordable and comprehensive benefits. We recognize excellence and differentiate rewards based on both what we do and how we do it – which we intend to be equally weighted to help strengthen our culture and promote our Company as a great place to work while at the same achieving our business results. We believe these compensation rewards motivate us to be bold and decisive and ignite growth. Our incentive programs hold us accountable for living out our values to achieve our short- and long-term goals.

Our employees are able to participate in our Total Rewards program that in general provides a competitive base salary, incentive plans, health, dental, and vision insurance plans, a 401(k) option in certain regions with a potential employer match, paid time off plans, including parental leave policies in many locations, an engaging Wellness Program and an Employee Assistance Program. Our business units comply with applicable maternity leave laws and, in many countries, we go further to provide flexible work schedules and extended leave for new parents. We routinely benchmark our global compensation and benefits programs to ensure they are competitive, inclusive, aligned with our company culture and allow our employees to meet their individual needs and the needs of their families.

We believe that engaging our employees, through surveys during the onboarding process and throughout the employee journey, provides us with valuable insight into how we can develop our company culture to help ensure that our people feel supported and able to thrive at our company. We use a “continuous listening” model to try to ensure that we understand how our employees are feeling and what they are thinking throughout the year. We gauge our employees’ sentiments through a quarterly Employee Experience survey in the U.S. and Canada and bi-annual surveys in EMEA&APAC. These surveys focus on topics such as our culture, values, DEI efforts, well-being and leadership. In addition, our CEO regularly hosts live online question and answer sessions available to all employees. We believe these sessions also help create a company culture where open, honest dialogue is supported and encouraged, and where people are empowered to raise questions and concerns about our business and our culture.

We aim to ensure that our employees have a healthy and safe work environment. Our supply chain has adopted and implemented a framework we call world class supply chain 2.0 at many of our brewery and other locations. As part of that framework, our environment, health and safety ("EHS") policy guides our efforts in maintaining safe and healthy workplaces where we take a proactive approach to the identification and control of environment, health and safety risks. We develop our safety programs to promote a sense of ownership for personal safety and safety of colleagues at all levels of the business. We work to improve our EHS performance through training and other methodologies that aim to prevent workplace injuries and illness, and reduce environmental impacts of our operations.

Our safety focus was further evident during our response to the coronavirus pandemic where we implemented additional health and safety measures in the breweries and our distribution centers, ensuring these federally designated essential operations could continue to operate and we could protect our employees. We enhanced our cleaning protocols at the majority of our facilities including enhanced sanitization, social distancing, cloth facemasks and hand sanitizers, and for a period of time, instituted paid and unpaid coronavirus specific leave programs.

We promote healthy lifestyles across our global enterprise by offering health benefits, wellness and work/life balance programs that are tailored to employees' needs and culture by work location. In the U.S. and Canada, employees can participate in our wellness programs through a mobile phone application that incentivizes healthy habits and lifestyles. The need for remote work and social distancing has changed the dynamics of the workplace so we have responded by providing resources to help support not only the physical health of our employees, but also their mental health and well-being. These resources include connections to virtual healthcare, remote fitness and wellness support, and a free employee assistance program for coping with stress, feelings of isolation and anxiety.

We file with, or furnish to, the SEC reports, including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. These reports are available free of charge via EDGAR through the SEC website (www.sec.gov) and are also available free of charge on our corporate website (www.molsoncoors.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. The foregoing website addresses are provided as inactive textual references only. The information provided on our website (or any other website referred to in this report) is not part of this report and is not incorporated by reference as part of this report.

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our executive officers as of February 23, 2022:

Investing in our Company involves risk. Investors should carefully consider the following risk factors and the other information contained within this report. The risks set forth below are those that management believes are most likely to have a material adverse effect on us. Investors are encouraged to read each risk factor as related and interconnected to the other risk factors set forth in this section. However, the risks set forth below are not a comprehensive description of the risks facing our Company. We may also be subject to other risks or uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial but may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in future periods. If the following risks or uncertainties, individually or in combination, actually occur, they may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, results of operations or prospects. See also "Cautionary Statement Pursuant to Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995."

Our business has been, and we currently expect will continue to be, materially and adversely affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and related weak, or weakening of, economic or other negative conditions, particularly in regions where we derive a significant amount of our revenue or profit or where our suppliers and business partners are located, including those in regions of our Americas segment and EMEA&APAC segment. Therefore, unfavorable macroeconomic conditions, including as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and any resulting recession or slowed economic growth, have had, and could continue to have, an outsized negative impact on us. Specifically, the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted, and we currently expect it to continue to disrupt, our business and we also continue to expect certain associated financial impacts. Those impacts include, but are not limited to, lower net sales in markets affected by the coronavirus pandemic, including potential material shifts in, and impacts to, demand, the inability to sell our products to on-premise consumers and further disruption to the on-premise channel, including staged on premise re-openings and subsequent closure of on-premise accounts, our ability to pay a dividend, the delay of, and potential increased costs related to, inflation in the overall macro economy, our supply chain, inventory production and fulfillment including packaging availability impacted by package mix shifts based on the prevalence of different packaging types for on-premise and off-premise channels, and lower return rates of our returnable packaging in certain markets, potentially impacting net sales and cost of goods globally and increased incremental costs associated with mitigating the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, including increased raw materials, freight and logistics costs and other expenses and disruptions. Continued disruption and declines in the global economy have impacted and could continue to impact our customers’ liquidity and capital resources and therefore our ability to collect, or the timeliness of collection of our accounts receivable from them, which may have a material adverse impact on our performance, cash flows and capital resources. The coronavirus pandemic is ongoing, and its dynamic nature, including uncertainties relating to the continued spread of the virus, newer variants, the severity of the disease, which can depend on the particular variant, the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, the efficacy of the vaccines and vaccine boosters against the coronavirus and related variants and related vaccination efforts and associated prolonged weakening of economic or other negative conditions, such as a recession or slowed economic growth in our markets, and actions that may be taken by governmental authorities to attempt to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, makes it difficult to forecast any effects on our results of operations for 2022 and in subsequent years. However, our results of operations in 2020 and 2021 were negatively affected and we currently expect our results of operations for 2022 could be significantly adversely affected.

In addition, the coronavirus pandemic and related efforts to mitigate its spread, have impacted, and may continue to impact for the foreseeable future, customer traffic to the on-premise channel, which includes bars, restaurants and sporting events, festivals and other large venues. Many governmental authorities across the geographic regions in our Americas and EMEA&APAC segments have required that bars and restaurants limit, close or cease sit-down service at points during 2020, 2021 and to-date in 2022, which has negatively impacted the results of operations in our Americas and EMEA&APAC segments, and we expect will continue to negatively impact on-premise sales of our beverages and previously led to the incurrence of costs to repurchase products that on-premise accounts or distributors were unable or prohibited from selling as a result of the governmental regulations. Despite the reopening of on-premise accounts in certain of our markets during 2021, sales to restaurants and bars have not returned to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels and in many instances, the reopened on-premise accounts have been subsequently forced to close at various times in certain of our markets as a result of an increase in the spread of the coronavirus or the outbreak of new variants. We currently expect that closures and reduced on-premise consumption may continue for an unknown period, negatively impacting our net sales and margins. We also expect some on-premise accounts will again see a decrease in demand in certain markets in our Americas segment and our EMEA&APAC segment in the winter months, which may again reduce or eliminate their outdoor seating capacity and affect the results of our operations in our Americas and EMEA&APAC segments. In addition, sporting events, festivals and other large public

Moreover, our operations could be disrupted by our employees or employees of our business partners, including our supply chain partners, being diagnosed with coronavirus or being suspected of having coronavirus or other illnesses since this could require us or our business partners to quarantine some or all such employees or close and disinfect our or their facilities. In late 2021, our U.S. and Canada corporate office and certain field sales employees who were working remotely returned to their respective work offices on a part-time basis. If a significant percentage of our workforce or the workforce of our business partners are unable to work or if we or our business partners are required to close our or their office or production facilities, including because of illness, the risks of which may be increased due to employees returning to work, or travel or government restrictions in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, our operations, including manufacturing and distribution capabilities, may be negatively impacted, potentially materially adversely affecting our business, liquidity, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, if governments elect to mandate the vaccine or regular testing of employees, such impositions may cause workforce shortages, particularly in our supply chain and with our supply chain partners, which could similarly have a negative impact on our operations including increased costs to implement such mandates.

