Miller Brewing Company is an Americanbrewery based inMilwaukee, Wisconsin. It was founded in 1855 byFrederick Miller and was acquired byMolson Coors in 2016.[1][2] Molson Coors continues to operate the Miller Brewery at the site of the original Miller Brewing Company complex in Milwaukee. Miller has produced several prominent beer brands, includingMiller Lite, Miller High Life, andMilwaukee's Best.
Miller Brewing Company was founded in Milwaukee in 1855 byFrederick Miller after his emigration fromHohenzollern, Germany, in 1854 with a uniquebrewer's yeast. Initially, he purchased the small Plank Road Brewery for $2,300 ($82,280 in 2024).[3] The brewery's location in what is now the Miller Valley provided easy access to raw materials produced on nearby farms. In 1855, Miller changed its name to Miller Brewing Company, Inc.[4] The enterprise remained in the family until 1966.
The company was one of six breweries affected by the1953 Milwaukee brewery strike. In 1961, Miller purchased the smallest of the "Big Five" Milwaukee brewers,A. Gettelman Brewing Company.[5] In 1966, theconglomerateW. R. Grace and Company bought Miller from Lorraine John Mulberger (Frederick Miller's granddaughter, who objected to alcohol) and her family. In 1969, Philip Morris (nowAltria) bought Miller from W. R. Grace for $130 million, outbiddingPepsiCo. In 1999, Miller acquired theHamm's brand fromPabst.
In 2002,South African Breweries bought Miller from Philip Morris for $3.6 billion worth of stock and $2 billion in debt to formSABMiller, with Philip Morris retaining a 36% ownership share and 24.99% voting rights. In 2006, SABMiller purchased theSparks andSteel Reserve brands fromMcKenzie River Corporation for $215 million.[6] Miller had been producing both brands prior to the purchase.[7]
On July 1, 2008, SABMiller formedMillerCoors, a joint venture with rivalMolson Coors, to consolidate the production and distribution of its products in the United States, with each parent company's corporate operations and international operations to remain separate and independent of the joint venture. SABMiller owned 58% of the unit, which operated in the United States but not in Canada, where Molson Coors is strongest, but the companies had equal voting power.[8][9]
In September 2015,Anheuser-Busch InBev announced it had reached a full agreement to acquire SABMiller for $107 billion.[10] As part of the agreement with theU.S. Justice Department, SABMiller divested itself of the Miller brands in the U.S. by selling its stake in MillerCoors to Molson Coors.[1][11] Consequently, on October 11, 2016, SABMiller in the U.S. sold its interests in MillerCoors to Molson Coors for around US $12 billion. Molson Coors gained full ownership of the Miller brand portfolio outside the US, and retained the rights within the U.S. (including Puerto Rico).[2][12]
Brands with the Miller name, or historically sold by Miller Brewing Company, include:
Miller High Life: An American-style lager introduced in 1903, High Life is Miller Brewing's oldest brand and is 4.6% abv.[13] It is noted for its high level of carbonation, likechampagne, leading to its longtime slogan "The Champagne of Beers". It was one of the top premium beers in the US for many years.[14] High Life bottles feature a bright gold label and are made of a clear glass that has a tapered neck like a champagne bottle. The label includes the "Girl in the Moon" logo, which features a woman in a circus costume seated on a crescent moon.[15] The brand helped popularize 7 U.S. fl oz (207 ml)pony bottles, introduced in 1972.[16][17]
Miller Lite: An American-stylelight lager. Introduced in 1972, it was the first light beer to see wide popularity. It is 4.2% abv (4% in Canada).
Miller High Life Light: Introduced in 1994, it had 4.1% abv. It was discontinued in 2021 to focus on Miller Lite, but brought back in 2024.[18][19]
Miller Genuine Draft: Nicknamed MGD, it was introduced in 1985 as "Miller High Life Genuine Draft". Developed to replicate the flavor of High Life from a non-pasteurized keg in a can or bottle, MGD is made from the same recipe asHigh Life but the beer iscold filtered instead of pasteurized. As of 2007 Genuine Draft had a 1.5% share of the United States market; by 2012 it had declined to 0.7% market share, representing a decline of 1.7 million barrels.[20] It has 4.7% abv.[13]
Miller 64: (FormerlyMiller Genuine Draft 64)[21] An "ultra light" beer with 2.8% abv, it contains 64 calories per 12 US fl oz (355 mL) serving (750 kJ/L). Miller launched this beer in the summer of 2007 in Madison, Wisconsin. It was received favorably and testing expanded to Arizona, San Diego and Sacramento.[22]
Frederick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager: A seasonal lager available from October to December in Wisconsin, Chicago, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Indianapolis and northwest Indiana. It is brewed with six differentmalts, including chocolate and dark chocolate malts.[23]
Olde English 800: Malt liquor also known as "OE". It is 5.9% abv in the eastern United States, 7.5% abv in most western U.S. states and 8.0% abv in Canada.
Miller Chill: Achelada-style 4.2% abv[13] pale lager brewed with lime and salt. Introduced successfully in 2007, sales dropped in 2008 after the launch of the rivalBud Light Lime.[25] In response, MillerCoors revamped their recipe from a 'chelada' style brew to a light beer with lime, created new packaging which included switching from a green to a clear bottle, and launched a new advertising campaign centered around the slogan "How a Light Beer with a Taste of Lime Should Taste". It was discontinued in 2013.
In 1997, Miller, under its Miller Lite brand, sponsored a car in theIndy Racing League, specifically for theIndianapolis 500. The car was driven byArie Luyendyk. This sponsorship was significant as Luyendyk won the 1997 Indianapolis 500.
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