More bad news for Bud Light

A bartender pours a Bud Light from a tap. · CNN Business · Drew Angerer/Getty Images/File

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It’s the end of an era for Bud Light: The beleaguered brand is no longer the most popular beer on tap at bars.

Another Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) beer, Michelob Ultra, has surpassed Bud Light in its share of US draft lines, marking an end to several decades of dominance. That’s according to data from Draftlines Technologies, a company that monitors more than 1 million tap lines.

For many years, Bud Light was the biggest beer in draft share ahead of its growing sister brand Michelob Ultra. The gap started closing in the middle of last year, following a Bud Light boycott sparked by a one-off sponsored Instagram post featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Beyond the customer boycott, some bars also removed its tap — causing long-term damage to sales.

Since then Michelob Ultra has gained in draft availability, surpassing Bud Light in November and continuing to grow in December, Draftlines data revealed.

“Michelob Ultra has been on a path to surpass Bud Light as the no. 1 brand on draft in total taps for a number of years,” Jennifer Hauke, founder of Draftlines, told CNN. “The rise of Michelob Ultra as the leader by number of tap handles on draft reflects shifting consumer preferences.”

“We’re proud to have the top two beers on draft in the US in Michelob Ultra and Bud Light, and by our data, Bud Light is more than 30% bigger than the next closest draft competitor,” an A-B InBev spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

It’s still another blow to Bud Light, which sunk to third place in sales at grocery and convenience stores during the summer. No. 1 is Modelo Especial, made by rival Constellation Brands, followed by Michelob Ultra.

In year-to-date sales through November 3, Michelob Ultra continues to be A-B InBev’s biggest beer in terms of sales at retailers, growing 4%, while Bud Light sales plunged 13%, according to Circana data obtained by Brewbound.

‘Inevitable’ for multiple reasons

The change was “inevitable,” said Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company, as Bud Light’s sales at both bars and retailers steadily declined for the past several years.

Michelob Ultra hasn’t risen simply because Bud Light has fallen. Rather, in recent years A-B InBev has pumped more marketing money to attract health-conscious drinkers seeking a more appealing low-carb beer.

“For the past decade, Bud Light has increasingly been seen as ‘just a light beer.’ Michelob Ultra, meanwhile, carries ideas of aspiration, activity, and personality in ways Bud Light simply doesn’t,” Roth, who also edits an alcohol beverage newsletter, told CNN. “Michelob Ultra has an ability to appeal to anyone while Bud Light has found it harder to maintain loyal drinkers.”