Kamala Harris’s Taste in Beer Is Turning Heads

Beer can’t get out of the political limelight this year it seems. Former President Donald Trump’s name was already attached to several beer matters earlier in the year, which feels especially odd considering he doesn’t drink alcohol.

Back in February, the CEO of Ultra Right Beer, Seth Weathers, fueled a media cycle by commenting on Trump’s social media posts suggesting that Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, “perhaps deserves a second chance.”

Trump’s post, of course, referenced Bud Light’s partnership in 2023 with transgender activist and influencer Dylan Mulvaney. This partnership was such a political flashpoint in 2023 that there’s an entire Wikipedia entry dedicated to it and the fallout that followed.

A looser connection to Trump and beer continued throughout the summer, thanks to Hulk Hogan, who amidst a busy tour focused on promoting his Real American Beer, used at least some speaking opportunities to share his thoughts on both presidential candidates.

Kamala Requested a Notable Domestic Brew from Stephen Colbert

Now Vice President and current Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris is making the beer headlines.

Earlier this week, she appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert as part of a busy slate of media appearances. During her segment, Colbert decided to riff on the “they feel like a candidate you’d like to have a beer with” trope by enjoying a beer with Harris on air. According to Colbert, he asked Harris ahead of the show to choose a brew. Her request was Miller High Life.

Based on the news coverage that followed, plenty of major news outlets were surprised by her pick.

Publications ranging from Vanity Fair and The New York Post to Billboard and Variety quickly published stories mentioning the beer by name in the title.

Miller Brewing Company

Why it was so surprising and what the choice might reveal about Vice President Harris as a person is thought exercise that’s honestly above our pay grade.

But it shouldn’t startle anyone that a candidate for President of the United States would have the political acumen to give an American brew the nod.

Harris does appear to admit in the segment that she doesn’t drink beer regularly. She recalls on the show that the last time she had some was with her husband and current Second Gentleman of the United States, Doug Emhoff. But she also knew enough about High Life to recite its famous tagline, “the champagne of beers,” on air, assuredly pleasing some marketing exec.

Miller High Life

Colbert was also quick to spot at least some potential for political calculus on Harris’s part. “That tastes like the beautiful city of Milwaukie, Wisconsin,” Colbert remarked immediately after taking a sip in the segment. He later sarcastically followed with, “So that covers Wisconsin,” in a wink to the fact that the location of the Miller Brewery happens to be in a state that could play a crucial role in Harris’s quest to win the 270 electoral college votes she’ll need to become the next President of the United States.

Recent mentions aside, it’s worth noting that Miller High Life has been around for over 120 years now. And the label is clearly popular enough with beer drinkers these days that Miller has decided to bring back Miller High Life Lite after a three-year hiatus.

This is partially why, whether motivated by politics or not, we aren’t surprised in the least to see someone choose Miller High Life over other domestic options. The other reason is we’ve already seen the beer rack up notable endorsements in the past.

A few years back we surveyed professional brewers to share their thoughts on the best cheap beers in America. Miller High Life was among only a handful of macro brews to receive any mentions.

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