Budweiser Launches Select 55, Light Beer Arms Race Gets Absurd
At a certain point, you’ve got to just call it water.
Not to be outdone by a fellow conglomerate, Anheuser-Busch InBev raised (lowered?) the stakes against MillerCoors’ MGD Light 64 with its launch this week of Bud Select 55. The new light beer, which I promise is not a joke, boasts a slender and eponymous 55 calories. But A-B InBev not only bests MillerCoors in cutting calories — they pretty much give you less across the board. Let’s see how they stack up. (All servings 12 oz.)
- Bud Select 55 – 55 calories, 1.9 g carbs, 2.4% abv
- MGD Light 64 – 64 calories, 2.4 g carbs, 2.8% abv
- Bud Select – 99 calories, 3.1 g carbs, 4.3% abv
- skim milk – 129 calories, 17.9 g carbs
- orange juice – 168 calories, 28.2 g carbs
I include the skim milk and OJ to illustrate that stuff that many people drink every day — and generally think of as healthy, or at least not destructive — positively booms next to these watered down beers.
But the best part of the caloric arms race (for companies, not drinkers) is that they’re charging more money and successfully selling a product that is literally watered down. Jokes about coitus in a Native American nautical vessel aside, when all these nutrition stats are lower, it’s because there’s simply less ingredients in each bottle.
These discussions often bring up price per alcohol comparisons, because price and abv are two quantifiable statistics. The real fleecing going on here is that people pay the same $5 or $6 for a six-pack of these ultralight beers (with sub-3% alcohol levels) as they would for light beer (about 4% abv) or ordinary, somewhat flavorful Bud Heavy (5%). So unless Bud Light is just too rich for the Select 55 or MGD 64 drinker, these people are paying for water at beer prices. Or, put another way, they’re paying for a placebo beer that they can drink in higher quantity than ordinary beer to the same effect. They’re paying for A-B InBev and M-C to step in and feed them water because they can’t just slow down and have one or two less beers in a night.
It occurs to me that you might be wondering what this near-beer tastes like. Actually, I kinda am too, but D.C. is S.O.L.; Select 55 is currently being test marketed in 15 places. Ratebeer’s got a few early reviews, though.
In the meantime I’m going to sit back and enjoy the arms race of numbers until A-B and M-C start peddling beer-scented seltzer. I leave you with the similarly absurd Gilette-Schick razor-blade showdown: when Schick upped the ante on the Gilette’s Mach 3 with its four-bladed Quattro (extra blade, extra “T”), Gilette sure enough hit back with its five-bladed Fusion 5. Five razor blades on your face sounds ridiculous, right? Well, The Onion totally called it out.
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Linked From: August 12th, 2009Like Light Beer, Stenson’s Mayostard Saves You Time - Young & Hungry - Washington City Paper
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Linked From: November 13th, 2009This Week’s Greatest Hits on Young & Hungry - Young & Hungry - Washington City Paper
6:29 pm[...] that’s it. I’m tired of including Select 55, that piss-water of a beer, in our weekly count-down feature. Starting this week, I’m [...]
6:44 pm
Not sure how I feel about this. On one hand I’m a craft beer fan and pretty much won’t drink Bud anyway (exceptions are made of course, I also don’t believe in snobbery, I just mean when I go buy my own beer). On the other its sad that stuff like this and bud light lime are even allowed to be called beer. I mean this is more or less like someone taking vodka, watering it down by 50%, and referring to it as Absolute 30.
That said, they’ll sell a ton and somewhere out there someone is ecstatic they can ‘drink beer and still be skinny’. Cue massive eye-roll from everyone reading that.
@cbjerrisgaard
7:14 pm
I mean.. there’s nowhere left to go. Yes low calories but also low alcohol. It’s pretty damn hard to get drunk on light beer already, so I have no idea why anyone would feel the need for this development, but I guess the market research is there to support it. I wonder what we should call this particular horseman of the apocalypse?
8:57 am
When I was in Sweden, you could only buy near beer in the grocery store, anything above 4% was sold in the liquor store. Couple this with the fact that a DWI was like committing social suicide is Sweden, I believe InBev is responding to it’s euro-roots with this move. It allows you to stand in a bar with a beer in hand, and not get too drunk to drive. I applaud this move and see it as a socially responsible move for a manufacturer of a product with a health issue warning on it’s label.
11:48 pm
Damn!!! That’s my expression after taking the first sip of Bud Select 55. It’s “Tap Water”, no taste no smell of beer. Is it a joke?
9:12 pm
Living in one of the test markets, I tried one of these with dinner last evening. If you do not live in one of the test markets, you can still get a taste of this new beer by doing the following:
1. Take a sip of a domestic beer (regular Bud Select works well).
2. Swish it around in your mouth and then spit it out (no swollowing).
3. Drink a club soda normally.
By following those three steps, you will get all of the taste of Bud Select 55, which is really kind of sad when Busch beers non-alcoholic fare has more beer taste than Select 55 does.
