Could This Actually Become America’s Next Big Beer?

Non-alcoholic beer used to be something of a one-month wonder. But Dry January paved the way for Sober October, and all of a sudden, booze-free beer is big business all-year round.

In fact, NAs represent one of the rare growth sectors in an industry struggling with drinkers’ newfound taste for moderation. No wonder every brand from Sierra Nevada to even Patagonia has their own take on the category.

Now it looks like Michelob Ultra plans to throw its hat in the ring. It’s a wonder it took so long.

Michelob Ultra Zero

The beer will be called Michelob Ultra Zero, as revealed in a press release. And when it comes out next year, it won’t just be new but actually different to your average NA brew.

Michelob Ultra

By law, so-called “non-alcoholic” beer can still contain up to 0.5 percent alcohol due to the brewing process and natural fermentation that can occur inside the can. Therefore, the “FDA does not consider the terms ‘non-alcoholic’ and ‘alcohol-free’ to be synonymous,” it says.

Michelob Ultra Zero belongs to the latter camp, clocking in at a true 0.0 ABV. For most drinkers, the half a percentage point is mostly moot. However, it can make all the difference for people on medication or those who want to abstain from alcohol entirely.

Elsewhere in the fridge, Heineken and Guinness also sell their own 0.0 beers. Yet Michelob Ultra Zero will cast the widest net of all with its other big selling point.

A can has just 29 calories — less than half of what you’ll find in the other readily available alternatives. Oddly, the company has yet to disclose the number of carbs to expect in a 12-ounce serving — one of the main draws of Michelob Ultra.

The little can that could

As a whole, the Michelob family — part of the AB InBev portfolio that includes Budweiser and Bud Light — has long led the way when it comes to moderate drinking.

Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Its flagship beer, sold since 2002, has just 95 calories and 2.6 carbs. Michelob Ultra is also the official sponsor of numerous sports leagues, including the PGA and MLS.

The strategy seems to be working.

Michelob Ultra recently became the second-biggest beer brand in the country, behind only Modelo. That makes it the top domestic brand in the country, all the while proving Americans are lightening up.

It’s just unclear how much.

Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Even with close to 30 percent growth in 2024 — thanks to brands like Athletic Brewing Co. — NAs represent just over one percent of all beer sales. Still, the category is only pointing upward, with AB InBev projecting a $2 billion market in the next five years.

All to say, Michelob Ultra Zero will no doubt make a splash when it lands on store shelves in early 2025. We’ll just have to see how far the ripples can travel.

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