About Me
The history of Miller Brewing Company began in the mid-19th century, when a determined immigrant, Frederick John Miller, born November 24, 1824, brought his passion for beer to the United States. Miller, who had been a renowned German brewer since 1849, arrived in the United States and settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1855.In 1855, Miller purchased a small brewery called the Plank Road Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for $2,300. Through his determination and character, Frederick Miller began building his own American dream - barrel by barrel. He produced the finest quality beer, made from locally grown hops and barley, and using a unique brewer's yeast that he hand-carried from Germany. (The yeast we use in our beers today is a descendant of that very yeast so treasured by our founder!) Before his death in 1888, Frederick Miller became one of the early pioneers of bottling beer.After his passing, Frederick Miller's immediate family members continued his legacy, and guided the company with progressive, uncompromising character through two world wars and prohibition. In 1903, Miller named its most popular beer, High Life, and the Champagne of Bottled Beer was born!January 15, 1920... and the 18th Amendment forced American brewers into a crisis of major proportions. With characteristic spirit, innovation, and determination to keep alive the good name and legacy of its founder, the brewery developed a new line of quality products, including a cereal beverage, malt tonic and carbonated beverages. Then, on April 6, 1933, the United States Congress repealed the 18th Amendment, making it legal once again to drink beverages containing alcohol. America loved it. "Happy Days Are Here Again" was song of the day, and President Roosevelt was the nation's hero. As part of the nationwide celebration, Miller immediately dispatched a case of High Life to President Roosevelt.The company Frederick Miller founded officially became renamed "Miller Brewing Company" in May of 1933 after the repeal of prohibition. Miller was one of the few Milwaukee breweries to survive Prohibition and is the only major brewery that continues to prosper in the town once known as "Cream City".Then came World War II, and a severe shortage of brewing materials caused Miller to dramatically cut production, and much of what was produced was sent to the armed forces.We're proud that several women served in senior leadership positions of the company in the early years. 1892 was a landmark year as Lisette Miller, the founder's second wife, held the position of president of one year. Elise K. Miller, the youngest daughter of Frederick, served as president for three months in 1912 and again from December 1937 until May of 1946.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. Using national media and a new practice of using sports as a compelling marketing tool, it didn't take Frederick C. Miller long to bring his grandfather's little brewery into true national prominence. Sales topped one million barrels for the first time in 1949 and triple by 1952, with Miller products available in 48 states and Hawaii.Then, in a tragedy many Milwaukeeans remember to this day, a plane crash in December of 1954 claimed the life of the company's beloved leader and his young son, Frederick C. Miller, Jr.By 1968, Miller had grown to become the country's eighth largest brewer. This phenomenal growth caught the eye of Wall Street, and in 1966, W. R. Grace bought 53 percent of the family stock. Then, in 1969, the Philip Morris Corporation purchased Miller Brewing Company. With this, the modern Midwestern brewer tapped into the new power of Madison Avenue and created something big called "Miller Time" across America. Those were the days when a powerful combination of technical sophistication and marketing innovation allowed Miller to revolutionize the beer industry - by introducing a new, nationally distributed low calorie beer, called Miller Lite. Soon, "Tastes Great, Less Filling" became a chant repeated throughout the country, and Miller Brewing Company became the second largest brewer in the United States.Today, Miller's Brewery in Milwaukee (and the historic Miller Valley) is the site of America's oldest major brewery.The current chapter of Miller's history started in July 2002, when South African Breweries purchased Miller Brewing Company, forming one of the largest brewers in the world, called SABMiller plc, with volume of more than 130 million barrels, operations in 40 countries and hundreds of brands.
