Bud Light Next Taste Test: We Tried Bud Light's New Zero Carb Beer

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We Tried Bud Light's First-Ever Zero-Carb Beer & It's Perfect for Seltzer Fans

Bud Light Next features zero carbs, 80 calories, and 4% ABV.

By Megan SchalteggerPublished on Jan 27, 2022 at 5:42 PM

While you might not have stuck to that laundry list of resolutions you jotted down during a bout of New Year's Day hangxiety, Anheuser-Busch is making your health-related goals for the year achievable. What we mean by that is that you can cut carbs without cutting out your 5 o'clock happy hour.

Ubiquitous low-calorie beer maker Bud Light is releasing its next great innovation, Bud Light Next, a zero-carb brew that boasts a similarly crisp and refreshing flavor with a healthier twist.

"There's some new technologies that had to be created to enable us to get a zero-carb beer that tastes the way that we want it to," Senior Director of innovation Paul Scholz told Thrillist, noting that the team went through 130 plus prototypes in its 10-year development process. "Ultimately, finally, we landed on a good tasting product that we really think meets those taste needs of a light, super sessionable beer. But it's the stats as well, being able to truly achieve zero carbs, which is pretty groundbreaking."

What is Bud Light Next?

Bud Light Next is the brand's first-ever zero-carb beer. The even lighter Bud Light includes just 80 calories, which is 30 less than the original, and just 4% ABV. The debut is said to feature that same clean, refreshing flavor we've all come to know and love of Bud Light, but with the sessionability and stats of a seltzer.

"It's not the same taste as Bud Light. It's gonna be a different taste," Scholz said. "It's super refreshing, super sessionable, we call it super crisp. It's got some light citrusy notes that come through, but ultimately, has that beer profile you'd expect from a light lager like Bud Light."

What does Bud Light Next taste like? How is it different than classic Bud Light?

Immediately upon cracking open the Bud Light Next, it fizzed differently than your typical beer. The zero-carb iteration lacked the maltiness of a regular beer, and instead, its crisp, refreshing nature stole the show with subtle citrus hints. It seemed to have more carbonation, like a seltzer, and the flavor profile reminded me a bit of boozy bubbly water too.

Conclusion

Bud Light Next isn't going to be for the classic IPA drinker, and while It reads more like a seltzer than a beer, its zero-carb stats and crisp flavor, it certainly has a market.

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Megan Schaltegger is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist.By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.SubscribeSubscribe to Thrillist DailyAdventure is always around the corner. And now it’s also in your inbox!SubscribeBy signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.