When I read the headline, I was like, why in the world have we decided to get rid of now, Buttermilk? What did Buttermilk do anyway? I have to find out what’s going on. First of all, what’s the deal with milk and the winner of the Indianapolis 500? Well, it turns out in 1936, Louis Meyer became the first driver to win the race three times. It was a warm day, and he was parched. When he got to victory circle, he asks for some cold Buttermilk to cool down. The news cameras were rolling as he took a big gulp and since this was an historical win, that news reel played in movie theaters all over the world, giving birth to a new tradition.   But why now, 98 years later, Buttermilk is not an option?

Like all good headlines, Indianapolis 500 drivers are no longer allowed to drink Buttermilk after winning, may have been embellished a little.  First, we need to know the Buttermilk that Louis Meyer was drinking was likely homemade, it was a by product of the butter making process. I can’t say I have ever tried it, but some say it was refreshing, rich and creamy. The problem was that old fashion Buttermilk was extremely perishable, so you had to drink it up before it got sour. The buttermilk today, is regular milk with a culture added to it, you can drink it, but it has a sour taste and is mostly used for cooking. This, I have tasted, and would not be my choice for a refreshing drink.

Apparently, I’m not alone, in the mid 90′s, the American Dairy Association Indiana, started poling drivers about their preference of milk, and what they found out was that almost no one liked modern buttermilk.  Because no one wanted Buttermilk they stop offering it as an option. So, once again, the headline was a little deceiving, there is no discrimination of buttermilk, it’s just that no one likes it.

On a positive note, I now have some trivial information I can throw-out on race day. There is a lot more to the story of milk at the speedway on their web site.

Here is the preference for this year’s race.

Here is an old news reel from that day in 1936. I like the way the announcer says, “the first man to win the race three times and not get killed”.