“Babe, you OK? You barely touched your Star Wars blue milk.” May the 4th is National Star Wars Day, and dairy companies are releasing blue milk inspired by an old mystery: the weird inclusion of the blue drink in the franchise’s first film.
Kemps dairy and chocolate milk-maker TruMoo are among the brands launching limited edition lines of blue milk. It’s a great way to tackle the munchies, perhaps with some cereal or with some Oreos.
The iconic, infamous drink that was first introduced in 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope. In the original film, Luke Skywalker sips blue Bantha milk with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru Lars, who are moisture farmers on the desert planet of Tatooine. A Bantha is a quadrupedal mammal on Tatooine that kind of looks like a yak with spiraled horns.
They actually have blue Bantha milk on tap: There’s a deleted scene in which Aunt Beru pours a glass of the blue milk from one of three spouts. It’s one of their last acts before being scorched by Imperial stormtroopers. When the stormtroopers fail to find the droids they’re after, they torch Luke’s aunt and uncle instead. In the story, the blue milk is one of Luke’s last encounters with his aunt and uncle before their deaths.
Now you can get your own blue milk, in multiple flavors. However it’s not Bantha milk, just old-fashioned cow milk with food coloring. Kemps’ version of the blue milk has a vanilla flavor.
“Entering the atmosphere near you—for a limited time only—Kemps Blue Milk. The Star Wars rebels in your life will love this low-fat, vanilla flavored milk,” the company posted on X, formerly Twitter.
TruMoo is also releasing their own version of the blue drink. “Coming to a galaxy near you mid-April,” TruMoo posted on X.
In Star Wars universe, milk comes in multiple colors. The newer installation of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, older Luke drinks green milk that’s produced by female thala-sirens during his self-imposed exile on Ach-To.
Defining Blue Milk
In the film series, blue Bantha milk comes in many varieties, including an alcoholic version, Star Wars superfans have clarified.
“Blue milk, also known as Bantha milk, was a rich blue-colored milk produced by female banthas,” Wookiepedia explains. “Sentients drank it, and also used it in Bantha butter, blue Bantha buttermilk biscuits, blue-milk cheese, blue milk custard, ice cream, and yogurt. It was notably available on Outer Rim planets such as Batuu, Lah’mu, Lothal, and Tatooine. Cid’s Parlor on Ord Mantell served a similar beverage that was alcoholic called Dark Blue Milk.”
One commenter, Marina E. De León, PhD, CNC, posted that blue milk already exists, since 2021. She provided a link showing a microbial, beneficial soy milk that is naturally colored by bacteria.
Throughout the films, blue symbolizes the good side of the Force, such as in the color of Luke’s lightsaber, and red symbolizes evil.
According to Reader’s Digest, May the 4th became a part of Star Wars lore in 1979. England’s conservative party, the Tories, used the motto after Margaret Thatcher won the election to become the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, on May 4, 1979.
The Tories paid for a newspaper ad that stated, “May the Fourth be with you, Maggie. Congratulations.” Thatcher’s infamous, shocking comments about cannabis are an entirely different story.
“It wasn’t until the early 2000s that the Star Wars holiday became much more in the public eye, due to the fact that fans were using it constantly on social media,” said Dan Madsen, founder of the Official Lucasfilm/Star Wars Fan Club and founder and former publisher of Star Wars Insider magazine.
Star Wars Strains to Combine with Milk
In 2020, High Times posted nine cannabis strains that are inspired by Star Wars.
The list includes Skywalker, a popular cross between Blueberry and Mazar.
“This indica is perfect for reducing anxiety, relaxing without leaving you tied to the couch,” the review reads, as translated from Spanish. “It is also used to combat other conditions, such as minor pain, insomnia or depression. It is ideal to enjoy at the end of a long and exhausting day. Its aroma is sweet and earthy, similar to a blueberry field. Resilient like all the members of the Skywalker clan, this strain developed by Dutch Passion is considerably easy to grow, particularly indoors.”
Other strains include Darth Vader OG (Afghani x Kush), Lightsaber (Starfighter x Predator Pink), Princess Leia (Cinderella 99 x Lemon Alien Dawg), Death Star (Sensi Star x Sour Diesel) Ewok (Albert Walker x Tahoe Alien), Yoda OG (Kush OG blend), Jedi Kush (Death Star x San Fernando Valley OG Kush), and Star Killer (Mazar x Blueberry OG with Rare Dankness).
The addition of blue Star Wars-inspired milk is a fun way to celebrate May the 4th.
