With Americans 'zebra striping' instead of quitting drinking, Michelob Ultra Zero is cashing in

FIRST ON FOX — Americans aren't necessarily quitting drinking, but they are drinking differently.

Michelob Ultra Zero has surged to become the No. 1 top-selling and fastest growing non-alcoholic beer in the country, overtaking Heineken 0.0 just 12 months after launching in January 2025, according to new data from Circana. 

But industry observers say the milestone reflects something larger than a single brand's breakout year. The rapid ascent underscores a structural shift in how Americans socialize, moderate and think about alcohol. 

Rather than abstaining entirely, many consumers are alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages — a practice known as "zebra striping" — allowing them to extend nights out without the next-day consequences.

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"In just 12 months on shelves, Michelob Ultra Zero became the No. 1 top-selling and fastest-growing non-alcohol brew in the industry and the No. 1 innovation in the total beer industry last year," Kyle Norrington, chief commercial officer at Anheuser-Busch, told Fox News Digital.

Anheuser-Busch, which makes Michelob Ultra Zero, has three of the top five non-alcoholic brands, along with No. 3 Budweiser Zero and No. 4 Busch NA, according to Circana.

With just 29 calories, Michelob Ultra Zero extends the brand's long-standing association with balanced, fitness-conscious lifestyles, said Ryan Foley, the New Jersey-based author of the book "Non-Alcoholic Drinks for Dummies."

"I know that Michelob, on the alcohol side, is also on fire — so I feel like they're getting a lot of pull-through from both sides of the coin at this point if they're taking over the No. 1 spot," Foley told Fox News Digital.

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The non-alcoholic beer's quick ascent is also part of a broader transformation, Foley said. 

Consumers are not necessarily giving up alcohol altogether, he said. Instead, many are "zebra striping."

"I think they're just trying to extend their nights and their sessions out," Foley said. "Maybe less than the three martini lunches, and maybe one martini and two NA beers to keep the afternoon productive."

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That moderation mindset is now deeply embedded in the industry, said Meagen Coester, the Michigan-based founder of AFicioNAdo and the author of what she describes as the first manual on non-alcoholic beer.

"It's not a trend anymore. It is a category," Coester told Fox News Digital.

She noted that advances in de-alcoholization technology have dramatically improved taste, describing processes that allow brewers to match the taste profile of their full-strength counterparts and removing a long-standing barrier for skeptical consumers.

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Health considerations are also reshaping drinking habits. 

Beyond calorie counts, Coester pointed to the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss medications and broader wellness trends as influential forces.

"GLP-1s have to be considered as one of the reasons why we're seeing this dramatic shift," she said. 

"It can't be ignored anymore."

The forces driving Michelob Ultra Zero's rapid ascent suggest that non-alcoholic beer is not cannibalizing traditional beer so much as expanding its definition.

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"It's just another awesome add-on to have within your portfolio," Foley said.