Who owns NATURAL LIGHT?

NATURAL LIGHT is owned by

ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV

First Brewed

1977

Origin

Missouri, United States

Website

Natural Light was introduced by Anheuser-Busch in 1977 as a response to the growing demand for light beer in the United States. The beer was the first light beer made by the company, and had only 97 calories. The formulation was made to directly compete with Miller Lite, which was the first commercially successfully light beer on the market. As it was Anheuser-Busch’s first foray into the light beer category, they wanted to avoid an association with its main brands, and so developed a new brand for the style.

However, that reticence quickly faded, and the following year they released Michelob Light, followed by Budweiser Light (later renamed Bud Light) in 1982. When that brand was introduced, Natural Light’s pricing was dropped into the value tier, and quickly become popular with college students with the nickname “Natty.”

In 1995, the brand was extended with the introduction of Natural Ice, a freeze-distilled ice beer with an elevated 5.9% ABV. Natural Ice is now the number one ice beer in the United States. This success was followed by the release of Natty Daddy Malt Liquor (at 8% ABV) in 2012, and Naturdays strawberry lemonade flavored malt beverage in 2019.

In 2008, Anheuser-Busch was acquired by InBev, a Belgian/Brazilian multinational brewing conglomerate, forming Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev). As a result, AB InBev is the current owner of the brand.

Beginning in 2023, the brand leaned into the nostalgia trend, with the reintroduction of the original 1977 packaging and label.