We also compete generally with other alcoholic beverages. We compete with other beer and beverage companies not only for legal age drinker acceptance and loyalty, but also for shelf, cold box and tap space in retail establishments and for marketing focus by our distributors and their customers, all of which also distribute and sell other beers and alcoholic beverage products.

In addition, the broader alcohol industry is experiencing a rapid shift in drinking preferences and behaviors. We believe this has been driven by a generational demographic shift away from beer in particular towards other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. As discussed above, even within the beer industry we have seen a shift away from the traditionally most popular beer brands and segments and a corresponding expansion in above premium beers, including craft and import beers along with

Furthermore, as part of our revitalization plan, our future topline growth will depend, in part, on our ability to timely innovate and develop new products beyond traditional beer. In connection with our revitalization plan, we plan to continue to innovate, test and scale products faster than we have before. However, the launch and ongoing success of new products are inherently uncertain, especially with respect to consumer appeal. The launch of a new product can give rise to a variety of costs and an unsuccessful launch or short-lived popularity of our product innovations could, among other things, affect consumer perception of our existing brands and our reputation as well as result in inventory write-offs and other costs. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic has altered, and in some cases, delayed product innovation efforts. We were making progress against these ambitions before the impact of the coronavirus pandemic became widespread throughout the markets in our Americas and EMEA&APAC segments. Our inability to attract consumers to our product innovations relative to our competitors’ products, especially over time, could negatively affect our growth, business, and financial results.

In addition, global markets continue to face threats and uncertainty. Future changes to U.S. or foreign tax and trade, policies, impositions of new or increased tariffs, other trade restrictions or other government actions, including any government shutdown, foreign currency fluctuations, including devaluations and fear of exposure to or actual impacts of a widespread disease outbreak, such as the coronavirus pandemic, may lead to continuation of such risks and uncertainty. Uncertain economic and financial market conditions may also adversely affect the financial condition of our customers, suppliers and other business partners. Any significant decrease in consumers' purchases of our products or our inability to collect accounts receivable, resulting from an adverse impact of the global markets on consumers' financial condition could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, as part of our Company's Our Imprint 2025 strategy, we have published goals across a range of ESG areas, including alcohol responsibility, environmental sustainability and DEI matters. If we do not adapt to or comply with, new ESG regulations, including climate change and related ESG disclosure requirements, or fail to meet the ESG goals under Our Imprint 2025 strategy or evolving investor, industry or stakeholder expectations and standards, or if we are perceived (whether or not valid) to have not responded appropriately to the growing concern for ESG issues, customers and consumers may choose to stop purchasing our products or purchase products from another company or a competitor, and our reputation, business or financial condition may be adversely affected. Although we intend to meet these goals, we may be required to expend significant resources to do so, which could increase our operational costs. Moreover, we may determine that it is in the best interest of our Company and our stockholders to prioritize other business, social, governance or sustainable investments over the achievement of our current goals based on economic, technological developments, regulatory and social factors, business strategy or pressure from investors, activist groups or other stakeholders. If we are unable to meet these commitments, then we could incur adverse publicity and reaction from investors, activist groups or other stakeholders, which could adversely impact the perception of us and our products and services by current and potential customers, as well as investors, which could in turn adversely impact our results of operations.

Public concern over climate change has resulted in, and may continue to result in, new or increased regional, federal and global legal and regulatory requirements to reduce or mitigate carbon emissions, to limit or impose additional costs on carbon and water usage or other climate-related objectives. In the event that such regulation is more stringent than current regulatory obligations, or the measures that we are currently undertaking to monitor and improve our resource efficiency, we may experience disruptions in, or increases in our costs of, operation and delivery due to investments in facilities and equipment or the relocation of our facilities. In particular, new regulation and taxation of fuel and energy could increase the cost of operation, including fuel required to operate our facilities or transport and distribute our products, thereby increasing the distribution and supply chain costs associated with our products.

There is also increased focus, including by governmental and non-governmental organizations, investors, customers and consumers on environmental sustainability matters, such as packaging waste, climate impact and water use. Our reputation could be damaged if we or others in our industry do not act, or are perceived not to act, responsibly with respect to our impact on the environment. Any failure to achieve our enterprise-wide sustainability goals, or perception (whether or not valid) of our failure to act responsibly, or to effectively respond to new, or changes in, environmental, legal or regulatory requirements could adversely affect our business, reputation or financial condition.

Beyond the commercial pressures implicated by climate change concerns, our operations may face potential adverse physical effects. For example, we have a major brewery in the state of Colorado, which has recently experienced several major wildfires, and we have another major brewery in Texas, which experienced a severe winter weather event in 2021. If any of these or other of our properties and production facilities were to experience a significant operational disruption or catastrophic loss due to natural disasters or severe weather events, it could delay or disrupt production, shipments, and revenue, and result in potentially significant expenses to repair or replace these properties.

We have substantial brewery operations in the states of Colorado and Texas, which have been areas vulnerable to water scarcity conditions. Certain western U.S. states are experiencing an extended period of drought, which can impact the quality and quantity of agricultural ingredients such as barley and hops, and a recurrence of such conditions could have an adverse effect upon our agricultural supply chain. We and our suppliers are dependent on sufficient amounts of quality water for operation of our breweries and key facilities and the key facilities of our significant suppliers. The suppliers of the agricultural raw materials we purchase are also dependent upon sufficient supplies of quality water for their fields. A substantial reduction in water in certain agricultural areas could result in material losses of crops, such as barley or hops, which could lead to a shortage of our product supply. If water available to our operations or the operations of our suppliers becomes scarce or the quality of that water deteriorates, we may incur increased production costs or face production constraints.

In addition, we have experienced minor temporary workforce disruptions in our supply chain as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. We have implemented employee safety measures, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and World Health Organization, across all our supply chain facilities, including proper hygiene, social distancing and mask use. These measures may not be sufficient to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among our employees and illness, travel restrictions, absenteeism or other workforce disruptions could negatively affect our supply chain, manufacturing, distribution or other business processes. We may face additional production disruptions in the future which may place constraints on our ability to produce products in a timely manner or may increase our costs. For instance, if a government or other regulatory authority were to impose mandatory vaccination or testing requirements, this could significantly increase our costs and could cause significant workforce disruptions and negatively impact our hiring and retention of employees, all of which could negatively affect our supply chain, manufacturing, distribution or other business processes.

We expend significant financial resources to protect against threats and cyber-attacks and may be required to further expend financial resources to alleviate problems caused by physical, electronic and cyber security breaches, including the potential for increased ongoing expense related to the March 2021 cybersecurity incident and to address possible increased information system attacks as a result of the incident. As techniques used to breach security are growing in frequency and sophistication and are generally not recognized until launched against a target, regardless of our expenditures and protection efforts, we may not be able to implement security measures in a timely manner or, if and when implemented, these measures could be circumvented. We could also be required to spend significant financial and other resources to remedy the damage caused by a security breach or to repair or replace networks and information systems, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. For example, we incurred certain incremental one-time costs of $2.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2021 related to consultants, experts and data recovery efforts, net of insurance recoveries.

Misuse, leakage or falsification of information could result in a violation of data privacy laws and regulations, including but not limited to, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, California Privacy Rights Act, which will take effect on January 1, 2023, or the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, which will take effect on January 1, 2023, damage our reputation and credibility or expose us to increased risk of lawsuits, loss of existing or potential future customers and/or increases in our security costs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. In addition, we may suffer financial and reputational damage because of lost or misappropriated confidential information and may become subject to legal action and increased regulatory oversight or consumers may avoid our brands due to negative publicity. In the event of a breach resulting in loss of data, such as personally identifiable information or other such data protected by data privacy or other laws, we may be liable for damages, fines and penalties for such losses under applicable regulatory frameworks despite not handling the data. Further, the regulatory framework around data custody, data privacy and breaches varies by jurisdiction and is an evolving area of law. We may not be able to limit our liability or damages in the event of such a loss.

