Heineken eyes light beer opportunity in the US

Heineken USA’s chief executive Maggie Timoney told Reuters that there is room for the Heineken Silver brand to grow among “premium” lagers and that Heineken plans to win over Americans with more than two million free samples this year, most notably during its partnership with the US Open tennis and as title sponsor of the Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix

However, despite the opportunities present for Heineken to step in and claim the light beer crown, there are rumblings among industry analysts suggesting that the feat might not be as simple as it seems.

For instance, in recent data from Euromonitor International, sales volumes of established light brands have reportedly plummeted at a faster pace than the US beer category as a whole over the past six years due to craft beers and hard seltzers effectively stealing market share. Despite the dip, Euromonitor International revealed that sales of light beers still make up nearly half of the US beer market and generated US$118 billion in 2022.

Despite Heineken’s bold plans, Bernstein Research drinks analyst Trevor Stirling said that Heineken still needed to work a lot to get young consmers to reconsider the Heineken brand that “your Dad or Grandad drank”.

The Drinks Business