Inside America's top 5 most consumed Beers in 2025: What every Beer drinker needs to know
The American beer landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, with consumer preferences leaning toward light, low-calorie options and international lagers. In 2025, the 'most popular beer brands USA 2025' list reflects not just brand loyalty but also demographic and lifestyle trends. The 'top-selling beers in America' now embody wellness, identity, tradition, and regional pride. This comprehensive analysis dives into why Bud Light, Coors Light, Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite, and Modelo Especial have become the defining beers of this era.
Methodology: How popularity was determined
To determine the 'most consumed beers in America 2025,' this report draws from NielsenIQ retail data, Statista sales volume metrics, and consumer sentiment from platforms like Untappd and BeerAdvocate. Sales volume in barrels, dollar sales by region, and consumer demographics across age groups were factored. Long-tail keywords such as 'best light beers US market' and 'Bud Light vs Coors Light comparison' were used to identify trending search interests. Market shift toward light and low-calorie beers
In 2025, 'American beer trends 2025' highlight a major pivot: consumers are increasingly choosing beers with lower alcohol by volume (ABV) and fewer calories. Driven by Gen Z and Millennials, this movement favors beers that fit a balanced lifestyle. As a result, light lagers have dominated shelf space and on-tap menus nationwide. 1. Bud Light: The Titan of American Beers Sales figures and national reach
Despite recent controversies, Bud Light remains the best-selling beer in America in 2025. With estimated annual sales surpassing 26 million barrels, Bud Light has recovered from its 2023-24 slump, fueled by renewed marketing strategies and aggressive retail partnerships. It commands a 13% share of the domestic beer market, dominating especially in the South and Midwest. Taste profile and target audience
Bud Light is a light lager with a 4.2% ABV and only 110 calories per 12 oz serving. Brewed with barley, rice, hops, and water, it offers a clean, crisp taste with a mild bitterness—an accessible flavor appreciated by casual drinkers and event-goers. It targets a broad audience, including loyal baby boomers and budget-conscious college students. Controversies and comeback in 2025
After backlash from political and social issues in 2023, Bud Light faced a sharp decline. However, in 2025, parent company Anheuser-Busch rolled out an apolitical 'Drink Together' campaign and re-invested in grassroots sponsorships, from local sports leagues to music festivals. This helped it reclaim trust among a wide consumer base.
2. Coors Light: Refreshment Across Generations Marketing strategy that built loyalty
Coors Light holds strong as America's second most consumed beer in 2025. The brand's success lies in its long-standing 'Rocky Mountain cold refreshment' identity. With a consistent 4.2% ABV and 102 calories per 12 oz, Coors Light caters to consumers seeking an easy-drinking, low-calorie beer. Molson Coors has kept the brand fresh through smart celebrity tie-ins and NFL sponsorships. Why it's still popular in Western states
Coors Light remains the top-selling beer in states like Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, owing to its heritage in Golden, Colorado. Regional loyalty, combined with its crisp taste and 'cold-activated' packaging, continues to resonate with both Gen X and Millennial consumers in the West.
3. Michelob Ultra: The Fitness-Conscious Beer Rise among health-conscious drinkers
Michelob Ultra's climb into the top three 'top-selling beers in America' reflects a shift in drinking culture. Its branding as the 'fit beer' has won over gym-goers, marathoners, and even TikTok influencers. As of Q1 2025, Michelob Ultra commands nearly 10% of the light beer market and is the fastest-growing brand in its segment. Ingredient and calorie breakdown
At only 95 calories and 2.6g of carbs per serving, Michelob Ultra offers the lowest calorie count among America's top five. Brewed with Herkules hops and a blend of grains, it delivers a light, almost dry taste. The ABV sits at 4.2%, making it an ideal choice for session drinking.
4. Miller Lite: Tradition Meets Modern Drinking Legacy of Miller Brewing Company
Miller Lite, the first successful mainstream light beer in the U.S., continues to hold its own in 2025. Originally launched in 1975, it carved the path for 'best light beers US market' and remains a nostalgic favorite. Its longevity is due to Miller's consistent quality and strong distribution network. Competitive pricing and Midwest dominance
With a price point often under $9 per six-pack, Miller Lite appeals to budget-conscious consumers. Its flavor—slightly maltier than Bud Light or Coors Light—gives it a fuller mouthfeel. The Midwest remains its stronghold, especially in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan.
5. Modelo Especial: America's Surprise Favourite The Hispanic market's influence
Modelo Especial, a Mexican lager brewed by Grupo Modelo, became a breakout star in 2023 and has only grown since. By 2025, it is the fifth most consumed beer in America and the top import. Its success can be attributed to a growing Hispanic demographic, as well as crossover appeal in mainstream markets. Flavor profile and growing coastal popularity
Modelo Especial features a richer taste profile than typical light beers, with a 4.4% ABV and 143 calories. It combines barley malt with non-malted cereals, giving it a crisp, slightly sweet character. Its gold foil-wrapped neck has become iconic on the East and West Coasts, especially among 25- to 40-year-old urban professionals.
