At a time when the sales of top-selling light beer brands have been contracting in the US, Anheuser-Bush InBev's Michelob Ultra is redefining the ultra-light beer concept in a move that could have global implications, according to a new report by Global Data. 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. Then Bud Light, Coors Light and Miller Lite collectively accounted for a third of US beer shipments. 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%. Sensing a revival of the low-carb trend, a number of companies are making a more premium push for ultra-light beer. Heineken USA recently launched a 90 calorie Amstel Xlight, aligned with top interests of millennial consumers, wellness and fitness, into a handful of markets in 2017.
