What to drink instead of Bud Light
Bud Light is sold as American and brewed in Britain, at Magor, Monmouthshire, South Wales and Samlesbury, Lancashire, at 3.4%. The version sold in the United States is 4.2%, 0.8 percentage points stronger.
By Mark Porter. Last checked 9 September 2026. Where Bud Light is really brewed, with the pack wording and the sources.
What the front says, and what the back says
American brand name and US advertising heritage
Country of Origin: United Kingdom. Manufacturer: AB InBev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN.
Where it is brewed, against where the brand comes from
| The brand comes from | United States, from 1982 |
|---|---|
| Owned by | Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium |
| Brewed for the UK at | Magor, Monmouthshire, South Wales and Samlesbury, Lancashire (AB InBev UK Limited) |
Strength, and what it means in a pack
A pint of Bud Light at the UK strength of 3.4% holds 1.9 units. At the 4.2% sold in the United States it would hold 2.4, so the British pint holds 0.5 fewer units than the same quantity of the beer sold in the United States.
Instead of Bud Light
| Beer | Why it is on the list | Strength here |
|---|---|---|
| Michelob UltraFrom the country on the label | Brewed at Anheuser-Busch breweries in the United States. 3.5% here (4.2% at home), 0.1 percentage points stronger than Bud Light. | 3.5% |
| Heineken SilverThe same style, genuinely imported from elsewhere | Brewed in the Netherlands. 4.0% here, 0.6 percentage points stronger than Bud Light. | 4.0% |
| Grolsch Premium PilsnerThe same style, genuinely imported from elsewhere | Brewed at Enschede in the Netherlands. 3.4% here (5.0% at home), the same strength as Bud Light. | 3.4% |
| Rosa BlancaThe same style, genuinely imported from elsewhere | Brewed at Barcelona in Spain. 3.4% here (4.8% at home), the same strength as Bud Light. | 3.4% |
| Carling Original LagerBritish, and honest about it | British, brewed at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire and Tadcaster, North Yorkshire. 4.0% here, 0.6 percentage points stronger than Bud Light. | 4.0% |
| Tennent's LagerBritish, and honest about it | British, brewed at Wellpark Brewery, 161 Duke Street, Glasgow. 4.0% here, 0.6 percentage points stronger than Bud Light. | 4.0% |
Chosen by rule, not by taste, and no beer pays to appear: how the list is made.
Where Bud Light is stocked, and when we last checked
| Supermarket | Product page | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| Morrisons | The listing | 5 September 2026 |
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