In addition, certain of our current and future debt and derivative financial instruments have or, in the future, could have interest rates that are tied to reference interest rates. The volatility and availability of such reference rates are out of our control. Accordingly, changes to or the unavailability of such rates, could result in increases to the cost of debt which would negatively affect our profitability. For example, in March 2021, the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority announced that after 2021 it would no longer persuade or compel panel banks to submit the rates required to calculate LIBOR with the exception of the majority of U.S. dollar LIBOR tenors ceasing at the end of June 2023. Regulators, industry groups and certain committees such as the Alternative Reference Rates Committee ("ARRC") have, among other things, published recommended fallback language for LIBOR-linked financial instruments and identified recommended alternatives for certain LIBOR rates, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") as a more robust reference rate alternative to USD LIBOR. SOFR is calculated based on short-term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities. SOFR is observed and backward looking, which stands in contrast with LIBOR under the current methodology, which is an estimated forward-looking rate and relies, to some degree, on

However, the consequences of the adoption of any such alternative reference rates such as SOFR cannot be predicted and could have an adverse impact on the amount of interest and commitment fees that we pay under our credit facility. Likewise, the unavailability of LIBOR may have an adverse impact on interest rates and other financing costs under other debt instruments and other financial obligations of ours, as well as the market value of and the payments we receive under any LIBOR-linked securities or investments that we may own from time to time. In addition, financial markets generally may be adversely affected by the discontinuation of LIBOR, the uncertainties regarding its discontinuation, the alternative reference rates that are being or may be used in place of LIBOR and other issues related to LIBOR. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Any such discontinuance, modification, alternative reference rates or other reforms may cause our borrowing costs to increase, which would negatively affect our profitability, and the attractiveness of borrowings under our current credit facility or future debt issuances could diminish, thereby limiting our access to capital.

Further, despite our ability to source raw materials necessary to meet demand for our products, certain raw materials such as barely, malted barley, hops, corn, other various starches, water and packaging materials, including aluminum cans and, bottles, glass and polyethylene terephthalate containers, as well as cardboard and other paper products, have been adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, we experienced a shift in the allocation among different packaging types toward aluminum cans and bottles and away from glass bottles. This accelerated in 2020 and continued in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic where we observed a shift in volume to off-premise channels and aluminum cans and away from on-premise channels and glass bottles. In 2021, with the reopening of the on-premise channels, we have seen a shift in volume back to the on-premise channels and glass bottles, which led to tightness in glass bottles supplies. The shifting consumption patterns between off-premise and on-premise, and the corresponding shift between aluminum and glass bottle packaging could result in supply shortages, higher costs and out-of-stocks, which could adversely impact sales and profitability. In Canada, the standard returnable bottle requires significant investment behind our returnable bottle inventory and bottling equipment. We distribute our products and receive raw materials primarily by rail or truck. Reduced availability of rail or trucking capacity has caused, and could continue to cause, us to incur unanticipated expenses. In particular, reduced trucking capacity due to shortages of drivers, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in general and in Europe specifically due to the U.K.'s departure from the European Union, and a federal regulation requiring drivers to electronically log their driving hours, among other reasons, have caused an increase in the cost of transportation for us and our suppliers. We believe commodity and other cost increases and volatility especially due to the coronavirus pandemic, and inflationary pressures could continue in the future. If such increases occur or exceed our estimates or projections and we are not able to increase the prices of our products or achieve cost savings to offset such cost increases, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be harmed. In addition, even if we increase the prices of our products in response to increases in the cost of commodities or other cost increases, we may not be able to sustain our price increases. Sustained price increases may lead to declines in volume as competitors may not adjust their prices or consumers may decide not to pay the higher prices, which could lead to sales declines and loss of market share, and our projections may not accurately predict the volume impact of price increases, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, to the extent any of the foregoing factors affect the availability or prices of ingredients or packaging or our hedging arrangements do not effectively or completely hedge changes in commodity price risks, including cost inflation, and we are not able to pass these increased costs along to customers, our business and financial results could also be materially adversely impacted.

For example, we are experiencing higher transportation costs and input costs. Higher transportation costs are a result of increased fuel prices, a short supply of truckers worldwide and increased freight costs. Driver shortages are forcing us to use the spot market and to pay spot market prices which are higher than they have been in many years. We are also taking steps to reduce the impact of driver shortages by shipping more beverages on rail. Besides impacting our outbound shipments, our suppliers are facing difficulty in timely delivering the materials we need and we are also experiencing increased supply costs due to overall cost inflation. The volatility of aluminum prices, inclusive of Midwest Premium and tariffs, continued to significantly impact our results during the year ended December 31, 2021. To the extent these prices continue to fluctuate, our business and financial results could be materially adversely impacted.

In addition, we are continuing to actively manage the coronavirus pandemic's impact on our supply chain and our consolidated results of operations. The demand for packaging materials in the beverage industry has significantly increased and there has been a shortage of capacity and increases in costs, as manufacturers attempt to adjust their supply chains to keep up with the increased demand, which has further increased due to the coronavirus pandemic. Due to restrictions resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, global supply may continue to be constrained, which has caused, and may continue to cause, the price of certain ingredients and raw materials used in our products to increase and/or we may experience disruptions to our operations.

In addition, as a global company, we are subject to foreign and U.S. laws and regulations designed to combat governmental corruption, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act and the U.K. Proceeds of Crime Act. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines and penalties, criminal sanctions against us, our officers, or our employees, prohibitions on the conduct of our business and prohibitions on our ability to offer our products and services in one or more countries, each of which could have a materially negative effect on our reputation, brands and our operating results. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these foreign and U.S. laws and regulations, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act, there can be no assurance that our employees, business partners or agents will not violate our policies.

In addition, changes to existing tax laws or the adoption of new tax laws, particularly in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, could have a material adverse impact to our effective tax rate and future cash tax liabilities. The current economic and political environment may result in significant tax law changes in the numerous jurisdictions in which we operate. More specifically, recent proposals to reform tax laws in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions could significantly impact how U.S. multinational business are taxed on their foreign earnings. The U.S. Congress has proposed several pieces of tax legislation, which if ultimately enacted, could have a material effect on our effective tax rate. In addition, our effective tax rate could be materially affected by certain tax proposals developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and European Commission regarding the taxation of multinational businesses.

Continued economic and political pressures to increase tax revenues in jurisdictions in which we operate, or the adoption of new or reformed tax legislation or regulation, may make resolving tax disputes more difficult. The final resolution of tax audits and any related litigation can differ from our historical provisions and accruals, resulting in an adverse effect on our financial performance.

Additionally, modifications of laws and policies governing foreign trade and investment, including trade agreements and tariffs such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the European Union-United Kingdom Trade and Cooperating Agreement, or aluminum tariffs, could adversely affect our supply chain, business and results of operations. For example, in June 2018, U.S. tariffs on aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and EU went into effect (though the U.S. lifted the aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico in May 2019), which has created volatility in the price of aluminum in the U.S. and increased the price of aluminum used in some of our product packaging. Continued imposition of U.S. aluminum tariffs, the implementation of additional tariffs and retaliatory tariffs from trade partners or related uncertainties could further increase the cost of certain of our imported materials, thereby adversely affecting our profitability. In addition, the European Union-United Kingdom Trade and Cooperating Agreement became effective in May 2021 and resulted in certain disruptions in trade and the movement of goods, including prolonged transportation delays, which affected our ability to source raw materials and packaging for our products as well as our ability to import and export products.

Furthermore, various jurisdictions have adopted, or may seek to adopt, additional product labeling or warning requirements or limitations on the availability of our beverages relating to perceived adverse health consequences of some of our beverages. If additional or more severe requirements of this type are imposed on one or more of our beverages under current or future laws or regulations, they could inhibit sales of such beverages in such jurisdictions. In addition, we cannot predict whether our beverages will become subject to increased rules and regulations regarding labeling or warnings which, if enacted, could increase our costs or adversely impact sales.

