Why the Department of Justice Considers Bud Light Lime-A-Rita a “Premium Plus” Beer

An interesting quote today coming from the Department of Justice relative to Anheuser-Busch Bud Light Lime-A-Rita…

ABI groups beer into four segments: sub-premium, premium, premium plus, and high end. The sub-premium segment, also referred to as the value segment, generally consists of lager beers, such as Natural and Keystone branded beer, and some ales and malt liquors, which are priced lower than premium beers, made from less expensive ingredients and are generally perceived as being of lower quality than premium beers. The premium segment generally consists of medium-priced American lager beers, such as ABI’s Budweiser, and the Miller and Coors brand families, including the "light" varieties. The premium plus segment consists largely of American beers that are priced somewhat higher than premium beers, made from more expensive ingredients and are generally perceived to be of superior quality. Examples of beers in the premium plus category include Bud Light Lime, Bud Light Platinum, Bud Light Lime-a-Rita and Michelob Ultra.

The high-end category includes craft beers, which are often produced in small-scale breweries, and imported beers…ABI also owns high-end beers including Stella Artois and Goose Island.
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