Bud Light falls to No. 3 beer brand more than year after Dylan Mulvaney controversy

Modelo Especial, Michelob Ultra and Bud Light. Those are the recent sales rankings of the top three beers in the U.S., according to data shared by Bump Williams consulting firm.

In year-to-date numbers that ended July 6, Modelo accounted for 9.3% of beer dollar sales in U.S. stores. Michelob Ultra accounted for 7.1%, and Bud Light fell to the No. 3 spot with 7.0%, an analysis of NielsenIQ data shows.

The consulting firm credits Michelob Ultra’s success to advertising, consumer acceptance, retail support, distributor execution and “focus and the thirst for ‘health & wellness and better for you refreshment.’”

“Bud Light is still the #1 selling beer in the United States on a volume basis (cases) and has started to recover from the Dylan Mulvaney situation that occurred on April 1st of 2023,” a statement from the consulting firm to FOX Business reads. “While $ sales aren’t quite back into the ‘positive’ yet, the declines for the brand have improved dramatically and Retailer support continues to improve week after week.”

BUD LIGHT REMAINS DRAG ON PARENT COMPANY AS DYLAN MULVANEY HIT LINGERS

Sales of Bud Light began to tumble in the U.S. in April 2023, following the brand’s controversial partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney sparked a boycott of the beer last year. This included Bud Light creating and sending custom beer cans to Mulvaney to mark “365 days of girlhood.” 

BUD LIGHT SALES DOWN NEARLY 30% YEAR OVER YEAR AS RIVALS CONTINUE TO CLIMB

Anheuser-Busch InBev Michelob Ultra brand beer bottles, left, at a store in Queens borough of New York, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

That move and comments from Bud Light’s marketing vice president at the time, Alissa Heinerscheid, who said she wanted to update the “fratty” and “out-of-touch” brand, sparked calls from conservative influencers and celebrities to shun the brand, and a boycott took hold.

Prior to the partnership, Bud Light, owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, was the top-selling beer in America.

Budweiser beer in the brewery section at an H-E-B grocery store on March 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas.  (Brandon Bell/Getty Images / Getty Images)

A bottle of Michelob’s new Ultra beer is shown October 18, 2002 in New York City. Michelob Ultra is a lager with 96 calories, 4.1 percent alcohol by volume and 2.9 grams of carbohydrates per 12-oz. serving. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images / Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS 

Anheuser-Busch InBev has worked to rehabilitate Bud Light’s image since the boycott, with limited success. They also make new number 2 Michelob Ultra. The company did not immediately respond to a FOX Business request for comment. 

Bud Light was toppled from its long reign as the bestselling beer in the U.S. last year, losing the title to Constellation Brand’s Modelo Especial.

FOX Business’ Breck Dumas contributed to this report.