In addition, a number of governmental authorities, both in the U.S. and abroad, have considered, and are expected to consider, legislation aimed at reducing the amount of plastic waste. Programs have included banning certain types of products, mandating certain rates of recycling and/or the use of recycled materials, imposing deposits or excise taxes on packaging material, and requiring retailers or manufacturers to take back packaging used for their products. Such legislation, as well as voluntary initiatives, aimed at reducing the level of plastic wastes, could reduce the demand for certain of our products that contain plastic packaging, result in greater costs for manufacturers of plastic products or otherwise impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, changes in applicable environmental regulations, including increased or additional regulations to discourage the use of plastic may result in increased compliance costs, increased costs, capital expenditures, incremental investments and other financial obligations for us and our business partners, which could affect our profitability. In addition, we may not be able to implement price increases for our products to cover any increased costs, and any price increases we do implement may result in lower sales volumes.

Finally, U.S. governmental entities also levy taxes and may require bonds to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In 2021, our U.S. business excise taxes on malt beverages were approximately $15 per hectoliter sold on a reported basis. This included the impact of the U.S. Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which took effect on January 1, 2018 for all qualified large domestic brewers and importers and was made permanent by the U.S. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 on December 27, 2020. This law resulted in reduced U.S. federal excise taxes by $2 per barrel on the first six million barrels, which equated to $1.70 per hectoliter on this portion of our 2021 volume sold. Our practice is to transfer a portion of these savings to distributors consistent with the revenue splitting approach of our U.S. business' economic model. Excise taxes are levied in specific state and local jurisdictions at varying rates. Increased excise taxes could have a material adverse effect on our profitability.

Failure to comply with existing laws and regulations or changes in these laws, regulations, or interpretations thereof, specifically tax and environmental laws or any other laws or regulations could result in the loss, revocation or suspension of our licenses, permits or approvals and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation of, and potential future developments in, complex domestic and international tax laws and regulations, the amount and timing of future taxable income and the interaction of such laws and regulations among jurisdictions. Given the wide range of international business relationships and the long-term nature

We also have modified our business practices for the continued health and safety of our employees, including the requirements of vaccines, subject to certain medical and religious exemptions, for all non-union office-based employees in the U.S. We may take further actions, or be required to take further actions, that are in the best interests of our employees. Our suppliers and customers have also implemented such measures, which has resulted in, and we expect it will continue to result in, disruptions or delays and higher costs. The implementation of health and safety practices by us, our suppliers or our customers could impact customer demand, supplier deliveries, our productivity and costs, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Further, in recent years, there has been consolidation of independent distributors, resulting in distributors with increased leverage over suppliers due to the distributor's share of the supplier business, exclusive territorial appointments and regulatory protection of distribution agreements. In addition, distributor consolidation, regardless of size, carries a risk of decreased investment in service and local marketing in the interest of paying down the leverage required to fund a transaction. Consolidation among distributors could create a more challenging competitive landscape for our products and could hinder the distribution and sale of our products. Changes in distributors' strategies, including a reduction in the number of brands they carry, may adversely affect our growth, business, financial results and market share.

None.

As of February 23, 2022, our major facilities were owned (unless otherwise indicated) and are as follows:

In addition to the properties listed above, we have smaller capacity facilities, including craft breweries and cideries, in each of our segments. We own and lease various warehouses, distribution centers and office spaces throughout the Americas segment and EMEA&APAC segment countries in which we operate. Additionally, our Truss joint venture in Canada subleases its production facility in Belleville, Ontario from our joint venture partner, HEXO.

We believe our facilities are well maintained and suitable for their respective operations. In 2021, our operating facilities were not capacity constrained.

Not applicable.

Our Class A common stock and Class B common stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols "TAP.A" and "TAP," respectively. In addition, the Class A exchangeable shares and Class B exchangeable shares of our indirect subsidiary, Molson Coors Canada Inc., trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols "TPX.A" and "TPX.B," respectively. The Class A and B exchangeable shares are a means for shareholders to potentially defer Canadian income tax and have substantially the same economic and voting rights as the respective common shares. The exchangeable shares can be exchanged for our Class A or B common stock at any time and at the exchange ratios described in the Merger documents and receive the same dividends. At the time of an exchange, a shareholder's Canadian tax liability, if any, would become due. The exchangeable shares have voting rights through special voting shares held by a trustee.

The approximate number of record security holders by class of stock at February 16, 2022, is as follows:

The following graph compares our cumulative total stockholder return over the last five fiscal years with the S&P 500 and a customized peer index including MCBC, ABI, Carlsberg, Heineken and Asahi (the "Peer Group"). We have used a weighted-average based on market capitalization to determine the return for the Peer Group. The graph assumes $100 was invested on December 31, 2016, in our Class B common stock, the S&P 500 and the Peer Group, and assumes reinvestment of all dividends. The below is provided for informational purposes and is not indicative of future performance.

A quarterly dividend of $0.34 per share was paid during the third and fourth quarters of 2021.

A discussion related to the results of operations and changes in financial condition for 2020 compared to 2019 has been omitted from this report, but may be found in Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our fiscal 2020 Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 11, 2021, which is available free of charge on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and our corporate website at www.molsoncoors.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, (a) all $ amounts are in USD, (b) comparisons are to comparable prior periods and (c) 2021, 2020 and 2019 refers to the 12 months ended December 31, 2021, December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

We have certain operational measures, such as STWs and STRs, which we believe are important metrics. STW is a metric that we use in our business to reflect the sales from our operations to our direct customers, generally wholesalers. We believe the STW metric is important because it gives an indication of the amount of beer and adjacent products that we have produced and shipped to customers. STR is a metric that we use in our business to refer to sales closer to the end consumer than STWs, which generally means sales from wholesalers or our company to retailers, who in turn sell to consumers. We believe the STR metric is important because, unlike STWs, it provides the closest indication of the performance of our brands in relation to market and competitor sales trends.

During March 2021, we experienced a systems outage that was caused by a cybersecurity incident. We engaged leading forensic information technology firms and legal counsel to assist our investigation into the incident and we restored our systems after working to get the systems back up as quickly as possible. Despite these actions, we experienced delays and disruptions to our business, including brewery operations, production and shipments. This incident caused us to not produce or ship as much as we otherwise would have in the first quarter of 2021. Subsequently, in the balance of 2021, we made progress recovering from the incident with increased shipments and have operationally recovered as of December 31, 2021. In addition, we incurred certain incremental one-time costs of $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 related to consultants, experts and data recovery efforts, net of insurance recoveries.

We have been actively monitoring the impact of the coronavirus pandemic which has had a material adverse effect on our operations, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations in 2020 and 2021. In 2021, while we saw improvements in the marketplace related to the coronavirus global pandemic as on-premise locations began to re-open across the world, including in the U.S. and Europe, which led to a shift in revenue from off-premise to on-premise starting in the second quarter and continuing through the third quarter of 2021, during the fourth quarter of 2021, a new variant of coronavirus, Omicron, created additional uncertainty and negatively impacted our on-premise business. While on-premise volumes in our EMEA&APAC segment progressively improved throughout 2021 as bars and restaurants reopened with restrictions, due to implications of the new coronavirus variant, consumer behavior in the U.K. and across Central Europe became more uncertain as individuals were encouraged to work from home and reduce other personal interactions during the fourth quarter of 2021. With a shift in consumer behavior and surge in coronavirus cases not only in Europe but also in the U.S. and Canada at the end of the year, sales to the on-premise during the fourth quarter of 2021 were negatively impacted. The extent to which our operations will continue to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic will depend largely on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted, including the level of governmental or societal orders or restrictions on public gatherings and on-premise venues, including any vaccine mandates or testing requirements, the severity and duration of the coronavirus pandemic by market, including continued or prolonged outbreaks of variants, changes in consumer behavior, the rate of vaccination and the efficacy of vaccines against the coronavirus and related variants. We continue to actively monitor the ongoing evolution of the coronavirus pandemic and resulting impacts to our business.

