Kamala Harris drinks beer on late night TV

US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is pictured in studio at ABC during a break during the recording of the show "The View" in New York on October 8, 2024. [AFP]

If Kamala Harris wins the US election she has made clear one change sure to come to the White House: the first president in eight years who actually enjoys a beer.

In contrast to teetotalers Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Harris revealed on late-night TV Tuesday that she likes the occasional brew.

The Democrat cracked open a can of Miller High Life at the prompting of host Stephen Colbert.

"Elections, I think, are won on vibes because one of the old saws is they just want somebody they can have a beer with," he said.

"So, would you like to have a beer with me so I can tell people what that's like?"

The comic revealed that showrunners had checked ahead of time what they should serve up "because we can't just be giving a drink to the vice president of the United States."

As she took the can of Miller High Life -- a 4.6 per cent beer whose makers say its "easy-drinking flavor is the epitome of the American lager category" -- Harris revealed she had most recently supped booze with her husband, Doug Emhoff.

"OK, the last time I had a beer was at a baseball game with Doug," she said as she cracked the can, adding: "Cheers."

"There you go. It's cold. From the beautiful city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin," said Colbert, referring to one of the seven swing states that could decide the 2024 presidential election.

"The champagne of beers," Harris replied, quoting the drink's marketing tagline.

The appearance was part of a media blitz that has also seen Harris sit with the hosts of "The View" and do a lengthy interview with Howard Stern on SiriusXM.

Like those outlets, "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" was a friendly environment that was never going to involve probing questions.

And Colbert's frequent mockery of Trump boosted Harris' message.

When he asked her about Trump's loss in 2020 -- which the billionaire still refuses to accept -- she jumped on the opportunity to taunt her opponent.

"You know, when you lost millions of jobs, you lost manufacturing, you lost automotive plants, you lost the election, what does that make you? A loser," she said.

"This is what happens when I drink beer," she laughed.