How appropriate for the Molson Coors brand known as “the champagne of bottled beer.”
Miller High Life was introduced Dec. 30, 1903, and for 80 years, advertising and labeling sold the brew as a top-shelf product whose champagne-shaped glass bottle showed its purity.
In 1989, Miller Brewing Co. made a mistake and switched the slogan to “America’s Quality Beer Since 1985.” Nine years later, in 1998, it reverted to “the champagne of bottled beers.”
Miller says the new 25.4-ounce bottles – available only in Chicago and Milwaukee, where the brand originated – are clear, showcasing the straw-colored beer. The top of the limited-release bottles is wrapped in gold foil held tight by a red band proclaiming High Life the Champagne of Beers. The label features the brand’s icon, the Girl in the Moon.
Year to date, sales are up 1.1% on a 0.3% rise in volume. If the big bottles sell well this year, you’ll see them in more markets next year.