Kick the keg.
Bud Light has been toppled from its perch as the most popular beer on tap.
Michelob Ultra, another brand in the Anheuser-Busch InBev product line, has overtaken it in its share of U.S. draft lines, ending Bud Light’s decades of dominance, CNN reported, citing data from Draftlines Technologies, which monitors more than 1 million tap lines.
Michelob Ultra began closing in last year after the controversy over TikTok transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney promoting Bud Light that resulted in a boycott.
The brewing hubbub caused many bar owners to remove Bud Light from their taps, causing the brand’s sales to go flat.
Michelob Ultra has continued to gain in draft availability, outpacing Bud Light in November and continuing to grow in December, the report said.
“Michelob Ultra has been on a path to surpass Bud Light as the no. 1 brand on draft in total taps for a number of years,” Jennifer Hauke, founder of Draftlines, told CNN. “The rise of Michelob Ultra as the leader by number of tap handles on draft reflects shifting consumer preferences.”
Bud Light has fallen to third place in sales at grocery and convenience stories during the summer behind number one Modelo Especial, made by Constellation Brands, and Michelob Ultra.
Bud Light sales plummeted 13% in year-to-date sales through Nov. 3, while Michelob Ultra grew 4%, the report said, citing Circana data obtained by Brewbound.
Bud Light’s fall was “inevitable,” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company said, after sales in both bars and retailers fell over the past several years.
At the same time, A-B InBev has marketed Michelob Ultra to health-conscious drinkers wanting a more appealing low-carb beverage.
“For the past decade, Bud Light has increasingly been seen as ‘just a light beer.’ Michelob Ultra, meanwhile, carries ideas of aspiration, activity, and personality in ways Bud Light simply doesn’t,” Roth told CNN. “Michelob Ultra has an ability to appeal to anyone while Bud Light has found it harder to maintain loyal drinkers.”
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