In addition, where we have seen shifts in demand to the off-premise, and shifts back to the on-premise and the related shifts between certain package types, this has strained our supply chain and package availability, requiring that we strategically prioritize certain brands and package types and expand the number of suppliers we work with to ensure we can meet production requirements. Our supply chain continues to work diligently to ensure sufficient supply of these high-demand brand and packages as we adjust to these changing consumer dynamics.

Further, during 2020, we recorded charges of $15.5 million within cost of goods sold related to temporary "thank you" pay for certain essential Americas segment brewery employees. Additionally, in order to support and demonstrate our commitment to the continued viability of the many bars and restaurants which were negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, during the first quarter of 2020, we initiated temporary keg relief programs in many of our markets. We committed to provide customers with reimbursements for untapped kegs that met certain established return requirements in conjunction with the voluntary programs. As a result, during 2020, we recognized a reduction to net sales of $30.3 million ($13.2 million for the Americas segment and $17.1 million for the EMEA&APAC segment) for reimbursements through these keg relief programs, substantially all of which was recognized in the first quarter of 2020 other than immaterial adjustments for changes in estimates during the remainder of 2020, reflecting estimated sales returns and reimbursements through these keg relief programs.

On October 28, 2019, we initiated a revitalization plan designed to allow us to invest across our portfolio to drive long-term, sustainable growth. The revitalization plan established Chicago, Illinois as our Americas segment operational headquarters. We closed our office in Denver, Colorado and consolidated certain administrative functions into our other existing office locations. As of January 1, 2020, we changed our name to Molson Coors Beverage Company and changed our management structure to two segments - Americas and EMEA&APAC. We began to incur charges related to these restructuring activities during the fourth quarter of 2019 and we recognized severance and retention charges of $4.0 million, $35.6 million and $41.2 million during the years ended December 31, 2021, December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. As of the year ended December 31, 2021, the revitalization plan restructuring charges were substantially complete.

We are experiencing cost inflation, including higher transportation and input costs which negatively impacted our results of operations during the year ended December 31, 2021. We expect cost inflation to continue to have a negative impact in 2022. Higher transportation costs are a result of increased fuel prices, a short supply of truck drivers worldwide and increased freight costs. Driver shortages are forcing us to use the spot market and to pay spot market prices which are higher than they have been in many years. We are taking steps to reduce the impact of driver shortages by shipping more beverages via rail. Besides impacting our outbound shipments, our suppliers are facing difficulty in timely delivering the materials we need, and we are also experiencing increased supply costs due to overall cost inflation. The volatility of aluminum prices, inclusive of Midwest Premium and tariffs, continued to significantly impact our results during the year ended December 31, 2021. To the extent these prices continue to fluctuate, our business and financial results could be materially adversely impacted. We continue to monitor these risks and rely on our risk management hedging program, pricing, our premiumization strategy and cost savings programs to help mitigate some of the inflationary pressure.

In February 2021, a winter ice storm severely impacted the southern U.S. In particular, local government authorities in Texas were forced to impose energy restrictions, causing the Fort Worth brewery to be offline which resulted in our inability to produce or ship product during the downtime.

In further efforts to optimize the Canada and U.S. brewery network, in the third quarter of 2017, we announced a plan to build a more efficient and flexible brewery in Longueuil, Québec. During the second quarter of 2019, we completed the sale of our Montreal brewery for $96.2 million, resulting in a $61.3 million gain, which was recorded as special items, net in the consolidated statement of operations. In conjunction with the sale, we agreed to lease back the existing property to continue operations on an uninterrupted basis until the new brewery became operational. Completion of the Longueuil, Québec brewery occurred during the fourth quarter of 2021.

During the third quarter of 2020, we recognized an impairment loss of $30.0 million recorded within special items, net related to the held for sale classification of a disposal group within our India business, representing an insignificant part of our EMEA&APAC segment. The sale of the India business disposal group was completed during the first quarter of 2021. During the fourth quarter of 2021, we recognized an impairment loss of $13.5 million within special items, net related to the held for sale classification of the remaining portion of our India business.

During 2021, foreign currency movements favorably impacted our consolidated USD income before income taxes by $4.5 million (favorably impacting income before income taxes of our Americas segment by $2.1 million, our EMEA&APAC segment by $0.3 million and unallocated by $2.1 million). Included in this amount are both translational and transactional impacts of changes in foreign exchange rates. The impact of transactional foreign currency gains and losses is recorded within other income (expense) in our consolidated statements of operations.

Worldwide brand volume (or "brand volume" when discussed by segment) reflects owned or actively managed brands sold to unrelated external customers within our geographic markets (net of returns and allowances), royalty volume and our proportionate share of equity investment worldwide brand volume calculated consistently with MCBC owned volume. Financial volume represents owned brands sold to unrelated external customers within our geographical markets, net of returns and allowances as well as contract brewing, wholesale non-owned brand volume and company-owned distribution volume. Contract brewing and wholesaler volume is included within financial volume, but is removed from worldwide brand volume, as this is non-owned volume for which we do not directly control performance. Royalty volume consists of our brands produced and sold by third parties under various license and contract-brewing agreements and because this is owned volume, it is included in worldwide brand volume. Our worldwide brand volume definition also includes an adjustment from Sales-to-Wholesaler (STW) volume to Sales-to-Retailer (STR) volume. We believe the brand volume metric is useful to investors and management because, unlike financial volume and STWs, it provides the closest indication of the performance of our brands in relation to market and competitor sales trends.

As part of the revitalization plan strategy to grow our above premium portfolio and expand beyond the beer aisle, we have de-prioritized certain non-core economy SKUs. This strategy is intended to drive sustainable net sales growth and earnings growth, despite potential volume declines as the portfolio mix shifts towards a higher composition of above premium products.

The following table highlights the drivers of change in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 versus December 31, 2020, by segment (in percentages).

Net sales per hectoliter on a brand volume basis in local currency increased 3.8% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to prior year. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to positive net pricing in both the Americas and EMEA&APAC segments, as well as favorable sales mix resulting from portfolio premiumization and fewer on-premise channel restrictions. Net sales per hectoliter on a financial volume basis in local currency increased 5.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year.

Worldwide brand volume decreased 1.7% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year, while financial volume decreased 0.5% compared to prior year. The decline in brand volumes for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to lower economy portfolio volumes, including the de-prioritization of certain non-core SKUs in the U.S., partially offset by growth in the above premium portfolio volumes due to the increased premiumization efforts and favorable U.S. domestic shipments as we worked to rebuild distributor inventory levels.

Cost of goods sold per hectoliter in local currency increased 4.4% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to cost inflation mainly on input materials and transportation costs and the mix impacts of the portfolio premiumization and unfavorable foreign exchange movements, partially offset by changes to our unrealized mark-to-market commodity positions, lower depreciation and cost savings.

Marketing, general and administrative expenses increased 4.8% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to higher marketing spend in both the Americas and EMEA&APAC segments to support new innovations and core brands, as well as the cycling of lower spend in areas impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, partially offset by lower depreciation expense, cost savings and lower incentive compensation.

Total other income (expense), net improved 8.3% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year primarily due to lower pension and OPEB non-service costs and lower interest expense driven by the repayment of debt as a result of our continued deleveraging actions.

