Frederick Miller Chocolate Lager

Miller Brewing Company is producing a chocolate lager for the holiday season. Named after the founder of the company, Frederick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager is the latest in the trend of the Big Boys competing with the micro brewers. And I, for one, am glad to see Miller and Bud trying to brew other things than American Lagers.

Back before Prohibition, every town with a German community had a brewery. Most of those breweries used local ingredients and made unique beers. Then the railroads came. Bud, Miller and Pabst arrived in refrigerated cars and the allure of Big City beers quickly killed the local competition. That and the cut-throat competition and price collusion.

Now, the Big Boys are trying new things! I think it's exciting. It's proof that their mindset is changing. For years they've tried to produce the same old bland beer. Consumers started leaving beer and going to wine and spirits where marketers have, by talking about the subtle flavors of the drink, have raised consumer awareness about the drinks. Now, it's beer's turn.