Michelob Ultra overtakes Modelo as top

Perhaps with Leo Messi as the face of Michelob Ultra, it was only a matter of time before the light lager achieved GOAT status.

The Anheuser-Busch beer has overtaken rival Modelo Especial in U.S. retail sales by volume for the year-to-date ending on Sept. 14, according to data from Circana seen by CNN.

In a press release Monday, Anheuser-Busch attributed the momentum partly to the successful launch of Michelob Ultra Zero, a non-alcoholic version of the beer.

It’s quite the achievement for the brewer, which faced backlash from conservatives and liberals alike over a partnership with a transgender social media influencer that tanked sales of Bud Light and dethroned it as the top-selling beer in the United States, leading Modelo Especial to take its place in 2023.

The success of Modelo,