Unlike what the company claims on its website and advertising, Miller Lite wasn’t the first lite beer to be sold. It was, however, the first mainstream light beer in the US. Nowadays, the beer is the 3rd most popular light beer in the US, selling 100.09 million cases in 2017, right after Bud Light and Corona Light. 

But where is all this beer made?

All Miller Lite is brewed in one of The Miller Brewing Company’s seven brewing plants in Georgia, Wisconsin (2 plants), North Carolina, Texas, California, and Ohio. Any Miller Lite sold across the border is imported from the US. Its regional headquarters are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

However, this certainly does not tell Miller Lite’s full story. Below, we’ll let you know more about where the company was first founded, the different breweries, and who currently owns Miller Lite.

Were is this beer brewed?

Where is Miller Lite brewed in the US?

Although the beer is currently sold in the US, Canada, and Latin America, everything is brewed in one of the seven breweries in the US.

To discuss where Miller Lite is brewed, we have to start with the US, as this is where it all began for this beer. Even though it wasn’t owned by The Miller Brewing Company then, the first time the Light beer was introduced to the market was in the 1960s in Brooklyn, New York. Eventually, The Miller Brewing Company acquired the company that made the beer and started producing it in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is still one of the breweries Miller Lite is brewed.

However, as The Miller Brewing Company currently makes $4.2 billion in profits, they clearly need more than one brewery. Now, it owns seven in total:

  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Original brewery)
  • Albany, Georgia
  • Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
  • Eden, North Carolina
  • Fort Worth, Texas
  • Irwindale, California
  • Trenton, Ohio

Clearly, the Milwaukee brewery is a quintessential part of the Miller Brewing Company’s history, as it was where it all started for the brand. Any light beer enthusiast would want to have a look inside this building. However, if you can’t make it to Milwaukee, this video should give you a good impression of what it’s like inside the flagship brewery.

Where Was Miller Lite Founded?

Miller Lite is a product currently sold by Molsen Coors, but this is not the company that first created it.

In fact, the drink was first created by biochemist Joseph Owades when he found a way to remove the starch from beer. When this happened in the 1960s, he worked at Rheingold Breweries in Brooklyn, New York. Unfortunately, the company couldn’t find an effective way to market the beer, resulting in it being extremely unsuccessful.

Joseph gave the technique to his friend who worked at Meister Brau, a brewery in Chicago. This brewery was the one to launch the beer in 1967 and called it Meister Brau Lite. Miller Brewing acquired the company in 1972 and was founded in Milwaukee in 1855. After this merge, the beer was rebranded to Miller Lite and officially (re-)launched in 1975.

Thus, although Miller Lite claims to be the first Light beer, this isn’t entirely true. However, whether you consider the beer to be created in New York, Chicago, or Milwaukee, it’s clear Miller Lite has become one of the most popular Light beers in the US.

Where is Miller Lite headquarters?

The Miller Brewing Company, which currently produces Miller Lite, is a subsidiary of Molson Coors. Molsen Coors has its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. The Miller Brewing Company, however, is headquartered where they first started: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is also the place their most iconic brewery is located.

However, the company has several offices across the US, Canada, and Europe.

Is Miller Lite Made In Canada and Latin America?

Initially, Miller Lite was only sold in the US. Nowadays, if you’re wanting to enjoy Miller Lite while not in the US, this is possible. In 2015 the beer became available in Canada and later, in Latin America too. Though you can now enjoy the light taste of this beer across several countries, it is still an American beer brewed in the US. Any Miller Lite sold across the borders is imported from one of their seven breweries in the US.

Is Miller Lite owned by Anheuser-Busch?

With its many mergers and acquisitions, it is not surprising many have lost track of which company owns Miller Lite. Currently, they are owned by Molsen Coors, but the original company, The Miller Brewing Company, is still a subsidiary. Anheuser-Busch never owned Miller Lite.

In 2002, South African Breweries (SAB) bought Miller Brewing, creating the second-largest brewing company behind Anheuser-Busch. It also changed its name from SAB to SAB Miller and was headquartered in Woking, England.

In 2008, SAB Miller joined forces with Molson Coors and created Miller Coors as a joint venture. This was done to combine their brewing, sales, and marketing forces. Miller Lite was part of this deal.

In 2016, SAB Miller was acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev, resulting from a merger between Interbrew, Anheuser-Busch, and AmBev. Part of the deal was to divest its interests in the MillerCoors company. This is how Molson Coors became the sole owner of MillerCoors and, thus, the Miller Lite beer. Ironically, it also owns Miller Lite’s direct competitor, Coors Light (or just Coors in the UK and Australia).

As a result, AB InBev, or Anheuser-Busch, isn’t currently and was never the owner of the Miller Lite beer. AB InBev does own Miller Lite’s direct competitor Bud Light, which presently holds the number 2 spot for most sold Light Beer in the US, shipping more than 33 million barrels of the beer in 2017.

Sources

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