The increase in our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to (i) the approximate $1.5 billion goodwill impairment charge in our EMEA&APAC segment recognized in the fourth quarter of 2020, and (ii) $18 million of tax expense recognized in the second quarter of 2021, which related to the remeasurement of our deferred tax liabilities following an announced corporate income tax rate increase in the U.K. from 19% to 25%. These increases to the effective tax rate were partially offset by $135 million of tax expense recognized in the second quarter of 2020 related to the hybrid regulations enacted in the U.S., and the release of $73 million of reserves for unrecognized tax positions as a result of an effective settlement reached on a tax audit during the third quarter of 2021. As a result of the effective settlement reached, which included resolution of the impact of the final U.S. tax hybrid regulations, we paid cash tax and associated interest of approximately $125 million in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Our tax rate can be more or less volatile and may change with, among other things, the amount and source of pre-tax income or loss, our ability to utilize foreign tax credits, excess tax benefits or deficiencies from share-based compensation, changes in tax laws, and the movement of liabilities established pursuant to accounting guidance for uncertain tax positions as statutes of limitations expire, positions are effectively settled, or when additional information becomes available. There are proposed or pending tax law changes in various jurisdictions and other changes to regulatory environments in countries in which we do business that, if enacted, may have an impact on our effective tax rate.

Our next generation cost savings program, which began in 2020, is expected to deliver approximately $600 million of cost savings over the three year program through 2022 and is focused around many of the same functions of the business as the 2017 to 2019 program. These cost savings include approximately $150 million related to the revitalization plan. Total cost savings delivered in 2021 and 2020 totaled approximately $220 million and $270 million, respectively.

Net sales per hectoliter on a brand volume basis in local currency increased 3.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to positive net pricing and favorable brand mix, partially offset by unfavorable geographic mix attributed to growing license volume in Latin America. Net sales per hectoliter on a financial volume basis in local currency increased 4.0% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the prior year.

Brand volume decreased 3.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year. The decrease for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to a decline in the U.S. economy portfolio, including the de-prioritization and rationalization of non-core SKUs, partially offset by growth in Latin America and the U.S. above premium portfolio. Financial volumes decreased 2.0% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year, due to lower brand volume, partially offset by favorable U.S. domestic shipment trends as we worked to rebuild distributor inventory levels.

Net sales per hectoliter on a brand volume basis in local currency increased 10.1% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to favorable geographic, channel and brand mix and positive net pricing. Net sales per hectoliter on a financial volume basis in local currency increased 15.1% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year.

Brand volume increased 3.0% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to the benefit of fewer on-premise restrictions and growth in the above premium portfolio. Financial volumes increased 3.9% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to prior year, primarily due to higher brand volumes and factored sales.

We have certain activity that is not allocated to our segments and primarily includes financing-related costs such as interest expense and income, foreign exchange gains and losses on intercompany balances related to financing and other treasury-related activities, and the unrealized changes in fair value on our commodity swaps not designated in hedging relationships. Additionally, only the service cost component of net periodic pension and OPEB cost is reported within each operating segment, and all other components remain unallocated.

We do not have any restrictions that prevent or limit our ability to declare or pay dividends. On July 15, 2021, our Company's Board of Directors reinstated a quarterly dividend after it was suspended during the second quarter of 2020 to preserve our liquidity position as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

While we currently expect to have the necessary cash on hand to repay obligations when due, declines in net sales and profit could have a material adverse effect on our financial operations, cash flow and our ability to raise capital. The coronavirus pandemic is ongoing, and because of its dynamic nature, including uncertainties relating to the spread of variants, the rate of vaccinations and the efficacy of vaccines, the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, the duration of on-premise restrictions and closures and related prolonged weakening of economic or other negative conditions, including the impacts on the global supply chain and governmental reactions, we cannot fully anticipate future conditions given the substantial uncertainties in the economy in general. We may have unexpected costs and liabilities; revenue and cash provided by operations may decline; macroeconomic conditions may weaken; and competitive pressures may increase. These factors may result in difficulty maintaining liquidity, meeting our deleverage commitments and complying with our revolving credit facility covenants. As a result, our credit ratings could be downgraded, which would increase our costs of future borrowing and harm our ability to refinance our debt in the future on acceptable terms or at all. However, in anticipation of these uncertainties, we entered into Amendment No. 2 to our revolving credit facility on June 19, 2020. While the amendment did not increase our borrowing capacity or extend the term of the facility, it, among other things, revised the leverage ratios under the financial maintenance covenant for each fiscal quarter ending on or after June 30, 2020 through the maturity of the Credit Agreement.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to secure additional liquidity if our revolving credit facility is fully drawn, the capital markets become inaccessible or if our credit rating is adversely impacted, which may result in difficulties in accessing debt markets or increase our debt costs. Even if we have access to the capital markets, we may not be able to raise capital on acceptable terms or at all. If we are unable to maintain or access adequate liquidity, our ability to timely pay our obligations when due could be adversely affected.

Additionally, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, various governmental authorities globally implemented relief programs which we continue to monitor and evaluate, such as the CARES Act in the U.S. Certain of these relief programs

While a significant portion of our cash flows from operating activities is generated within the U.S., our cash balances may be comprised of cash held outside the U.S. and in currencies other than USD. As of December 31, 2021, approximately 76% of our cash and cash equivalents were located outside the U.S., largely denominated in foreign currencies. The recent fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may have a material impact on these foreign cash balances. When the earnings are considered indefinitely reinvested outside of the U.S., we do not accrue taxes. To the extent necessary, we accrue for tax consequences on the earnings of our foreign subsidiaries upon repatriation. We may utilize tax planning and financing strategies in an effort to ensure that our worldwide cash is available in the locations in which it is needed. We periodically review and evaluate these plans and strategies, including externally committed and non-committed credit agreements accessible by the Company and each of its operating subsidiaries. We believe these financing arrangements, along with the cash generated from the operations of our U.S. business and other liquidity measures resulting from considerations of the ongoing coronavirus global pandemic, as discussed above, are sufficient to fund our current cash needs in the U.S.

Additionally, our cash balances in foreign countries are often subject to additional restrictions and covenants. We may therefore have difficulties repatriating cash held outside of the U.S., and such repatriation may be subject to tax. In some countries, repatriation of certain foreign balances is restricted by local laws and could have adverse tax consequences if we were to move the cash to another country. These limitations may affect our ability to fully utilize our cash resources for needs in the U.S. or other countries and may adversely affect our liquidity.

For purposes of this disclosure, including the tables, "Parent Issuer" shall mean MCBC. "Subsidiary Guarantors" shall mean certain Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries reflecting the substantial operations of our Americas segment.

Pursuant to the indenture dated May 3, 2012 (as amended, the "May 2012 Indenture"), MCBC issued its outstanding 3.5% senior notes due 2022 and 5.0% senior notes due 2042. Additionally, pursuant to the indenture dated July 7, 2016, MCBC issued its outstanding 2.1% senior notes due 2021, 3.0% senior notes due 2026, 4.2% senior notes due 2046 and 1.25% senior notes due 2024. The 2.1% senior notes and its associated cross currency swap were subsequently repaid in July 2021 upon maturity using a combination of commercial paper borrowings and cash on hand. The senior notes issued under the May 2012 Indenture and the July 2016 Indenture were registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These senior notes are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by certain subsidiaries of MCBC, which are listed on Exhibit 22 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the "Subsidiary Guarantors", and together with the Parent Issuer, the "Obligor Group"). "Parent Issuer" in this section is specifically referring to MCBC in its capacity as the issuer of the senior notes under the May 2012 Indenture and the July 2016 Indenture. Each of the Subsidiary Guarantors is 100% owned by the Parent Issuer. The guarantees are full and unconditional and joint and several.    

None of our other outstanding debt was issued in a transaction that was registered with the SEC, and such other outstanding debt is issued or otherwise generally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the Obligor Group or other consolidated subsidiaries of MCBC. These other guarantees are also full and unconditional and joint and several.

The senior notes and related guarantees rank pari-passu with all other unsubordinated debt of the Obligor Group and senior to all future subordinated debt of the Obligor Group. The guarantees can be released upon the sale or transfer of a Subsidiary Guarantors' capital stock or substantially all of its assets, or if such Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a guarantor under our other outstanding debt.

The following summarized financial information relates to the Obligor Group as of December 31, 2021 on a combined basis, after elimination of intercompany transactions and balances between the Obligor Group, and excluding the investments in

Net cash used in investing activities of $509.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $96.3 million compared to $413.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to lower proceeds from the sale of properties and other assets, including $150 million from the sale of the Irwindale Brewery completed in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, and higher net cash outflows from other investing activities, partially offset by lower capital expenditures.

