At a time when the sales of top-selling light beer brands have been contracting in the US, Anheuser-Busch InBev's Michelob Ultra is redefining the ultra-light beer concept in a move that could have global implications, according to data and analytics company GlobalData. AB InBev launched Michelob Ultra "low carbohydrate light beer" in the US in 2002, when the country was in the middle of the famed Atkins diet craze and was subsequently able to cultivate a devoted core of users, including weight-conscious women, even while the overall light beer sector shrank. As recently as 2007, Bud Light, Coors Light and Miller Lite collectively accounted for around a third of US beer shipments (according to Beer Marketer's Insights and The Wall St Journal). By 2017, that collective share had shrunk to just over a quarter. However, Michelob Ultra brand bucked the trend and had its biggest year yet in 2017 when US shipments grew by over 21%.
