"Miller lite" news and stories

Earlier this week, Advertising Age ran a story entitled "What Your Taste in Beer Says About You."

Citing researched compiled by Mindset Media -- a "market researcher specializing in psychographics" -- the article discusses how the beer a person drinks can be a strong indicator of his or her personality. For instance, Bud drinkers are "sensible, grounded and practical," Bud Light drinkers can have "frat boy-like personalities," and Michelob Ultra drinkers "think highly of themselves and can be a little bit conceited."

The concept is interesting, but why spend all that money on "research"? Most people could come up with those same assumptions on their own. In fact, the list can be extrapolated even further... massive research grant hopefully forthcoming.

• Pabst Blue Ribbon drinkers consider playing bass in a punk band "gainful employment" and have handlebar mustaches.
• Miller Lite drinkers consider the consumption of 20 beers "moderate drinking" and include beer bongs on their list of "proper glassware."
• Sam Adams drinkers love wearing the same Red Sox hat for their entire adult life and believe there's nothing wrong with hitting on someone else's girlfriend.
• Guinness drinkers think the best football team is Manchester United and consider a fist fight a "night out on the town."
• Busch drinkers think the best bar in America is their porch and consider a proper food and beer pairing to be "a pounder and a bag of Hardee's."

And snobby craft beers drinkers tend to be people like beer writers who think they have a right to make fun of others!

What other beers bring to mind distinct personality types? And what does your favorite beer say about you? Let us know in the comments!

Miller will geniunely be on draft, in the fridge. Photo: William Hartz, Flickr

Beer conglomerate MillerCoors, The Wall Street Journal reports, has responded to sliding sales with some tweaking in the packaging department. For $20, their new "Home Draft" beer box will keep 1.5 gallons -- equivalent to 16 12-ounce beers -- of Miller Lite or Coors Light fresh in the fridge for about 30 days, a change from previous "mini-keg style" distribution systems meant to be consumed in one sitting (with a number of guests, of course!). This disposable, recyclable and affordable "draft beer system" has already begun test marketing in a number of cities.

MillerCoors is hoping the new packaging will help woo "the 30 percent of beer drinkers who say they prefer draft beer to the bottled or canned variety." Much like Heineken's DraughtKeg which started with strong sales before cooling off, the novelty of the gadget itself may be part of the appeal. With Miller Lite witnessing a 7.5-percent sales drop, they're happy to move product any way they can.



[Via The Wall Street Journal]

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Alright. We all know that the macro lagers are continuing to lose market share to the craft brews. Not enough to put the majors out of business, but certainly enough to make them sweat.

Which probably explains why earlier this week, while getting my daily dose of Pardon The Interruption, I heard something that caused me to fully utilize the rewind function of my DVR remote. In a new Miller Lite ad, Miller relentlessly touts the recent realization that Miller Lite is "triple hops brewed." Apparently Miller is so enamored with this claim, they've gone and plastered it on the front page of millerlite.com (as seen in the image above).

Here's the thing: I'm sure Miller Lite is "triple hops brewed." I'm sure they do add hops three times during the brewing process. But come on, Miller. Let's not kid ourselves. And let's not start slinging buzz words we can't take back and making up brewing terms that are as original as they are vague.

What is the point of this campaign? Are you trying to convince people Miller Lite is a "hoppy" beer? Every sip sends an opposite reminder to our taste buds. Or are you trying to imply that Miller has a craft-like brewing process? Maybe then you'd like to tell us what kind of hops you're putting in there? And honestly, it's not the hops I'm worried about, it's the adjuncts.

I've created a new ad campaign for Miller Lite. It will be their best, most honest yet: Miller Lite is Miller Lite. If you don't know what Miller Lite tastes like, go drink one! They're easy to find. On the flip side, if you regularly drink Miller Lite (or brew Miller Lite), don't be ashamed of it. Everyone who has ever grabbed an ML knew exactly what he or she was getting. And that's fine, it's a matter of personal taste and preference. But don't try to re-frame Miller Lite as something fancy or finely crafted. When I eat Kraft Mac & Cheese, I do it because I'm jonesing for some Kraft flavored mac or trying to save a little cash, not because I'm going to delude myself into pretending its smothered with gruyere and parmigiana reggiano.

I'd like to believe this whole thing is just a publicity stunt. I mean, it is almost as hokey as the 1-second Super Bowl ad.

Miller Brewing Company has introduced a line of craft beers under the tagline, "Craft Beer, Done Lite." The line features three beers: Amber, Wheat, and Blonde Ale -- each with fewer calories and carbohydrates than regular beer (110 calories, 6.2 carbs per 12 oz). Though the beer is only available in a few test markets, it's already met some harsh critics.

Joe Sixpack at the Philadelphia Daily News called the trio "the Kenny G of beers," and likened the wheat variety to a Sprite. According to Miller's press release (which you can see here at Beer Advocate), wheat "offers especially appealing flavor dimensions, with a subtle citrus note that kicks in during the finish." Over at Lagerheads, they're giving the trio mixed reviews. And in Baltimore -- one of the test markets -- Baltimore Sun Columnist Ron Casper is not infatuated with any of the three.

Consensus seems to be that it's too early to say whether Miller's attempt to merge the trends of lite and craft beer will ultimately succeed, so I'd love to hear your opinions. Has anyone tried the stuff? Give those of us in non-test cities a taste of what's out there!

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Here's a tip for bartenders and restaurant workers: make sure the beer tap is connected to the right beer.

The American Legion Bar in Port Washington, WI got a $172 citation after police discovered that a half barrel of Coors Light had a Miller Lite handle on it. Owner Ray Wendt isn't too happy, because the beers cost the same, explaining "it's not like I was pouring different liquor into a bottle."

He also said that he actually explained to customers that it was Coors Lite and that he didn't lie to customers about it.