What's The Best-Selling Beer In The US By Volume?

Freshsplash/Getty Images

If you guessed Bud Light is the most frequently sold beer in the US, we wouldn't blame you. From 2001 to 2023, it consecutively held the title of top beer in the US. It dominated commercials and appeared in the hands of American partygoers, sports spectators, and big-name celebrities during Super Bowl spots. As of the Fall of 2025, reports indicate that America has a new favorite beer, and it's Michelob Ultra. The shift was a long time coming — Michelob Ultra had been dominating Bud Light in bars and restaurants since the end of 2024.

Anheuser-Busch, which owns Michelob Ultra, Bud Light, and several other brands, attributed Michelob Ultra's success to targeted marketing, positioning it as the top choice for health-conscious drinkers and sports fans. "This approach has turned Michelob Ultra into an absolute rocket ship, and we've got tremendous opportunity ahead of us," said Anheuser-Busch Chief Commercial Officer Kyle Norrington in a press release. According to the release, Michelob Ultra grew by 15% from 2020 to 2025, gaining more than 2% of the market share. "This is a proud moment for our teams and partners and speaks to the resilience of the American beer category," Norrington said.

Ceri Breeze/Shutterstock

While Michelob Ultra and Bud Light continue to rival for volume sales, a third beer leads the way in dollar sales. On revenue alone, the best-selling beer in the U.S. is Modelo Especial, which claimed the spot in June 2023, by dethroning Bud Light. Modelo Especial was introduced to America from Mexico in the 1990s, and its popularity steadily increased as Americans' favor for Bud Light fell away, causing the three beers' paths to collide in recent years. The numbers have prompted a public discourse, and some beer drinkers disagree with the majority opinion.

One Beer Advocate community member explained that they avoid drinking Michelob Ultra because of its taste. "I always thought of Bud Light as a flavorless swill ... but in comparison to Mich[elob] Ultra, it almost qualifies as a rich, full-bodied lager. If Mich Ultra was my only beer option, I would have given up beer altogether years ago."

Redditors have thoughts, too, with some users showing love for multiple top beer contenders. "Depends on the occasion for me," wrote a user at r/beer. "If I'm [at a] BBQ or at the ballgame, I prefer Budweiser. But on a hot day, I prefer Modelo." On another thread of the same subreddit, a bartender noted that Michelob Ultra is popular at their workplace, and offered a theory: "I think it's just a comfort thing. It's one of the lightest beers around, it's usually cheap, and they know what they're getting."