Bud Light Dethroned As America's Top-Selling Beer
By Bill Galluccio
June 14, 2023
Bud Light is no longer the best-selling beer in America. After more than two decades at the top, Bud Light has been dethroned by Modelo Especial.
Bud Light has been the best-selling beer in the United States since 2001 when it overtook Budweiser.
Bud Light sales have been falling since the beermaker sent a customized can to a transgender influencer on TikTok. The marketing stunt backfired, and many people announced their plans to boycott Bud Light and all the beers made by Anheuser-Busch.
According to sales data from Nielsen IQ, Bud Light's sales fell by 24.4% in May, capturing 7.3% of total retail beer sales in the country. Meanwhile, Modelo saw its sales increase by 12.2%, moving it into the top spot with 8.4% of the total retail sales.
Despite the recent downturn, Bud Light is still the top-selling beer in 2023, though distributors are concerned about the low sales heading into the summer and the Fourth of July.