Indy 500 removed buttermilk from winner’s milk menu for unique reason

The Indianapolis 500’s famous milk tradition began with buttermilk, but modern winners no longer get the option because drivers simply stopped choosing it.

Few traditions in motorsport are more recognisable than the Indy 500 winner drinking milk in Victory Lane. The celebration has become a defining image of the event, even though the original version of the tradition looked very different nearly 90 years ago.

The story started in 1936 when Louis Meyer asked for buttermilk after winning the Indianapolis 500. Meyer later explained his mother had told him buttermilk was refreshing on hot days, and a photographer captured the moment immediately after the race.

Buttermilk disappeared from the menu after drivers stopped picking it

The image quickly became valuable publicity for the dairy industry, and the tradition gradually evolved into an official part of the Indianapolis 500 celebrations.

Modern drivers are now asked before the race whether they would prefer whole milk, 2% milk or skimmed milk if they win. Buttermilk quietly disappeared from the official menu because very few drivers actually wanted it.

Reports surrounding the tradition have consistently stated that organisers removed buttermilk after drivers overwhelmingly chose standard milk options instead. The unusual drink that started the tradition eventually became outdated with newer generations of drivers.

The change marked a major shift from the origins of the ceremony, considering Meyer’s original buttermilk request created one of motorsport’s most famous traditions.

Even with the adjustment, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has kept the core celebration intact, with winners still handed an ice-cold bottle of milk moments after climbing from their cars.

The Indy 500 milk celebration grew into a motorsport institution

The tradition has still produced controversial moments over the years. Emerson Fittipaldi famously drank orange juice instead of milk after winning the 1993 Indy 500, promoting Florida citrus growers linked to his family business interests.

Fans reacted negatively because the milk celebration had already become deeply connected to the identity of the race. Fittipaldi later drank milk afterwards, but the backlash showed how protective supporters had become over the tradition.

The process is now carefully organised before the race weekend begins. Dairy representatives prepare personalised bottles for every possible race winner on the grid ahead of the Indianapolis 500.

Buttermilk may no longer appear on the official options list, but its place in Indy 500 history remains secure because the entire tradition exists thanks to Meyer’s original request back in 1936.

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