Miller Brewing Company facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | 1855 |
| Founder | Frederick Miller |
| Headquarters | 3939 West Highland Blvd Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Products | Beer |
| Owner | Molson Coors |
The Miller Brewing Company is an American company that makes beer. It is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A man named Frederick Miller started the company in 1855. Today, Molson Coors owns all of Miller's brands. They still run the original Miller Brewery in Milwaukee.
Contents
History of Miller Brewing
Frederick Miller started the Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee in 1855. He had moved from Germany in 1854. He brought a special type of brewer's yeast with him. He bought a small place called Plank Road Brewery for $2,300.
The brewery was in a place now called Miller Valley. This spot was good because it was easy to get materials from nearby farms. In 1855, Miller changed the name to Miller Brewing Company, Inc. The Miller family owned the company until 1966.
How Miller Changed Owners
In 1966, a large company called W. R. Grace and Company bought Miller. They bought it from Lorraine John Mulberger and her family. Then, in 1969, Philip Morris bought Miller from W. R. Grace. They paid $130 million for it.
In 1999, Miller bought the Hamm's beer brand. They bought it from Pabst Brewing Company. In 2002, a company called South African Breweries (SAB) bought Miller. They paid a lot of money for it. This created a new company called SABMiller.
In 2006, SABMiller bought the Sparks and Steel Reserve brands. They paid $215 million for them. Miller had already been making these drinks before the purchase.
On July 1, 2008, SABMiller and another company, Molson Coors, joined together. They formed a new company called MillerCoors. This company handled making and selling their beers in the United States. Each parent company still ran its own international business. SABMiller owned 58% of MillerCoors. But both companies had equal say in how it was run.
Molson Coors Takes Over
In September 2015, a very big beer company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, wanted to buy SABMiller. As part of this deal, SABMiller had to sell its part of MillerCoors. They sold it to Molson Coors.
So, on October 11, 2016, Molson Coors gained full ownership. They paid about $12 billion for SABMiller's share in MillerCoors. This meant Molson Coors now owned all Miller brands. This included brands sold outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico. They also kept the rights to all brands that were part of MillerCoors in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Popular Miller Beers
Here are some of the well-known beers that have the Miller name. Some were historically sold by the Miller Brewing Company.
- Miller High Life: This is a pilsner-style beer. It was first made in 1903. High Life is Miller Brewing's oldest brand. It is known for having a lot of bubbles, like champagne. This led to its famous slogan, "The Champagne of Beers." For many years, it was one of the top fancy beers in the U.S. High Life bottles have a bright gold label. They are made of clear glass. The neck of the bottle is shaped like a champagne bottle. The label also has a "Girl in the Moon" logo. This shows a woman in a circus outfit sitting on a crescent moon. This brand also helped make small "pony bottles" popular. These were introduced in 1972.
- Miller Lite: This is a light pilsner-type beer. It was first made in 1972. It was the first light beer to become very popular.
- Miller Genuine Draft: People often call this MGD. It was first made in 1985. Its full name was "Miller High Life Genuine Draft." This beer was made to taste like High Life from a keg. It is made using the same recipe as High Life. But this beer is cold filtered instead of being pasteurized.
- Miller 64: This is a very light beer. It used to be called Miller Genuine Draft 64. It has 64 calories in each serving. Miller first launched this beer in 2007.
- Frederick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager: This is a special beer made only at certain times of the year. It is available from October to December. It is sold in some states like Wisconsin and Illinois. It is made with six different types of malt. This includes chocolate and dark chocolate malts.
- Miller Sharp's: This is a non-alcoholic beer. It was first made in 1989.
Economy Beers
- Milwaukee's Best: This is Miller's more affordable beer. People sometimes call it "The Beast" or "Milwaukee's Beast."
- Milwaukee's Best Light: This is the light version of Milwaukee's Best. It was a main sponsor for the 2008 World Series of Poker. People often call it "Beast Light."
- Milwaukee's Best Ice: This is Miller's affordable ice beer. People sometimes call it "Beast Ice" or "the Yeti."
Malt Liquor
- Mickey's: This is a type of malt liquor.
- Olde English 800: This is also a malt liquor. People often call it "OE."
Beers No Longer Made
- Miller High Life Light: This beer was first made in 1994. It was stopped in 2021. The company wanted to focus more on Miller Lite.
- Miller Chill: This was a beer made with lime and salt. It was first made in 2007. Sales went down after a rival beer, Bud Light Lime, came out. MillerCoors changed the recipe and the packaging. But it was stopped in 2013.
Sports Sponsorships
Miller has been a big sponsor in motorsports since the 1980s.
In the CART World Series (a type of car racing), Miller sponsored many drivers. These included Al Unser, Danny Sullivan, and Bobby Rahal. They also sponsored the Miller 200 race.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, Miller sponsored famous drivers. These included Bobby Allison and Rusty Wallace. They also sponsored Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski. Bobby Allison won the 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Brad Keselowski won the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The company also sponsored many NASCAR races.
In the NHRA (drag racing), Miller sponsored Larry Dixon for 11 years.
From 2001 until 2020, Miller owned the naming rights for Miller Park. This is the home stadium for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team. In 2019, American Family Insurance bought the naming rights.
See also
In Spanish: Miller Brewing Company para niños
