Mich Ultra Zero has taken over the NA beer space, with help from “zebra striping.”
When I first heard the term “zebra striping” I thought it was another idiotic dating trend. In reality, it has to do with drinking. There’s a new strategy spreading across bars and parties and it’s not about complete sobreity – it’s this zebra striping “method.” (Or apprach? Strategy?) The idea is you alternate an alcoholic beer with a non-alcoholic one throughout your night. The idea is waking up the next day being a functional adult.
In a currently shaky alcohol market, it seems abstention or THC drinks aren’t the only approach anymore, and the sales data is telling the story.
A New Leader Has Arrived
Twelve months after launching in January 2025, Michelob Ultra Zero — 29 calories, zero alcohol — became the #1 top-selling and fastest-growing non-alcoholic beer in America. Circana data named it the top innovation across the entire U.S. beer industry last year. Heineken 0.0, which had comfortably owned the category, got knocked off the top spot in one year by a brand that didn’t exist in the space yet.
That’s a remarkable run by any measure.
It also didn’t come alone. Anheuser-Busch now holds three of the top five NA beers in the country — Ultra Zero at #1, Budweiser Zero at #3, and Busch NA at #4. A quiet but decisive takeover of a segment that was still considered niche just a few years ago.
Why the Timing Makes Sense
It was a fairly long road to get here. De-alcoholization technology has finally improved to the point that people actually like the taste of NA beer (which years ago was basically o’Douls) which eliminated category obstacles. I am still shocked how much Heineken 0.0 or Guinness 0.0 tastes like the alcoholic partner.
Beyond the liquid, there are changes incultural conditions. With 10s of millions of Americans on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic both food and alcohol tolerance have shifted. It’s more than santimonous hashtags about eating salads or working out on social media. It’s meaningful slice of the drinking population actively experiencing reduced alcohol appetite.
Zebra striping sits perfectly at the intersection of all of it and has a lot to do with the meteoric rise in NA beer.
The Michelob Ultra Advantage
Michelob Ultra didn’t stumble into this. The brand spent two decades building around the idea that healthy body and cold beer aren’t mutually exclusive. How many 5Ks or road races can you recall sponsored by Mich Ultra? Michelob Ultra Zero is the natural progression of that – same fitness-friendly identity, zero morning-after tax. Ultra Zero was always the heir-apparent if you think about it.
Whether or not NA beer is eating into regular beer sales is nuanced. The Brewers Association’s 2025 Consumer Survey (Harris Poll) found that 14% of regular craft beer drinkers say they are consuming less craft beer because they’re drinking more NA. If anything you could argue it’s expanding beer’s definition, rather then hurting the category overall.
The NA Shift, and craft’s Athletic Brewing
When I first heard the term “zebra striping,” I thought it was another idiotic dating trend. In reality, it has to do with drinking. There’s a new strategy spreading across bars and parties, and it’s not about complete sobriety — it’s this zebra-striping method (or approach? strategy?). The idea is simple: you alternate an alcoholic beer with a non-alcoholic one throughout the night so you wake up the next day a functional adult.
In a currently shaky alcohol market, abstention and THC drinks aren’t the only options anymore, and the sales data is telling the story.
A New Leader Has Arrived
Twelve months after launching in January 2025, Michelob Ultra Zero — 29 calories, zero alcohol — became the #1 top-selling and fastest-growing non-alcoholic beer in America. Circana data named it the #1 innovation across the entire U.S. beer industry last year. Heineken 0.0, which had comfortably owned the category, got knocked off the top spot in one year by a brand that wasn’t even flowing yet.
That’s notable even if you don’t drink it.
It also didn’t come alone. Anheuser-Busch now holds three of the top five NA beers in the country — Ultra Zero at #1 (volume), Budweiser Zero at #3, and Busch NA at #4. A headache-free takeover of a segment that was rarely even talked about just a few years and many IPAs ago.
Why the Timing Makes Sense It was a fairly long road to get here. De-alcoholization technology has finally improved to the point that people actually like the taste of NA beer (which years ago was basically O’Doul’s). I’m still shocked how much Heineken 0.0 or Guinness 0.0 tastes like its alcoholic partner.
Beyond the liquid, there are shifts in cultural conditions. With tens of millions of Americans on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, both food and alcohol tolerance have changed. It’s more than sanctimonious hashtags about eating salads or working out on social media — it’s a meaningful slice of the drinking population actively experiencing reduced alcohol appetite.
Zebra striping sits perfectly at the intersection of all of it and has a lot to do with the meteoric rise in NA beer.
The Michelob Ultra Advantage Michelob Ultra didn’t stumble into this. The brand spent two decades building around the idea that a healthy body and a cold beer aren’t mutually exclusive. How many 5Ks or road races can you recall sponsored by Mich Ultra? Michelob Ultra Zero is the natural progression of that — same fitness-friendly identity, zero morning-after tax. Ultra Zero was always the heir apparent if you think about it.
Whether or not NA beer is eating into regular beer sales is nuanced. The Brewers Association’s 2025 Consumer Survey (Harris Poll) found that 14% of regular craft beer drinkers say they are consuming less craft beer because they’re drinking more NA. If anything, you could argue it’s expanding beer’s definition rather than hurting the category overall.
The NA Shift — and Craft’s Athletic Brewing The U.S. non-alcoholic beer category is exploding thanks to big brewers and independents alike. Michelob Ultra Zero (from AB) is now the clear #1 by volume — fastest-growing and top-selling. AB InBev also owns Budweiser Zero and Busch NA for three of the top five spots. Heineken 0.0 still leads overall dollar sales with its premium import pricing, and Corona NA is another solid player in that mainstream lane. On the craft side, Athletic Brewing is the authentic powerhouse and family leader: the independent brand holds ~18.4% of the entire NA category, dominates 52% of craft NA (outselling the next 150+ brands combined), and its lineup — Run Wild IPA, Upside Dawn Golden, Free Wave Hazy — often tops aggregate family sales. It landed #8 on the Brewers Association’s Top 50 Craft list for 2024 production.
In short, the big brewers bring massive distribution and familiar light lagers that fuel the zebra-striping trend, Heineken owns premium dollars, and Athletic is the dedicated craft king that basically built the modern NA movement. Everyone’s growing together in this still-tiny-but-soaring ~2.5% slice of total beer.
One real, one NA. Repeat. The zebra has entered the bar, and it’s not leaving.
In short, the brewers bring massive distribution and familiar light lagers supporting this zebra-striping trend, Heineken owns premium dollars, and Athletic is the dedicated craft king that basically built the modern NA movement—everyone’s growing together in this still-tiny-but-soaring ~2.5% slice of total beer.
One real, one NA. Repeat. The zebra has entered the bar, and it’s not leaving.
