(Courtesy MillerCoors)

Light beer’s rising star Michelob Ultra is the talk of the biz and competitors like MillerCoors’ crafty brand Saint Archer want in on its action.

Here’s the deal…

Launched nationally in 2004, Michelob Ultra has become a Big Beer force of nature having successfully harnessed the healthy lifestyle mantra to a low carb, low calorie (and even organic) beer and ridden it to more than a decade of success.

And it has to be sobering news, especially for MillerCoors, to learn that according to IRI data, Michelob Ultra is now the third-largest beer brand in America (that’s by sales not volume) with Miller Lite slipping to number four.

But it doesn’t appear that MillerCoors is willing to take Michelob Ultra’s ascendency sitting down and they’ll be taking Saint Archer Gold, a light lager developed to compete directly with Michelob Ultra, national in 2020.

After being groomed for six months on shelves and in bars in four test markets, Saint Archer’s above-premium Helles-style light beer booked strong sales and velocity figures  big enough to warrant a national rollout in January.

Speaking with Peter Frost at Behind the Beer Paul Verdu, vice president of sales and marketing for Tenth and Blake, the MillerCoors craft and import division, detailed how testing Saint Archer Gold performed in cities like Austin, Indianapolis and Charlotte informed the company’s planned national rollout…

“First and foremost, we learned that the idea itself is a winner. We saw a lot of green shoots and a lot of success. And to no one’s surprise, we found that when we get consumers to try it, they buy it.”

“The primary thing that attracted us to Saint Archer from the start was the amazing job the team did building this brand naturally in the active-lifestyle space. Saint Archer appeals to consumers who live their lives for the journey.”

 “Saint Archer Gold was the next obvious opportunity and what we hope is the first of a line of better-for-you brands coming from Saint Archer.”

Brewed to answer the growing demand for approachable beers with lower alcohol content, Saint Archer Gold checks in at 95 calories and 2.6 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving. And it is aimed directly at Michelob Ultra‘s core consumers active, health-conscious 25- to 44-year-old men and women.