Rachel Hausmann-Schall, artist residency and adult program manager
I’m not quite sure when it’s too late to say “Happy New Year!” While we are already three weeks into 2026, many of my email greetings and conversations with community members recently have been centered around welcoming the new year.
I personally try to find more energy and spirit around this time each year, especially when the weather is frigid. Everyone is winding down from the holidays and looking ahead to what the turn of the calendar page will bring. I have a January birthday, so that also makes this month a special time of year for me. This January, I celebrated by bringing out my true Wisconsinite, which meant a quick trip to Milwaukee and a tour at the Miller Brewery.
Miller High Life billboard at the Miller facility in Milwaukee.
My husband Jake and I enjoyed walking around several buildings at the Miller complex, seeing the facility, distribution center, and most notably, exploring the Miller Caves and the Bavarian-style Miller Inn. We learned about the 170-year history of Miller and concluded our tour by enjoying one of the brand’s most famous recipes: Miller High Life.
Keg display and wooden sign in the Miller Caves that reads “beer goes this way out” in German.
Miller Caves featuring a mural on the back wall and a hanging chandelier with the iconic girl on the moon design.
In the small world of things, Miller High Life also has a connection to the new year. Popping a bottle of champagne on New Year’s Eve when the clock strikes midnight has been a long-standing tradition. Champagne symbolizes new beginnings and many think it’s a great symbol for prosperity and fortune, all good omens for the entrance into a new year. Miller High Life, also known as “the champagne of beers,” is a beverage I’ve enjoyed on New Year’s Eve over the years…
On our Miller brewery tour, I learned that the brew got its nickname for a couple of reasons. Miller High Life’s official release date was on December 30, 1903…just in time for New Year’s! Bottled beer was just coming into popularity at the turn of the 20th century, so when Miller introduced High Life’s champagne-style glass bottle with gold foil, it acted like a luxury beer … and consumers loved it. It’s clear to see why the nickname has stuck around, not to mention it’s taste.
Miller High Life ephemera display.
Stained glass window at the Miller Inn.
There was another luxury item was gaining popularity around the turn of the 20th century: Tiffany lamps. The Museum has been bustling with activity the first few weeks of 2026 as staff worked hard to install our current exhibition Tiffany or Ti-phony: A Story of Desire, on view now through May 3, in addition to developing new interactive making opportunities in Art Park, and preparing for a full schedule of educational programs and school tours.
Stettin students enjoying the Tiffany exhibitions during a tour of the galleries.
It’s interesting to think that the history of Tiffany lamps and beer have some overlapping historical timelines: both Tiffany lamps and alcohol went “out of style” in the 1920s-30s, with the closure of Tiffany Studios in 1932, and prohibition dominating the 1920s (although few abided). But, that wasn’t the end for either the beer or lamps. The Tiffany revival in the 1950s-70s led to the presence of many Tiffany-style lamps in taverns, restaurants, and even advertisements for alcohol.
I’m looking forward to a Museum program on Saturday, April 18 with Jim Draeger, Architectural Historian and State Historic Preservation Officer. Jim will be discussing Wisconsin’s Historic Bars and Breweries during a presentation that will trace the social, cultural, and technological changes brought about by liquor regulation in addition to highlighting the evolution of bars, breweries, and taphouses in our great state, merging both subjects that afternoon.
Miller High Life or the “champagne of beers” sculptural billboard at the Miller facility in Milwaukee.
I’ve decided as I’m writing this blog that I don’t think it’s too late to say “Happy New Year,” and as you celebrate the beginning of 2026, perhaps you can enjoy “the champagne of beers” too. If beer isn’t your thing, I suggest you stop by the Museum to experience another type of luxury item by lighting up your day and enjoying the beauty and awe of Tiffany lamps.