Net cash used in financing activities of approximately $1,172.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $101.8 million compared to $1,070.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to higher net debt repayments and higher dividend payments, partially offset by lower net cash outflows from other financing activities.

We had total cash and cash equivalents of $637.4 million as of December 31, 2021, compared to $770.1 million as of December 31, 2020. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021 was primarily due to net debt repayments, including the repayment of our $1.0 billion 2.1% senior notes which matured in July 2021, capital expenditures and dividend payments, partially offset by net cash provided by operating activities and proceeds from the sale of properties and other assets.

We actively manage working capital through inventory management as well as management of accounts payable and accounts receivable to ensure we are able to meet short-term obligations and we are effectively using assets to increase cash inflows.

Based on the credit profile of our lenders that are party to our credit facilities, we are confident in our ability to continue to draw on our revolving credit facility if the need arises. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had $1.5 billion available to draw under our $1.5 billion revolving credit facility, as there were no outstanding revolving credit facility or commercial paper borrowings.

We intend to further utilize our cross-border, cross currency cash pool as well as our commercial paper programs for liquidity as needed. We also have a JPY line of credit as well as JPY, CAD, GBP and USD overdraft facilities across several banks should we need additional short-term liquidity.

Under the terms of each of our debt facilities, we must comply with certain restrictions. These include customary events of default and specified representations, warranties and covenants, as well as covenants that restrict our ability to incur certain additional priority indebtedness (certain thresholds of secured consolidated net tangible assets), certain leverage threshold percentages, create or permit liens on assets, and restrictions on mergers, acquisitions, and certain types of sale lease-back transactions.

The maximum leverage ratio, as defined by the amended revolving credit facility agreement as of the last day of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 is 4.00x net debt to EBITDA, through maturity of the credit facility. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we were in compliance with all of these restrictions, have met such financial ratios and have met all debt payment obligations. All of our outstanding senior notes as of December 31, 2021 rank pari-passu.

In October 2021, we further amended our existing revolving credit facility agreement to replace LIBOR with designated replacement rates for any future borrowings denominated in EUR or GBP to ensure continued, uninterrupted access to these markets should we need it.

A summary of our material cash requirements from our contractual and other obligations as of December 31, 2021, based on foreign exchange rates as of December 31, 2021, is as follows.

Based on foreign exchange rates as of December 31, 2021, future commercial commitments are as follows:

Our current long-term credit ratings are BBB-/Stable Outlook, Baa3/Stable Outlook and BBB(Low)/Negative Outlook with Standard & Poor's, Moody's and DBRS, respectively. Our short-term credit ratings are A-3, Prime-3 and R-2(low), respectively. A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities, and it may be revised or withdrawn at any time by the applicable rating agency.

We incurred $558.6 million, and paid $522.6 million, for capital improvement projects worldwide for the year ended December 31, 2021, excluding capital spending by equity method joint ventures, representing an increase of $28.6 million from the $530.0 million of capital expenditures incurred in the year ended December 31, 2020. This increase was primarily due to the timing of expenditures for capital projects. We continue to focus on where and how we employ our planned capital expenditures, with an emphasis on strengthening our focus on required returns on invested capital as we determine how to best allocate cash within the business.

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In connection with the preparation of our consolidated financial statements, we are required to make judgments and estimates that significantly affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures. Our estimates are based on historical experience, current trends and various other assumptions we believe to be relevant under the circumstances. We review the underlying factors used in our estimates regularly, including reviewing the significant accounting policies impacting the estimates, to ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP. However, due to the uncertainty inherent in our estimates, actual results may be materially different. We have identified the accounting estimates below as critical to understanding and evaluating the financial results reported in our consolidated financial statements.

Our defined benefit pension plans cover certain current and former employees in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Benefit accruals for the majority of employees in our U.S. and U.K. plans have been frozen and the plans are closed to new entrants. In the U.S., we also participate in, and make contributions to, multi-employer pension plans. Our OPEB plans provide medical benefits for retirees and their eligible dependents as well as life insurance and, in some cases, dental and vision coverage, for certain retirees in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The U.S., Canada and U.K. defined benefit pension plans are primarily funded, but all OPEB plans are unfunded. We also offer defined contribution plans in each of our segments.

Accounting for pension and OPEB plans requires that we make assumptions that involve considerable judgment which are significant inputs in the actuarial models that measure our net pension and OPEB obligations and ultimately impact our earnings. These include the discount rate, long-term expected rate of return on assets, compensation trends, inflation considerations, health care cost trends and other assumptions, as well as determining the fair value of assets in our funded plans. Specifically, the discount rates, as well as the expected rates of return on assets and plan asset fair value determination, are important assumptions used in determining the plans' funded status and annual net periodic pension and OPEB costs. We evaluate these critical assumptions at least annually on a plan and country-specific basis. We also, with the help of actuaries, periodically evaluate other assumptions involving demographic factors, such as retirement age, mortality and turnover, and update them to reflect our experience and expectations for the future. While we believe that our assumptions are appropriate, significant differences in our actual experience or significant changes in our assumptions may materially affect our net pension and postretirement benefit obligations and related expense.

The assumed discount rates are used to present-value future benefit obligations based on each plan's respective estimated duration. Our pension and postretirement discount rates are based on our annual evaluation of high quality corporate bonds in various markets based on appropriate indices and actuarial guidance. We believe that our discount rate assumptions are appropriate; however, significant changes in our assumptions may materially affect our pension and OPEB obligations and related expense.

As of December 31, 2021, on a weighted-average basis, the discount rates used were 2.27% for our defined benefit pension plans and 2.59% for our OPEB plans. The change from the weighted-average discount rates of 1.84% for our defined benefit pension plans and 2.10% for our postretirement plans as of December 31, 2020 is primarily due to increasing interest rates in 2021.

A 50 basis point change in our discount rate assumptions would have had the following effects on the projected benefit obligation balances as of December 31, 2021 for our pension and OPEB plans:

Our U.K. pension plan includes benefits linked to inflation. The above sensitivity analysis does not consider the implications to inflation resulting from the above contemplated discount rate changes. This sensitivity holds all other assumptions constant.

The assumed long-term expected return on assets is used to estimate the actual return that will occur on each individual funded plan's respective plan assets in the upcoming year. We determine each plan's EROA with substantial input from independent investment specialists, including our actuaries and other consultants. In developing each plan's EROA, we consider current and expected asset allocations, historical market rates as well as historical and expected returns on each plan's individual asset classes. In developing future return expectations for each of our plan's assets, we evaluate general market trends as well as key elements of asset class returns such as expected earnings growth, yields and spreads. The calculation includes inputs for interest, inflation, credit, and risk premium (active investment management) rates and fees paid to service providers. Based on the above factors and expected asset allocations, we have assumed, on a weighted-average basis, an EROA of 3.11% for our defined benefit pension plan assets for cost recognition in 2022. This is an increase from the weighted-average rate of 3.03% we assumed for 2021. We believe that our EROA assumptions are appropriate; however, significant changes in our assumptions or actual returns that differ significantly from estimated returns may materially affect our net periodic pension costs.

To compute the expected return on plan assets, we apply the EROA to the market-related value of the pension plan assets adjusted for projected benefit payments to be made from the plan assets and projected contributions to the plan assets. We use the fair value approach to calculate the market-related value of pension plan assets used to determine net periodic pension cost, which includes measuring the market-related value of plan assets at fair value for purposes of determining the expected return on plan assets and amount of gain or loss subject to amortization.

A 50 basis point change in our discount rate and expected return on assets assumptions made at the beginning of 2021 would have had the following effects on 2021 net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs:

We recognize our defined benefit pension plans as assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets based on their underfunded or overfunded status as of our year end and recognize changes in the funded status due to changes in actuarial assumptions in the year in which the changes occur within other comprehensive income. Our funded status of our defined benefit pension plans is measured as the difference between each plan's projected benefit obligation and its assets' fair values. The fair value of plan assets is determined by us using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies. However, considerable judgment is required in selecting an appropriate methodology and interpreting market data to develop the estimates of fair value, especially in the absence of quoted market values in an active market. Changes in these assumptions or the use of different market inputs may have a material impact on the estimated fair values or the ultimate amount at which the plan assets are available to satisfy our plan obligations.

