(PRNewsfoto/Michelob ULTRA)

If you can’t beat em, join ‘em! Hard seltzer has been a hard category to beat as sales continue to skyrocket and new competitors enter the market.

Could Michelob Ultra be the next beer brand to make the hard seltzer extension? Anheuser-Busch has filed for trademark protection for a Michelob Ultra hard seltzer, according to documents filed Friday with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Part of hard seltzer’s appeal is its better-for-you profile. Typically low in sugar, carbs, and alcohol, hard seltzers offer a lighter alternative to beer and wine, and are smoother and more drinkable than a lot of hard liquors.  Their tiny bubbles keep you from feeling full.

This healthier ethos makes hard seltzer very much in line with Michelob Ultra’s brand mission; a low-calorie seltzer would be a natural fit in their portfolio of beer. Mich Ultra has long touted itself as the healthier choice of beers, at a mere 95 calories per serving, 2.6 carbs, and 4.5 percent ABV. 

Amidst this health and wellness trend, it perhaps comes as no surprise that Mich Ultra is one of the few beer brands whose sales are thriving. In fact, Michelob Ultra is one of the two best-selling beers in the US, second only to Anheuser-Busch’s other power house, Bud Light, which is still on top despite facing its own decline in sales. 

Last year Michelob Ultra enjoyed an over 18 percent increase in sales for a grand total of $2.3 billion, thanks in part to its “healthier beer” perception. It is now Anheuser-Busch’s fastest growing beer brand. 

In 2018 Michelob upped the wellness ante when it introduced Michelob Ultra Pure Gold. Brewed with organic grains, Pure Gold offers a refreshing light beer with only 85 calories and 2.5 carbs. The beer brand also received accolades for its efforts to make their packaging more environmentally friendly, as it was awarded the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s stamp of approval.

After continuing to perfect the light beer, it makes sense that Michelob Ultra is now eyeing a move into hard seltzers. It will be interesting to see how low they can get the calorie count on these already light beverages. 

Anheuser-Busch is no stranger to the hard seltzer game. AB InBev released a variety four pack of hard seltzer flavors under the Bud Light brand in January. Bud Light Hard Seltzer clocks in at a light 100 calories per can, five percent ABV, and under one gram of sugar per serving. A four pack contains Black Cherry, Lemon Lime, Mango, and Strawberry. 

Before Bud Light Hard Seltzer hit the scene, AB InBev introduced us to Natural Light Hard Seltzer, which boasts a higher-than-average ABV at six percent. Long favored by legal-drinking age (LDA) college-aged consumers, Natty Light Seltzer is available in flavors like Catalina Lime Mixer, House Rules, and Aloha Beaches. 

As the masters of the “better-for-you” beer, it will be exciting to see how Michelob Ultra approaches hard seltzer. Will they follow in the footsteps of their Pure Gold and use organic fruit? How will their flavor offerings differ from other AB InBev brands? While we don’t know quite what a Mich Ultra Hard Seltzer will look like yet, we sure are excited to be along for the bubbly ride.

Erin Grafton
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