For nearly three grueling hours, drivers in the Indianapolis 500 battle cockpit temperatures over 140°F and speeds exceeding 230 mph. When the checkered flag falls, the winner doesn't reach for champagne-they grab a cold bottle of milk.
It all started by accident in 1936. Three-time champion Louis Meyer, exhausted and thirsty, asked for buttermilk after his victory. A local dairy executive saw the photo opportunity and made milk a permanent fixture.
The tradition paused during WWII and briefly became "Water from Wilbur" when Speedway president Wilbur Shaw offered water instead. The dairy industry reclaimed its place in 1956 with a $400 cash bonus.
Today, nearly 700 Indiana dairy farmers supply the milk through the American Dairy Association Indiana. Since 2006, drivers choose whole, 2%, or skim milk. Whole milk dominates-not just for taste, but because it looks better in photos. As driver Alex Palou put it, "If there were double whole milk, I would just get that."
Buttermilk, the original drink, was dropped in the 1990s because modern buttermilk tastes different. Winners now sip, pour, and sometimes dye their milk. In 2021, Helio Castroneves added strawberry powder to match his pink car.
Even non-milk drinkers crave it after the race. As Alex Palou said after his 2025 win: "I'm not a huge whole milk guy, but it was the best drink ever."