This Fourth of July, rather than praise America’s founding fathers, Miller Lite will honor the “Ale Wives,” releasing limited-edition cans in homage to the forgotten women who brought beer to America. 

The Molson Coors-owned brand will produce a limited supply of its classic white cans that carry the name Mary Lisle instead of Miller Lite, as a way to honor the woman whom the brand describes as the "country's first recorded female brewer and her revolutionary contributions to the American brewing industry."

In 1734, Lisle ran a Philadelphia brewery, but "through time, women were excluded from the industry as others saw an opportunity to cash in on the nation's love of beer, forcing most women out of the business altogether," according to Miller Lite.

'Ale Wives'

Cans include Lisle’s name and face, the tagline “There’s no beer without women,” as well as a brief history of Lisle’s contributions to the beer industry. 

“When people think of beer, they think of men; there are very few people who realize that we actually have women to thank for beer in America,” Elizabeth Hitch, senior director of marketing for Miller Lite, said in a statement. The phrase "Ale Wives" is a historical term referring to women who made beer—Miler Lite calls them "the unsung heroes who brought beer to America in the first place." According to the brand, a recent poll found that only 3% of Americans know that fact.

Agencies on the project include DDB and Alma and Molson Coors PR agency ICF Next.

The cans come during peak beer drinking season: Fourth of July weekend has been known to prompt more beer purchases than any other holiday, given that many families and friends gather for cookouts, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Americans spend more than $1 billion on Fourth of July beer and wine, according to the WalletHub. Miller Lite sees the holiday as the perfect time to school drinkers en masse on women in beer history. 

“There’s no better time to celebrate and put women back into the history books of beer than on the single largest beer selling weekend in America,” Hitch said.

Miller Lite will donate $5 for each case purchased on the online retail sites Drizly and Instacart from June 27 to July 4 to the nonprofit organization Pink Boots Society, which inspires and supports women in the brewing profession. Miller Lite is pledging up to $250,000 to the nonprofit. 

Men dominate the industry, making up 76% of craft brewery owners according to findings from the Brewers Association, a craft beer trade group.  

“Women played a pivotal role in bringing beer to America as the first brewers here and are often underrepresented in the industry,” Erin Wallace, Pink Boot Society Board Member, said in a statement, adding that the group's mission “is to assist, inspire and encourage women and non-binary individuals in the fermented beverage industry through education.”  

Fans can get their hands on Mary Lisle cans by attending an event hosted by Miller Lite in Lisle’s hometown of Philadelphia at the Devil’s Den bar on June 30, where it will be unveiling the limited-time cans. Like many other Miller Lite campaigns, the brand will run a sweepstakes, giving drinkers a chance to win a limited edition Mary Lisle two-pack. Those who are 21 years or older can enter by visiting millerlite.com/marylisle through July 4.