'Winners Drink Milk': Inside the iconic dairy celebration at the Indy 500

Fox Sports

21-05-2025

Bruce Martin
Special to FOXSports.com
INDIANAPOLIS — Two of the greatest traditions of the Indianapolis 500 began in the same year when Louis Meyer became the first three-time winner of the Memorial Day Classic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
It was the first year for the Borg-Warner Trophy, the incredibly impressive silver trophy that has become one of the most iconic trophies in the world. Although the winner doesn't get to keep the permanent Borg-Warner Trophy, a sterling silver bas-relief likeness of the winner's face is attached to the trophy along with the other winning drivers in the history of the Indy 500.
The second tradition, however, began organically — literally.
When Meyer pulled into Victory Lane after 200 grueling laps that make up the 500 miles in the race, he was thirsty. He asked for a cold bottle of buttermilk, and he drank as photographers snapped photos of the celebration.
The following day, many newspapers around the United States featured the photo of the winning driver of the Indianapolis 500 drinking from a bottle of milk.
It was the birth of a legend.
But first, a backstory few people might know.
The actual buttermilk back in the 1930s, was actually different than today's strong-tasting, acidic buttermilk that is used in baking and brining. It would be considered "sweet cream" by today's dairy standards.
Brooke Williams, the Director of Communications for the American Dairy Association of Indiana, knows the real story of what happened on May 30, 1936.
"The buttermilk that Louis Meyer drank was back when they churned butter and took the cream off the top of the butter," Williams told FOX Sports. "That was the buttermilk that Louis Meyer wanted. That sweet, rich, buttermilk.
"Today's buttermilk is made for baking, and it should probably stay that way."
Ed Carpenter actually wants buttermilk if he wins the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday to keep Meyer's buttermilk tradition.
"When Ed Carpenter says, 'I want buttermilk again,' we say, 'Let's see you drink actual buttermilk and maybe you'll want whole milk,'" Williams said.
Whole milk is the preferred choice for the winning drivers because it looks much better in photos than skim, which has the fat removed and is thinner. Two percent is also an option.
"Whole milk is trending," Williams said. "Twenty-nine of the 33 drivers chose whole milk. But we have had a winner with skim milk."
So far, no driver who chose chocolate milk has won the Indianapolis 500.
But there was the time in 2021 when four-time Indianapolis 500-winning driver Helio Castroneves put powered strawberry in his bottle of milk, creating a pinkish hue that befuddled the dairy representatives in Victory Lane.
"When Helio won a few years back, he drank a sip of the white milk, then somebody handed him a bag of powdered strawberry like a Nesquik, and he added it to the milk bottle and our hearts dropped wondering what was going on as we watched him drink it.
"His car was pink that year and he wanted strawberry milk."
But there was no bigger controversy than Emerson Fittipaldi's victory celebration after he won the 1993 Indianapolis 500.
It was Fittipaldi's second Indy 500 win and the two-time Formula One champion and two-time INDYCAR champion from Brazil pushed away the bottle of milk and drank a bottle of fresh-squeezed orange juice.
Fittipaldi owned a massive orange grove in Brazil and was attempting to go off-script and promote the Brazilian orange juice industry.
Indy 500 officials quickly intervened and told Fittipaldi if he didn't drink the milk in victory lane, his winner's check would be much "lighter."
Fittipaldi relented and drank the milk, but by then the television cameras had already switched to another postrace interview.
The "Orange-gate" controversy lives to this day.
"I remember when I was back in elementary school when that happened and I had never even gone to the Indy 500 and I knew about it then," Williams said. "It is definitely something we remember.
"When his grandson (Pietro) was a rookie a few years back, he made sure to tell me he would drink the milk if he won.
"I know Emerson after the fact knew he should have drank the milk first."
There is one form of milk that a driver cannot have, and it's raw milk that gained attention from the organic crowd.
"We tell them every year raw milk is illegal in Indiana, so that takes care of that," Williams said. "We are accommodating several drivers this year who are lactose intolerant, so we will have a lactose-free option for those drivers.
"Otherwise, it's whole milk, 2 percent and skim."
Although Meyer was the first to drink milk in Victory Lane after the Indianapolis 500, it didn't become an annual tradition until 1956.
The owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the time was Tony Hulman, and he made the Bottle of Milk a permanent part of the Victory Lane celebration.
Winning driver Pat Flaherty savored the first "official" swig of milk after his 1956 victory.
In 1975, the American Dairy Association of Indiana established a new award for the first-time drivers — the Fastest Rookie Award.
On Tuesday, pole winner Robert Shwartzman of Prema Racing was honored at a luncheon along with Indiana Dairy Farmers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Shwartzman is both the fastest rookie in the race and the fastest qualifier in the race. The last time that happened was Teo Fabi in 1983.
The rookies in this year's race all took turns milking a cow named "Indy" — a popular dairy cow that also appears at the Indiana State Fair every August.
Dairy Farmers became part of the tradition in 2005 when a rookie and veteran dairy farmer handed the bottle of milk to winning driver Sam Hornish, Jr.
In 2006, the pre-race preference poll began as drivers could choose between whole, 2 percent or skim milk.
For the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016, the 350,000 fans in attendance were given bottles of milk to drink in synch with race winner Alexander Rossi, who was also that year's Fastest Rookie Award winner.
"Since 1936, milk has been a staple at the Indianapolis 500 and is now a tradition the Indiana Dairy Farmers hold near and dear to their heart," Williams said. "Every year that bottle of milk represents almost 700 dairy farmers in the state of Indiana, but also a worldwide audience.
"A lot of milk fans take on that 'Winner's Drink Milk' mentality and we are very happy Louis Meyer started it in 1936."
The American Dairy Association of Indiana gives each of the 33 drivers in the Indianapolis 500 starting lineup their choice of whole milk, skim milk or 2 percent milk if they win the race. That means there are three different bottles awaiting the winner, along with more bottles for the winning team owner.
At one time, chocolate milk, was an option.
The "Bottle of Milk" is deeply rooted in the history of the Indianapolis 500. It's as much a tradition of the race as the singing of "Back Home Again, in Indiana."
"In 1936, Louis Meyer drank a bottle of buttermilk in Victory Lane and ever since then, it has become a symbol of victory and a tradition here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway," IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles said. "With more than 115 years of history (at the Speedway), our traditions are something that united new and old fans alike.
"At Indy, 'Winners Drink Milk.'"
Eighty-nine years after Meyer drank buttermilk after winning the Indianapolis 500, it was the birth of a movement for the dairy industry.
"In 1936, to have Louis Meyer be an advocate for dairy that long ago and for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to see what that meant at that time and be carried out for so many years and the appreciation that the milk tradition means for the Indianapolis 500 and for the drivers, it's something our dairy farmers are proud of to make that happen," Williams said.
A cold bottle of milk remains one of the "coolest" prizes that goes to the winner of any sporting event on Earth.
Bruce Martin is a veteran motorsports writer and contributor to FOXSports.com. Follow him on X at @BruceMartin_500 .
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