I can’t imagine, in todays economy, this going to market.
11:15 pm
For the calorie conscious… Bud Select 55 is one of the best for alcohol per calorie in beer. Only beat by the beast. But still, for money’s sake, probably best to stick to miller light, bud select, or mic ultra amber. Or, for qualities sake, drink one full flavored craft beer and call it a night you drunk.
12:01 am
I love all types of beer and take every chance I get to try a new and different beer. This beer along with MGD64 is a good beer. The taste is slightly weaker but it looks, smells and tastes like beer. A good light beer is good sometimes so you can clear your pallet for the next adventure.
8:48 pm
Those of us who are diabetic are grateful to be able to have a beer that is truly low in carbs. It makes a big difference to us!
7:01 pm
The 55 calorie, low alcohol beer fits my life style. There is a lot of talk about the price balanced with the amount a alcohol, no arguing if that is what you want don’t buy Bud 55. However if you simply prefer beer over soda, wine, or water, but too much alcohol slows you down – drink the 55 and you can still do what you want to do. You can drink 55 at a BBQ and truly not have to worry about driving home. Maybe I am just a lightweight, but if I drink a 6 pack of Fat Tire, I am not leaving the couch, I am done. I can drink a 6 pack of 55 and go play a game of soccer
I think it is great. The market researches must have had me in mind when they created this beer.
9:03 am
May as well drink water with a 1/4 oz of vodka in it.
4:49 pm
I think this is a great option for people like me that are trying to looooooose weight. I myself, prefer a good strong & smooth homebrew. On the otherhand, with a current goal of sending 45 lbs away and not having a good selection of low cal drinks out there, this is a great option. It gets old toting diet tonic to bars so I can partake. And a second thought is that my hubby embibes in shots so I end up driving home anyway. So less alcohol isn’t always a bad thing. But I do agree that the price shouldn’t be more. It’s kinda like the “organic” pricing. BTW, since june 19.8 lbs gone.
3:18 pm
I love this Beer! I can now enjoy more than two beers when I drink and feel good still the next day! Yes, I am a “lightweight” as they say. I know my limits of what I can drink without getting drunk and feeling bad the next day. I don’t get drink beer to get drunk or get a buzz. I really enjoy the taste. Thank you Budweiser!
3:47 pm
First taste was a surprise. A light beer with no after taste. Good, refreshing. Good to the last drop. Was looking for a light beer so I could watch calories and carbs. Thank you Budweiser!! Give your brewmaster a raise.
12:41 pm
The MGD 64 is sitting in my fridge. We call it “Baby beer”, not that we’d actually give it to babies, but you get the point. It’s pretty much flavored water. However, it is refreshing and only 1 weight watchers point (registered trade mark – whatever).
Anyway, I like it. I like the fact that my husband is slimmer since it replaced other beers. We’ll try the Bud version and do a taste test.
10:07 pm
I just finished drinking my first select 55. MGD 64 probably has a bit more taste. I’m curious to see how many I have to drink to get a buzz. Personally, I like a heavy beer but my wife is trying to loose baby weight. Whoever thought that healthy and beer would be thought of in the same sentence but here we are. The beer will probably do will. I’m sure we’ll be buying it again.
1:49 am
2.4 % ALCOHOL WHAT IN THE WORLD NO THANKS YES LOW CALORIES BUT NO GOOD BUZZ MIGHT AS WELL DRINK WATER IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY CAME OUT WITH A BEER THAT HAD 55 OR 64 CALORIES WITH 5 % ALCOHOL LIKE BUDWIZER DOES BUT EVEN THOUGH BUDWIZER HAS 5% ALCHOL IT HAS 145 CALORIES BUT GIVES YOU A REAL GOOD BUZZZZZ…. THANK GOD FOR BUDWIZER I WATCH MY CALORIES DURING THE WEEK AND DRINK BOTTLED WATTER WITH ZERO CALORIES AND THEN BLOW ALL MY CALORIE INTAKE ON THE WEEKENDS WITH DRINKIN A BUNCHA COLD BUDWIZERZ….LOL
11:44 am
Let’s all sing together, I Can’t Drink…55.
8:50 am
What is the salt content?
10:52 pm
I LOVE IT!!! I have been a Select drinker for some time now and always loved it. The 55 is great, I am NOT drinking to get drunk…I drink because I enjoy the taste, which by the way; 55 has more “taste” then 64 by far; and I have always kidded that I wish they would make a beer flavored water! Well, now I can socialize without getting so drunk!!! Kuddos to you Budweiser! I will buy this product always!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6:12 pm
Im drinking one now. Tastes like watered down beer. Doesnt taste BAD. Bud to me taste like crap. If this was watered down crap I would say so. It has a decent flavor albeit watered down.