In celebration of the groundbreaking brand’s 50th anniversary, Miller Lite will be giving away 50,000 free beers for a nationwide toast to the brew that made the advertising tagline “great taste, less filling” famous.
The celebration is taking place on Friday, Aug. 1 – which is also International Beer Day.
“The 50th anniversary is just more than a milestone for Miller Lite, it’s a celebration of our fans and the five decades we’ve spent together enjoying Miller Time,” Ann Legan, vice president of marketing for the Miller family of brands, said in a statement.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Those 21 and older can join in the brands “50K Beers for 50 Years” celebration in person at one of the more than 450 participating bars nationwide giving away Miller Lite, including 23 in the Milwaukee area and other Wisconsin cities.
Local bars participating in the promotion include: Who’s on Third, Friends on Forest Home, Harp Irish Pub, Jack’s American Pub, Kelly’s Bleachers, Leff’s Lucky Town, Matty’s Bar & Grill, Milwaukee Brat House, Murphy’s Irish Pub, Major Goolsby’s New Berlin Entertainment Center and Steny’s Tavern.
Molson Coors’ Milwaukee brewery on West State Street, which produces Miller Lite, is hosting a New Year’s Eve-esque “beer drop” featuring a larger-than-life six-pack, with each can representing a U.S. time zone. Starting on the East Coast, each can will drop at 4:50 p.m. local time, moving east to west. Fans can tune into the livestream at one of the participating bars or join from home on YouTube or Instagram.
Country music star and Miller Lite superfan Luke Combs helped kick off the celebration on Instagram, asking fans and other celebs to join in a virtual toast.
“Miller Lite is my go-to beer, everyone knows that,” Combs said in a statement. “Miller Lite is giving away 50,000 beers coast-to-coast – now that’s how you celebrate.”
The national toast celebration is part of Miller Lite’s yearlong 50th anniversary campaign. Earlier this summer, the brand released limited-edition gold cans to honor Miller Lite’s golden birthday while announcing its newest partnership with Saturday Night Live cast member Marcello Hernández.
Miller Lite launched nationally in 1975, although it roots date to 1972, when Milwaukee-based Miller Brewing Co. purchased Meister Brau Lite, a reduced-calorie brew made by Chicago-based Meister Brau. Miller tweaked the recipe and rebranded it Lite Beer by Miller, then Miller Lite.
The brand would go on to launch the “All Stars,” which featured a collection of famous retired athletes – dubbed the Miller Lite All Stars – who debated which of Miller Lite’s attributes were more important – “great taste” or “less filling.”
The All Stars included Bob Uecker, the legendary Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcaster who died in January at age 90 after handling the team’s play-by-play duties for 54 years.
