Anheuser-Busch Is Adding Protein, Electrolytes And Smaller Formats To Its Next Generation Of Beers

A detail view of Bud Light beer cans on ice prior to an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Philadelphia. (Photo: Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)

Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch hopes to rekindle interest in the ailing beer market with affordable options and a renewed focus on health-conscious ingredients. The pivot is likely to affect both new brands and existing imprints like Michelob Ultra, Bud Light and Stella Artois.

During a meeting with investors earlier this week, AB InBev CMO Marcel Marcondes said that one of the brewer’s top priorities is to grow consumption among so-called “infrequent drinkers,” a group that Marcondes believes is shying away from beer due to budget constraints. To that end, the company plans to introduce both smaller pack sizes and larger, high-volume formats that can deliver “more for less.”

“As we face all-time low consumer sentiment and constraints on disposable income, affordability is the number-one reason to reduce consumption,” Marcondes said. “The data shows huge opportunities to make beer more affordable, especially in developing markets.”

Marcondes didn’t specify which brands will be impacted by the format changes, though some parts of the plan already appear to be well underway. In April, the company tapped singer Post Malone to roll out mini-sized Bud Light beers sold in 7-ounce bottles and 7.5-ounce cans. The format is reminiscent of Corona’s popular “Coronitas,” which AB InBev owns the rights to globally but not in the United States.

Affordability isn’t the only priority on the AB InBev agenda. The company cited female drinkers and younger legal-drinking-age consumers in the “infrequents” category, and laid out plans targeting each.

Marcondes says that female drinkers are gravitating toward flavored options like Brutal Fruit and lower-calorie alternatives like Stella Pure Gold, while younger LDA consumers are moving toward “Beyond Beer” brands like BeatBox.

The company completed its acquisition of BeatBox last February, shelling out up to $490 million for an 85% stake in the rectangular best seller. The bet is already paying off. Circana data found that BeatBox is now the second-best-selling RTD cocktail in the United States, surpassed only by BuzzBallz.

Marcondes says that other food and beverage trends will invariably make their way into the AB InBev portfolio as well. He believes that nonalcoholic beer consumption during casual meals presents a major sales opportunity, and hinted that zero-proof beers may soon feature different flavors, lower calories, added protein and electrolytes.