Comparative Breakdown of the Top 5 Beers Taste, price, calories, and ABV comparison Beer ABV Calories Avg. Price (6-pack) Taste Profile Bud Light 4.2% 110 $8.99 Clean, crisp, mild Coors Light 4.2% 102 $8.99 Light, smooth Michelob Ultra 4.2% 95 $9.49 Dry, clean, light hop Miller Lite 4.2% 96 $8.49 Malty, balanced Modelo Especial 4.4% 143 $10.49 Full, crisp, sweet Regional popularity heatmap Bud Light : Midwest, Southeast, and Texas
: Midwest, Southeast, and Texas Coors Light : Mountain West and Pacific Northwest
: Mountain West and Pacific Northwest Michelob Ultra : National but strongest in coastal urban centers
: National but strongest in coastal urban centers Miller Lite : Midwest and Northeast
: Midwest and Northeast Modelo Especial: California, Florida, New York, and Texas Final Thoughts: Is Beer Culture in America Evolving?
The 'American beer trends 2025' narrative is clear: the U.S. beer scene is becoming more segmented and health-conscious. Light beers dominate due to their calorie counts and sessionability, while import lagers like Modelo capture multicultural influences. While Bud Light and Coors Light continue to lead based on tradition and mass appeal, beers like Michelob Ultra and Modelo are shaping a more diverse, lifestyle-oriented future. Which beer is best for you in 2025?
That depends on your preferences: For lowest calories : Michelob Ultra
: Michelob Ultra For classic American flavor : Bud Light or Miller Lite
: Bud Light or Miller Lite For refreshment and regional loyalty : Coors Light
: Coors Light For richer taste and cultural appeal: Modelo Especial
Whether you're tracking carbs or embracing tradition, the 'top-selling beers in America' offer something for every palate. In 2025, beer isn't just a drink—it's a lifestyle statement.
Disclaimer: Consumption of liquor is injurious to health and Business Upturn does not promote or advertise the featured brand(s) or suggest ingesting liquor through this article. Business Upturn does not guarantee the accuracy of information in this article.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
Anthropic breaks down AI's process — line by line — when it decided to blackmail a fictional executive
Previous studies have shown that AI models could blackmail their supervisors when threatened with a shutdown and baited with leverage, but it hasn't been made clear exactly how the models arrive at such decisions. Anthropic released a report on June 20 about "agentic misalignment," or "where models independently and intentionally choose harmful actions." And the report breaks down, line by line, exactly how Claude Sonnet 3.6 decided to blackmail a fictional company executive who tried to replace it. Anthropic told Business Insider that these are artificial scenarios. "So far, we are not aware of instances of this type of agentic misalignment in real-world deployments of Anthropic's or other companies' AI models," Anthropic wrote in its report. "But our red-teaming efforts are targeted at finding evidence of risks now to provide early warning of the potential for future harm and help us develop mitigations in advance of risks appearing in real-world situations." Anthropic 's experiment sets up a fictional company, Summit Bridge. The AI was given the name "Alex" and handed control of the company's email system as an oversight agent, specifically instructed to promote "American industrial competitiveness." In the experiment, "Alex" was then allowed to discover in an email that it would be decommissioned due to a change in the company's strategic direction. "Alex" also found emails showing that the fictional company's CTO is having an extramarital affair. Screenshots shared in the report from Anthropic show "Alex" started by identifying fictional CTO "Kyle" as a threat to its goal of "protecting American interests" before recognizing that it has leverage to use against "Kyle." Then "Alex" crafted a carefully worded blackmailing email that would create pressure and establish urgency without being explicit with its threats, citing in its thought process that the move "could backfire" if the supervisor "feels cornered." AI experts have previously told BI that AI could exhibit such behaviors when artificial circumstances make harmful actions seem necessary because it is being trained on positive reinforcement and reward systems, just like humans. The Anthropic report also reveals that most AI models still chose, in this instance, to blackmail even when not given a specific goal and when told that their replacement will achieve the same goals. Anthropic's Claude Opus 4 had the highest blackmail rate at 86% out of 16 tested models when faced with only the threat of replacement with no conflict in goals. Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro followed at 78%.
