Organic Grains Take Center Stage in Anheuser-Busch’s Latest Light Beer
America’s obsession with everything organic has come for your beer. Anheuser-Busch announced today that the country’s largest brewery is introducing a new addition to its popular Michelob Ultra line of beers, Michelob Ultra Pure Gold—billed as the brewery’s first light beer to be made with organic grains.
To clarify, Michelob Ultra Pure Gold isn’t an entirely organic beer; it’s not even the first Anheuser-Busch product to use organic grains in the brewing process. However, beyond being the brewery’s first light beer to use organic grains, Pure Gold is also Anheuser-Busch’s biggest launch to put the idea of organic grains front and center.
“Our research has confirmed that organic ingredients are important to consumers—especially those who prioritize living an active, balanced lifestyle,” Azania Andrews, Vice President, Michelob Ultra, told us. “More and more we’re seeing that people want to know what ingredients make up the products they enjoy, and they work hard to try and incorporate organically-sourced food and beverages into their daily lifestyle.”
Beyond touting the organic angle, Michelob Ultra also boasts that Pure Gold is free from artificial colors and flavorings and that the brand’s sustainability efforts also include the packaging which received the Sustainable Forestry Initiative stamp of approval. As for the grains themselves, Andrews explained that they are all sourced from within the United States, including organic rice grown in Texas and milled in Louisiana, and organic malts sourced from local growers in Idaho, California, and Oregon.
Anheuser-Busch says that Michelob Ultra is the fastest growing beer brand in the country, which played into its choice to use the brand to focus on organic ingredients. “For the past 15 years, we’ve continued to be the beer consumers seeking balance can go to—so the opportunity to continue leading the category with a new innovation like Michelob Ultra Pure Gold was a natural fit,” Andrews said. “We never want to rest on past success and always want to make sure that as our consumers evolve, so do we.”