Miller is one of those brands that’s become synonymous with beer. These things don’t happen by accident. In the case of Miller, the flame of big ideas and unflagging quality was ignited at its conception and has never dimmed for a moment.

In 1855, a fellow named Frederick Miller released his first self-brewed beer barrel. His catchphrase was: “Quality, uncompromising and unchanging.” This simple phrase became his mission statement, a mere 12 syllables that have served as a call-to-action for generations of employees. But the real magic was that Frederick Miller didn’t believe in empty catchphrases. This was a man committed to true excellence and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance-level quality.

Though Miller was a fan of all things French (he wore a clipped Parisian beard and dressed the part, too), he had created a beer that won the hearts of Milwaukee’s German community. Miller himself came from German lineage, and that beer-loving cultural influence seems to have paid off — he created one of America’s longest-lasting favorite beers.