Trademark: Famous Racing Sausages
First Used: 1991
Registered: 2000
Current Owner: MILWAUKEE BREWERS BASEBALL CLUB [1]
Trademark Type: traditional trademark; word mark; non-traditional trademark; trade dress; configuration mark
Primarily Associated With: entertainment services in the nature of live performances by mascots [2]
Brief (and likely incomplete) History [3]:
Congratulations to the Milwaukee Brewers for advancing to the 2026 World Series! Some may argue that the team itself is still only the second most famous part of the Brewers. The most famous? The FAMOUS RACING SAUSAGES® [4] of course!
History
The Milwaukee Brewers' Famous Racing Sausages began in the early 1990s as an animated race between three sausage characters, Bratwurst, Polish Sausage, and Italian Sausage, displayed on the scoreboard at Milwaukee County Stadium. In 1992, local graphic designer Michael Dillon proposed bringing the animated characters to life, and on June 27, 1993, the three mascots made their surprise debut during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays. As the animated sausages approached the stadium on the scoreboard, the screen went blank and the left-field gates opened, revealing three giant sausage costumes racing toward home plate. Bratwurst, worn by Dillon himself, won the inaugural race.
Initially held only during select games, the Sausage Race became a regular part of Brewers home games in 1994 and continued growing in popularity. Hot Dog joined the original trio in the mid-1990s, followed by Chorizo in 2006, bringing the lineup to five. The tradition followed the Brewers to Miller Park (now American Family Field) in 2001, where the mascots continue racing during home games. The Famous Racing Sausages have since appeared in national television commercials, inspired similar mascot races across Major League Baseball, and become one of Milwaukee's most recognizable sports traditions.
Let’s meet each of the five Racing Sausages!
Bratwurst (Brat)
BRAT® [5] (with his Brat Racing Sausage configuration mark [6] mascot uniform), is one of the original three Racing Sausages, debuting June 27, 1993, and winning the first live race. According to his official, tongue-in-cheek biography, Brat trained with Germany's national Olympic team but never advanced beyond the trials. Known for his aggressive racing style, Brat often takes an early lead before running out of steam, a problem attributed to troublesome ankles from his basketball-playing days in Germany. He also reportedly once hid Hot Dog's racing shoes, although the allegations remain unproven. Through September 13 of the 2026 season, Brat was the winner of 11 races.
Polish Sausage
POLISH SAUSAGE® [7] was another member of the original 1993 trio and led the 2026 standings as of September 13 with 21 wins! The Brewers' fictional biography describes Polish Sausage as a former high school cross-country coach who developed his running skills in the hills surrounding Warsaw, Poland (thus his traditional Polish Sausage Racing Sausage configuration mark [8] mascot uniform). Unlike his competitors, Polish Sausage prefers a slow start before overtaking exhausted opponents near the finish line. His strategy has produced some impressive results, including 27 victories during the 1996 season, when he finished second behind Italian Sausage.
Italian Sausage
ITALIAN SAUSAGE® [9] rounds out the original 1993 trio and is described by the Brewers as the most fashionable and attention-seeking member of the group. His racing résumé includes 30 victories during the 1996 season, but he is perhaps best known for two unusual incidents. In 2003, Pittsburgh Pirates player Randall Simon struck Italian Sausage with a baseball bat during a race, earning a three-game suspension. Ten years later, the Italian Sausage costume (bearing the Italian Sausage Racing Sausage configuration mark [10]) was stolen following a charity event, only to reappear two weeks later when two men left it at a Wisconsin bar. Through September 13 of the 2026 season, Italian Sausage was the winner of 19 races.
Hot Dog
HOT DOG® [11] (a non-hot dog, HOT DOG trademark registration) joined the original three sausages in 1996, initially participating in only Sunday races before becoming a regular competitor. The Brewers' official fictional biography credits Hot Dog with completing the Boston Marathon three times (in the Hot Dog Racing Sausage configuration mark [12] mascot uniform no less!), making him the most accomplished distance runner in a family that includes Cheese Dog, Chili Dog, Chicago Style Hot Dog, and Corn Dog. Hot Dog has also attracted some notable racers, including Brewers outfielder Geoff Jenkins, who wore the costume during an injury rehabilitation stint in 2003 and claimed to win by seven lengths. Through September 13 of the 2026 season, Hot Dog was the winner of 12 races.
Chorizo
CHORIZO® [13], also nicknamed Cinco, is the newest Racing Sausage, making his debut on July 28, 2006, during the Brewers' inaugural Cerveceros Day celebration. Wearing the Chorizo Racing Sausage configuration mark [14] mascot uniform featuring a yellow jersey and oversized sombrero, Chorizo started his first race quickly but faded to a third-place finish. The Brewers jokingly explained that he was sent back to the Mexican League for additional training before permanently joining the lineup in 2007. His fictional training history includes hiking volcanoes in Guatemala, rock climbing in Puerto Rico, and running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Through September 13 of the 2026 season, Hot Dog was the winner of 14 races.
Copyright © 2026 by Illustrated IP, LLC. All rights reserved.
[1] Famous Racing Sausages, MLB, available at https://www.mlb.com/brewers/fans/mascots/racing-sausages.
[2] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,080,618, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=77948187&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[3] Id. at 1; Happy 30th Anniversary to the famous racing sausages, MLB, posted July 5, 2023, and available at https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-happy-30th-anniversary-to-the-famous-racing-sausages; In casing you missed it, here's how the Brewers cooked up the Sausage Race, MLB, posted November 25th, 2025, and available at https://www.mlb.com/news/brewers-sausage-race-history.
[4] Id. at 2; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,176,065, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=77948193&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,176,066, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=77948194&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[5] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,172,155, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85014684&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,172,156, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85014690&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,224,058, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85300975&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[6] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 2,384,821, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75603916&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[7] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,172,161, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85015082&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,172,162, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85015086&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,224,060, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85300982&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[8] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 2,380,582, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75603920&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[9] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,172,159, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85015072&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,172,160, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85015080&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,224,059, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85300979&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[10] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 2,378,717, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75603917&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[11] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,172,166, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85019945&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,444,094, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85019947&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,224,061, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85300984&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[12] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 2,378,718, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75603918&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[13] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,172,157, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85014697&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,172,158, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85014700&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,224,057, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85300972&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[14] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,323,882, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85714970&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.