How Busch Light Apple Became a “Cult Beer” Classic
How Busch Light Apple Became a “Cult Beer” Classic
(Courtesy Busch Light)
Let’s start with the beer, Busch Light Apple may be one of the strangest cult beers we’ve ever covered. It’s a “Big Beer” special release that has spawned legions of fans who hunt it down and hoard it.
Keep in mind we’re not talking about Russian River’s “Pliny the Younger’ much sought after limited release here, this is a mass-market fruit-flavored version of Busch Light that has generated its own fanatical following.
When Anheuser-Busch launched Busch Light Apple back in the summer of 2020, no one expected the fruity twist on a traditionally straightforward beer to catch fire as it did. Known for its rugged, outdoorsy brand image, Busch Light wasn’t the first name you’d associate with innovation—or apples. But that’s exactly what made the release so memorable.
Originally conceived as a limited-time offering, Busch Light Apple caught on quickly. When it returned in 2021, the apple-forward” flavored lager sold over one million cases in less than nine weeks, prompting the brand to roll out the beer nationwide in 2022.
Back in 2022 it was mania, beer lovers would chase down trucks to get their hands on Busch Light Apple before it disappeared again.
Anheuser-Busch leaned hard into the beer’s offbeat persona and created intentionally bizarre promotional content—including a “Busch Light Apple Launch Commercial” that parodied action movie tropes and featured over-the-top sound effects, slow-motion apple drops, and dramatic lighting.
Fans were game and quickly embraced the campaign’s absurdity, flooding social media with quirky reviews, apple & beer memes, and DIY Busch Light Apple taste tests.
And again demand exceeded expectations.
What was meant to be a seasonal gimmick had become a cult classic, with fans clamoring for its return each year. Busch even released a limited-edition Apple Suit—a full red camouflage hunting outfit—to celebrate the beer’s growing fan base among outdoorsmen and tailgaters alike.
Despite its popularity, Busch Light Apple was officially discontinued in 2023, prompting disappointment and nostalgic tributes from fans. The company even marked its farewell with tongue-in-cheek social media posts, thanking the apple for its service.
In 2025 Busch Light Apple was once again revived…And its fans were briefly sated, which lead’s us to its surprise reappearance which will be hitting retail soon in 2026
“One in every three comments on Busch Light’s social posts are from fans urging us to bring back Busch Light Apple, and we’ve read every single one,” Krystyn Stowe, Head of Marketing Busch Family & Natural Family at Anheuser-Busch said at the time….
“Listening to our fans and giving them what they want is always our top priority. Busch Light Apple is coming back in 2026. While we’re not spilling all the apples just yet, fans can look forward to the same refreshing-to-the-core, cold and smooth sip that they know and love.”
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