He had to bury his first wife and 7 children: Who is Frederick Miller?

Founded in 1855 by Frederick Miller in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Miller Brewing Company today operates within the food group of Philip Morris. Miller, which also produces the world's best low-calorie beer, sells millions of liters of draft beer annually.

By William James Published on 10 Haziran 2024 : 16:55.
He had to bury his first wife and 7 children: Who is Frederick Miller?

A world-famous alcohol brand "Miller" is one of the oldest beer brands in the United States. The main feature of the popular product is its extra lightness and super transparency, achieved through repeated purification using cold filtration technology.

The founder of the legendary American brand was German-born Frederick Miller, who emigrated to the United States in the mid-nineteenth century in search of happiness and a good income. In 1854, Frederick, a hard-working German, bought a small brewery: the "Plank-Road Brewery". in Wisconsin and founded the company: "Miller Brewing" (The company's headquarters is still located in the suburbs of Milwaukee in the historic building where it all started).

Frederick Edward John Miller (November 24, 1824 – May 11, 1888) was a brewery owner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born as Friedrich Eduard Johannes Müller in Riedlingen, Württemberg, he founded the Miller Brewing Company at the Plank Road Brewery, purchased in 1855. He learned the brewing business in Germany at Sigmaringen.

In the autumn of the same year, the first light sparkling beers were produced at the brewery. The drink contained a special type of yeast imported from Germany by the owner.

By 1883 the company had its own bottling line and a special means of transport to distribute the drink within the city. Prior to this, Miller beer was bottled by an outside entrepreneur from Milwaukee. In the following years, production was constantly expanded and modernized. In particular, the newly invented pasteurization technology (later abandoned) and the retail trade system were mastered (before that, the drink was sold only in the brewery).

In 1885, growing production was supported by an original storage system. A 3-story brick building was built for this purpose: the first floor was used for beer, the second for ice, and the last floor for sawdust, which prevented the ice from melting. The result of the hard work was Miller's golden pilsner, which he won at the 1893 National Beer Competition in Chicago.

The family business managed to survive the Great Depression and World War II thanks to a sensible monetary policy, competent allocation of resources, and redirection of production. In the 20s, the company mastered the production of soft drinks and syrups, which helped it stay afloat while many factories were forced to close.

Today, the famous American beer is produced in many regions of the world, including Russia (since 2000) and sold in more than 60 countries.

Miller beer varieties: Miller Genuine Draft

A popular product was first released as a draft beer in 1986. Today it is sold in bottles. In addition to traditional beer ingredients (barley malt, yeast, water, and hops), it contains corn syrup (maltose). ABV 4.6%.

Miller High Life Classic

An example of the American beer style, the golden pilsner was created by Frederick Miller in 1903 and is considered the "Champagne of Beers."

It has won many awards at special festivals. The beverage is made using an original blend of light hops from the Pacific Northwest and selected malted barley.

Miller High Life Light

Low-calorie version "Miller High Life" was created in 1994. It contains dextrose instead of maltose. In one bottle - 107 kcal.

Another light version of Miller Lite Lager, the first national low-calorie beer with only 96 kcal. It was produced according to the recipe in 1975. Its composition includes Pacific and Zhatetsky hop varieties, caramel malt, water, dextrose, and a special type of yeast imported from Germany by the founder of the company in the 50s of the 19th century.

The difficult path of the founder

Frederick Miller's life was filled not only with successes but also with numerous tragedies. The founder of the company had to bury his first wife and 7 children. After his death, his second wife and surviving sons took over the family business and philanthropic activities.

It is noteworthy that all the descendants of the great brewer who ran the company bear his name (Frederick Miller).

Girls on the Moon

An iconic image for the American marketing industry, "Girls on the Moon" was first used on decorative plates in 1907. Legend has it that it was dreamed up by Miller's advertising executive, who got lost while hunting in the woods of Northern Wisconsin.

When you turn over the back of an empty Miller bottle, you will see the name Frederick Miller. His signature is on many bottles all over the world.