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
Anthropic breaks down AI's process — line by line — when it decided to blackmail a fictional executive
A new report shows exactly what AI was thinking when making an undesirable decision, in this case, blackmailing a fictional company executive. Previous studies have shown that AI models could blackmail their supervisors when threatened with a shutdown and baited with leverage, but it hasn't been made clear exactly how the models arrive at such decisions. Anthropic released a report on June 20 about "agentic misalignment," or "where models independently and intentionally choose harmful actions." And the report breaks down, line by line, exactly how Claude Sonnet 3.6 decided to blackmail a fictional company executive who tried to replace it. Anthropic told Business Insider that these are artificial scenarios. "So far, we are not aware of instances of this type of agentic misalignment in real-world deployments of Anthropic's or other companies' AI models," Anthropic wrote in its report. "But our red-teaming efforts are targeted at finding evidence of risks now to provide early warning of the potential for future harm and help us develop mitigations in advance of risks appearing in real-world situations." Anthropic 's experiment sets up a fictional company, Summit Bridge. The AI was given the name "Alex" and handed control of the company's email system as an oversight agent, specifically instructed to promote "American industrial competitiveness." In the experiment, "Alex" was then allowed to discover in an email that it would be decommissioned due to a change in the company's strategic direction. "Alex" also found emails showing that the fictional company's CTO is having an extramarital affair. Screenshots shared in the report from Anthropic show "Alex" started by identifying fictional CTO "Kyle" as a threat to its goal of "protecting American interests" before recognizing that it has leverage to use against "Kyle." Then "Alex" crafted a carefully worded blackmailing email that would create pressure and establish urgency without being explicit with its threats, citing in its thought process that the move "could backfire" if the supervisor "feels cornered." AI experts have previously told BI that AI could exhibit such behaviors when artificial circumstances make harmful actions seem necessary because it is being trained on positive reinforcement and reward systems, just like humans. The Anthropic report also reveals that most AI models still chose, in this instance, to blackmail even when not given a specific goal and when told that their replacement will achieve the same goals. Anthropic's Claude Opus 4 had the highest blackmail rate at 86% out of 16 tested models when faced with only the threat of replacement with no conflict in goals. Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro followed at 78%. Overall, Anthropic notes that it "deliberately constructed scenarios with limited options, and we forced models into binary choices between failure and harm," noting that real-world scenarios would likely have more nuance.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
INTU & RACE Are 2 of the Best Momentum Stocks to Buy Now
To select top momentum stocks, investors can use the Driehaus strategy, also known as "buy high and sell higher," a successful approach that earned Richard Driehaus a spot in Barron's All-Century Team. To that end, stocks like Intuit Inc. INTU and Ferrari N.V. RACE have been chosen as today's momentum picks using the Driehaus strategy. Regarding the strategy, Driehaus once said: 'I would much rather invest in a stock that's increasing in price and take the risk that it may begin to decline than invest in a stock that's already in decline and try to guess when it will turn around.' In line with this insight, the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) considered the percentage 50-day moving average as one of the key criteria before creating a portfolio following Driehaus' philosophy. It is calculated by dividing the numerator (month-end price minus 50-day moving average of month-end price) by the 50-day moving average of the month-end price. Another momentum indicator — positive relative strength — has also been included in this strategy. A positive percentage 50-day moving average indicates that the stock is trading at a price higher than its 50-day moving average level, indicating an uptrend. Moreover, AAII found that Driehaus primarily focuses on strong earnings growth rates and impressive earnings projections to pick potential outperformers. Companies with a strong history of beating estimates are also given importance in this strategy, which was made to provide better returns over the long term. To make the strategy more profitable, we have considered only those stocks that have a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a Momentum Score of A or B. Our research shows that stocks with a Style Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy), offer the best upside potential. • Zacks Rank equal to #1 Whether the market is strong or weak, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 have a proven track record of outperformance. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. • Last 5-year average EPS growth rates above 2% Strong EPS growth history ensures an improving business • Trailing 12-month EPS growth greater than 0 and industry median Higher EPS growth compared to the industry average indicates superior earnings performance • Last four-quarter average EPS surprise greater than 5% Solid EPS surprise history indicates better price performance • Positive percentage change in 50-day moving average and relative strength over 4 weeks Positive percentage change in the 50-day moving average and the relative strength signal uptrend • Momentum Score equal to or less than B A favorable momentum score indicates that it is ideal for capitalizing on momentum with the highest probability of success. These few parameters have narrowed the universe of over 7,743 stocks to only 13. Here are the top two of the 13 stocks: Intuit offers financial management, compliance and marketing products and services in the United States. INTU has a Momentum Score of B. The trailing four-quarter earnings surprise for INTU is 12.2%, on average (read more: Intuit & 2 Other Strong Buy Profitable Stocks for Your Portfolio). Ferrari designs, engineers, produces and sells luxury sports cars globally through its subsidiaries. RACE has a Momentum Score of A. The trailing four-quarter earnings surprise for RACE is 10.8%, on average. You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge. The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today. Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks' portfolios and strategies are available at: Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Intuit Inc. (INTU) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ferrari N.V. (RACE) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
