CINCINNATI — It’s been more than two months since the Bud Light controversy, when a transgender influencer posted about a partnership with the beer on her social media. People have since boycotted the popular light beer.
What You Need To Know
- Bud Light sales have dropped nationwide after a controversy earlier this spring when a transgender woman shared her partnership with the light beer
- America's No. 1 selling beer is no longer Bud Light
- Bars have seen firsthand how this is affecting beer drinkers
- The owners at Bobby Mackey's said Bud Light was always their No. 1 selling beer and now its sales have dropped 60-70%
Inside Bobby Mackey’s, country music is on repeat every Friday and Saturday night.
“A good time, that’s for sure," Bobby Mackey, the owner and singer of the bar said. "Good country music. We play country music.”
For Bobby Mackey himself, he’s been going on 45 years here. But recently, he’s seen a change in his patrons on the dance floor.
“It used to be all Bud Light, but it’s noticeably different," he said.
His wife, Denise, manages the honky tonk, and said she noticed the difference in sales right away.
“Our first night open after the campaign came out, our Bud Light coolers were full," Denise said. "We didn’t sell anything, basically, as far as Bud Light.”
Which for this bar, was unusual.
“At the end of the night, I personally checked the coolers myself and they were full," Denise said. "Which is crazy because Bud Light has always been our top seller.”
Denise estimates that they’ve seen a decrease of about 60-70% of Bud Light sales, and they’re not alone. Bud Light’s retail sales were down 24% at the beginning of the month, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Bump Williams Consulting. Bud Light is no longer America’s No. 1 selling beer this month either, being taken over by Modelo, which is also owned by Anheuser-Busch outside the United States. Inside the United States, it's owned by Constellation Brands.
For Denise, her back stock looks entirely different from a few months ago. She hasn’t ordered beer in three weeks because of how much Bud Light she had.
“Typically after a Saturday night, we would have half what we have here," she said of her Bud Light stash.
She said Miller Lite has become the new beer at Bobby Mackey’s but thinks that this boycott can’t stay this way forever.
“Bud Light is just synonymous with beer," she said. "If someone says you want a beer? Yeah, I’ll take a Bud Light.”
Correction: This article has been changed to clarify that Modelo is also owned by Anheuser-Busch outside the United States. Inside the United States, it's owned by Constellation Brands. (June 26, 2023)