UK: Michelob Ultra coming to UK on-trade in draught and bottle format

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, part of AB InBev, is launching its Michelob Ultra brand in draught and bottle format to the UK on-trade, the Bar Magazine reported on September 5.

Michelob Ultra is a premium 3.5% ABV light beer, containing 125 calories per pint. The UK launch responds directly to the trend for leading an active lifestyle and demand for reduced-calorie and lower-alcohol options.

Michelob Ultra’s UK debut is supported by a national multimedia advertising campaign, involving print, digital and out-of-home media, which will focus on the beer’s “light qualities and functional benefits”.

The campaign will raise awareness of the brand, its availability in the UK and encourage consumers to try a Michelob Ultra. Sampling and large-scale brand partnerships have also driven support of the brand launch in the UK.

Tim Deeks, marketing manager, Michelob Ultra, said: “Drinking beer can sometimes seem at odds with living an active life, but it doesn’t have to be.

“Michelob Ultra signals an exciting new option for venues who want to respond to the increasing consumer demand for products that complement a balanced lifestyle.

“Low and no-alcohol beer is increasingly in demand in the on-trade, so it’s important for venues to have a variety of products to meet varying palettes. Michelob Ultra is the perfect addition, offering a crisp, clean taste and 125 calories at 3.5% ABV.”

Michelob Ultra is the latest beer in AB InBev’s low and no-alcohol portfolio in the UK, which already includes alcohol-free beers Beck’s Blue, Budweiser Prohibition and Bud Light, which is brewed to 3.5% ABV.

The expansion of this portfolio is part of AB InBev’s Global Smart Drinking Goals, which includes a pledge that 20 per cent of its global beer volumes will be low-to-no alcohol by 2025, alongside deeper investments in programmes that measurably shift social norms and behaviours around the harmful use of alcohol.

E-malt.com, the global information source for the brewing and malting industry professionals. The bi-weekly E-malt.com Newsletters feature latest industry news, statistics in graphs and tables, world barley and malt prices, and other relevant information. Click here to get full access to E-malt.com. If you are a Castle Malting client, you can get free access to E-malt.com website and publications. Contact us for more information at marketing@castlemalting.com .