Our net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs are also influenced by the potential amortization (or non-amortization) from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) of deferred gains and losses, which occur when actual experience differs from estimates. We employ the corridor approach for determining each plan's amortization. This approach defines the “corridor” as the greater of 10% of the PBO or 10% of the market-related value of plan assets (as discussed above) and requires amortization of the excess net gain or loss that exceeds the corridor over the average remaining service periods of active plan participants. For our closed plans or plans that are primarily inactive, the average remaining life expectancy of all plan participants (including retirees) is used. If our actuarial losses significantly exceed this corridor in the future, significant incremental pension and postretirement costs could result. As of year-end 2021, the deferred losses of several of our Canadian plans, as well as those in our U.K. plans, and the deferred gains of our U.S. plan, exceeded the 10% corridor.

Contingencies, environmental and litigation reserves are recorded when probable, using our best estimate of loss. This estimate, involving significant judgment, is based on an evaluation of the range of loss related to such matters and where the amount and range can be reasonably estimated. These matters are generally resolved over a number of years and only when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. Following our initial determination, we regularly reassess and revise the potential liability related to any pending matters as new information becomes available. Unless capitalization is allowed or required by U.S. GAAP, environmental and legal costs are expensed when incurred. We disclose pending loss contingencies when the loss is deemed reasonably possible, which requires significant judgment. As a result of the inherent uncertainty of these matters, the ultimate conclusion and actual cost of settlement may materially differ from our estimates. We recognize contingent gains upon the determination that realization is assured beyond a reasonable doubt, regardless of the perceived probability of a favorable outcome prior to achieving that assurance. In the instance of gain contingencies resulting from favorable litigation, due to the numerous uncertainties inherent in a legal proceeding, gain contingencies resulting from legal settlements are not recognized in income until cash or other forms of payment are received. If significant and probable, we disclose as appropriate.

Goodwill is allocated to the reporting unit in which the business that created the goodwill resides. A reporting unit is an operating segment, or a business unit one level below that operating segment, for which discrete financial information is prepared and regularly reviewed by segment management.

We evaluate the carrying value of our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment at least annually or when an interim triggering event occurs that would indicate that impairment may have taken place. Our annual impairment test of indefinite-lived intangible assets was performed as of October 1, the first day of the last fiscal quarter. We evaluate our other definite-lived intangible assets for impairment when evidence exists that certain events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of these assets may not be recoverable. Significant judgments and assumptions are required in such impairment evaluations.

Our annual evaluation involves comparing each reporting unit's fair value to its respective carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value exceeds carrying value, then we conclude that no goodwill impairment has occurred. If a reporting

We use a combination of discounted cash flow analyses and market approaches to determine the fair value of each of our reporting units, and an excess earnings approach to determine the fair values of our indefinite-lived brand intangible assets. We utilized a qualitative assessment for our water rights in the U.S. in order to determine whether the fair value of those indefinite-lived intangible assets was in excess of their carrying value. Our discounted cash flow projections include assumptions for growth rates for sales, costs and profits, which are based on various long-range financial and operational plans of each reporting unit or each indefinite-lived intangible asset. Additionally, discount rates used in our goodwill analysis are based on weighted-average cost of capital, driven by the prevailing interest rates in geographies where these businesses operate, as well as the credit ratings, financing abilities and opportunities of each reporting unit, among other factors. Discount rates for the indefinite-lived intangible analysis by brand largely reflect the rates supporting the overall reporting unit valuation but may differ slightly to adjust for country or market specific risk associated with a particular brand, among other factors. Our market-based valuations utilize earnings multiples of comparable public companies, which are reflective of the market in which each respective reporting unit operates.

Changes in the factors used in our fair value estimates, including the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, declines in industry or company-specific beer volume sales, cost inflation or other margin erosion, termination of brewing and/or distribution agreements with other brewers, and discount rates used, could have a significant impact on the fair values of the reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets.

As of the October 1, 2020 testing date, the carrying value of the EMEA&APAC reporting unit was determined to be in excess of its fair value such that an impairment loss of $1,484.3 million, the full value of goodwill as of October 1, 2020, was recorded.

As of the date of our annual impairment test, performed as of October 1, the Americas reporting unit goodwill balance is at risk of future impairment in the event of significant unfavorable changes in the forecasted cash flows (including company-specific risks like the performance of our above premium transformation efforts and overall market performance of new innovations like hard seltzers, along with macro-economic risks like the continued prolonged weakening of economic conditions and cost inflation, or significant unfavorable changes in tax rates, environmental or other regulations, including interpretations thereof), terminal growth rates, market multiples and/or weighted-average cost of capital utilized in the discounted cash flow analyses. For testing purposes of our reporting units, management's best estimates of the expected future results are the primary driver in determining the fair value. Current projections used for the Americas reporting unit testing reflect growth assumptions associated with our revitalization plan to build on the strength of our iconic core brands, aggressively grow our above premium portfolio, expand beyond the beer aisle, invest in our capabilities and support our people and our communities, all of which are intended to benefit the projected cash flows of the business. These cash flow assumptions are tempered somewhat by the impacts the coronavirus pandemic has had on our overall business and specifically our more profitable on-premise segment.

Fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions and factors. As a result, there can be no assurance that the estimates and assumptions made for purposes of the annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment tests will prove to be an accurate prediction of the future. Examples of events or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to negatively affect the underlying key assumptions and ultimately impact the estimated fair value of our reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets may include such items as: (i) a decrease in expected future cash flows, specifically, an inability to execute on our strategic initiatives or an increase in costs that could significantly impact our immediate and long-range results, by a prolonged weakness in consumer demand or other competitive pressures adversely affecting our long-term volume trends, a continuation of the trend away from core brands in certain of our markets, especially in markets where our core brands represent a significant portion of the market, unfavorable working capital changes and an inability to successfully achieve our cost savings targets, (ii) adverse changes in macroeconomic conditions or an economic recovery that significantly differs from our assumptions in timing and/or degree (such as a global pandemic or recession), (iii) significant unfavorable changes in tax rates such as increased corporate income tax rates, (iv) volatility in the equity and debt markets or other country specific factors which could result in a higher weighted-average cost of capital, (v) sensitivity to market multiples; and (vi) regulation limiting or banning the manufacturing, distribution or sale of alcoholic beverages.

Current expectations driving our annual impairment testing as of October 1, 2021 have resulted in fair values of our Americas reporting unit and indefinite-lived intangible assets in excess of carrying values. However, if our assumptions are not realized, it is possible that further impairment charges may need to be recorded in the future. For example, a 50 basis point increase in our discount rate assumptions, which is within a reasonable range of historical discount rate fluctuations between test dates, would have had the following effects on the fair value cushion in excess of carrying value for the Americas reporting unit as of the October 1, 2021 test date:

Post sensitivity, the fair value of the Americas reporting unit remains in excess of its carrying values. The discount rate sensitivity holds all other assumptions and inputs constant.

Income taxes are accounted for in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Judgment is required in determining our consolidated provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of our global business, there are many transactions for which the ultimate tax outcome is uncertain. Additionally, our income tax provision is based on calculations and assumptions that are subject to examination by many different tax authorities.

We are periodically subject to tax controversies in various foreign and domestic jurisdictions, which can involve questions regarding our tax positions and result in additional income tax liabilities assessed against us. Settlement of any challenge resulting from these tax controversies can result in no change, a complete disallowance, or some partial adjustment reached through negotiations or litigation. We recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained based on its technical merits. We measure and record the tax benefits from such a position based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Our estimated liabilities related to these matters are adjusted in the period in which the uncertain tax position is effectively settled, the statute of limitations for examination expires or when additional information becomes available. Our liability for unrecognized tax benefits requires the use of assumptions and significant judgment to estimate the exposures associated with