- Budweiser Zero is now available across grocery, wholesale and convenience channels
- Stella Artois Alcohol Free is available across grocery and convenience channels
- Products join Beck’s Blue, Bud Light and Michelob ULTRA, further expanding Budweiser Brewing Group’s no and low alcohol offering
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, a proud part of AB InBev, has today announced the addition of two new beers to its no and low portfolio – Budweiser Zero and Stella Artois Alcohol Free.
The alcohol-free beer and cider market is booming, having grown by 147% since 2015 and is now worth £77.4m a year to the Off-Trade.[1] The launch of Budweiser Zero and Stella Artois Alcohol Free enables retailers to tap into this market and provide consumers with alcohol-free options for their favourite beers that do not compromise on taste or quality.
With zero alcohol and 60 calories, Stella Artois is the latest expansion of ‘La Famille Artois’ to suit different consumer preferences and occasions. It follows the launch of Stella Artois Gluten Free in 2018, certified by Coeliac UK. Stella Artois continues to see strong performance across the premium category, with consumers spending an extra £19.7m on the brand last year (up 3.4%).[2] The launch of Stella Artois Alcohol Free makes the UK’s most valuable alcohol brand[3] accessible to consumers seeking to moderate their alcohol consumption.
Budweiser Zero, at zero alcohol, zero sugar and 46 calories, offers the same iconic taste of Budweiser – the second most valuable beer brand in the Off-Trade.[4] It is brewed with premium Budweiser barley, hop and malt through the same expert Beechwood Ageing technique that delivers the smoothness of Budweiser, as well as a revolutionary 4x-cold-filtration process.
Budweiser Brewing Group already brews market-leading alcohol-free beers such as Beck’s Blue – the biggest non-alcoholic brand in the Off-Trade, accounting for 21.4% of all sales,[5] and low alcohol options including Bud Light and Michelob ULTRA, both brewed to 3.5% ABV.
The expansion of its no and low portfolio is part of Budweiser Brewing Group’s Global Smart Drinking Goals. These include a pledge that 20 per cent of the brewer’s global beer volumes will be low-to-no alcohol by 2025 – alongside deeper investments in programmes that measurably shift social norms and behaviours to decrease the harmful use of alcohol.
Stella Artois Alcohol Free launched in the On-Trade earlier this year, with Budweiser Zero set to launch once pubs are re-opened.
Ali Humphrey, Director Stella Artois Europe says: “We’re excited to launch Stella Artois Alcohol Free to the market, the most recent addition to our expanding La Famille Artois. Our Brewmasters have taken 600 years of Belgian brewing heritage and combined it with our best, all-natural ingredients, to create an alcohol-free lager that is bursting with flavour. The result is a pronounced hoppy bitterness and a crisp, clean and refreshing finish – but without a drop of alcohol and 60 calories.”
Elise Dickinson, Marketing Manager at Budweiser says: “At Budweiser we pride ourselves on being the ‘King of Beers’ – and we know that while consumers are increasingly looking to enjoy low and no versions of their favourite products, they won’t compromise on taste. That’s why Budweiser Zero was created using the latest developments in no-alcohol brewing, and following years of taste testing. We are thrilled to add a smooth alcohol-free beer with all the taste but with zero alcohol or sugar, and a low-calorie content, to the Budweiser Family. Now, more people than ever can enjoy a Budweiser beer in any occasion”.
[1] Nielsen Scantrack 52 Weeks data to WE 28.12.19 | Total off-trade
[2] Nielsen Scantrack 52 Weeks data to WE 28.12.19 | Total off-trade
[3] Nielsen Scantrack 52 Weeks data to WE 28.12.19 | Total Off-Trade
[4] Nielsen Scantrack 52 Weeks data to WE 28.12.19 | Total Off-Trade
[5] Nielsen Scantrack 52 Weeks data to WE 28.12.19 | Total off-trade
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