About Me
In the mid-19th century, a determined immigrant, Frederick Edward John Miller, born November 24, 1824, brought his passion for beer to the United States. Next thing you know, a dream was born. Let us all raise our glasses in a toast to the birth of the Miller Brewing Company.In 1855, Miller bought an old brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for $9,000 in gold, which was a relief to him, because he had to carry all that gold around in his socks. That last part is not true.Of course, he used hops and barley (grown locally.) But he had a leg up on the competition with a unique brewer's yeast he hand-carried from Germany. Between hand-carrying the yeast and the gold in his socks, he had trouble walking. But it was all worth it. In fact, we use a descendant of that very same yeast in our beers today.In 1903, Miller named its most popular beer High Life and the Champagne of Bottled Beer was born!Then, Prohibition. A dark time in our nation's history when people had to sing: 99. Try it yourself. It's no fun that 18th Amendment. From 1920 - 1933, the taps were dry, with absolutely no cheating going on.On April 6, 1933, Congress repealed prohibition, and a nation cheered. As part of the nationwide celebration, Miller immediately dispatched a case of High Life to President Roosevelt. He was seen disappearing into the Oval Office with a High Life under each arm and a can of beer nuts.Then came World War II, and a severe shortage of brewing materials caused Miller to dramatically cut production. Much of what was produced was sent to our brave boys over seas, and once again a nation was deprived of the ability to enjoy the High Life.In 1947, a talented and charismatic leader -- the grandson of the founder, Frederick C. Miller -- took the reins of the brewery. Frederick "C" led the company to national status. "Quality never stops building," became Frederick C.'s battle cry as he set the stage for the future with a new, state-of-the-art brewhouse, two stockhouses, a grain storage building, and a bottle house capable of filling two million bottles a day. Frederick C. Miller used national media and aligned his company with certain sports as a marketing tool, starting with canasta and moving on quickly. Suddenly his grandfather's little brewery had attained national prominence. Sales topped one million barrels for the first time in 1949 and tripled by 1952, with Miller products available in 48 states and Hawaii.* By 1968, Miller had become the country's eighth largest brewer, and today Miller is the second largest brewer in the United States.*Hawaii joined the United States in 1959. In celebration, Hawaii and the rest of America held a giant luau, with over 130 million people in a conga line and one massive roast pig.
