Anheuser-Busch to Launch Bud Light Golden Wheat

ST. LOUIS -- Anheuser-Busch is launching a wheat version of Bud Light this fall, according to a report in The Associated Press.

The national rollout is the week of Oct. 5, and marks the second extension of Bud Light, after the brewer launched Bud Light Lime last year, which has since become one of the company's most successful new products, the report stated.

The goal is to drive growth and draw consumers who already know the brand, but want to try something new, said Keith Levy, vice president of marketing in the AP report. It's also a way to boost sales since the different versions typically cost more than the original, by about $1 to $1.50 more a six-pack, he said.

The move to the wheat category comes as more wheat beers from craft brewers have hit the market in the past few years, Levy said in the report, adding consumers have been asking for more wheat beers since they offer more flavor.

The new beer uses unfiltered wheat, orange and coriander to give its stalwart brew a new twist, and the beer has a cloudier look since the wheat is not filtered and has a sweeter taste.

"We're trying to keep it in the franchise of Bud Light but certainly give it its own look," Levy said in the report. "We're not trying to out-craft craft. Certainly it's the personality of Bud Light but in a very different way."

Levy also said the company is working on its advertising for Bud Light Golden Wheat and said it expects to spend about the same as it spent last year on Bud Light Lime's launch—around $30 million—marketing through television, national print, online and other media.

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