Marketing madness: meet a beer made using melted snow

It is the silly season, so a beer made with melted snow should come as no surprise.

Global brewing giant AB InBev has made a beer made with snow from New York State's Highmark Stadium as part of its sponsorship of NFL team the Buffalo Bills, the drinks business reports.



The limited-edition beer, named Bud Light Blizzard Brew, “celebrates the final season for the Bills" at their current stadium.

The snow used in the brew was gathered from the first snowfall at Highmark Stadium earlier this year.

It was then transported to the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Baldwinsville, New York - around 100km away. 

The brewery team then integrated the snow into the brewing process to create a light beer sold in custom 16oz cans.

AB InBev has said that the release of Bud Light Blizzard Brew will be available at select retailers in the Buffalo area and fan gathering spots this month.

The stadium opened in 1973 but is set to close at the conclusion of the current 2025 NFL season to be replaced by a nearby new Highmark Stadium. 

Corona remains the world’s most-valuable beer brand

Corona has been named as the world’s most valuable beer brand for the second consecutive year, Kantar’s 2025 BrandZ Global report says. 

The accolade comes as the brand celebrates its centenary, bolstered by notable global growth and the growing success of its alcohol-free offshoot, Corona Cero.



The report shows that eight of the world’s top 10 beer brands are now owned by global giant AB InBev, with Budweiser ranked second, Modelo fourth and Michelob ULTRA fifth. 

AB InBev, listed on stock exchanges in Brussels, Mexico City, Johannesburg and New York, achieved all-time high revenues in 2024, along with 15% growth on earnings.

Corona’s international success in 2024 included double-digit growth outside of its native Mexico, and significantly, triple-digit gains for alcohol-free Corona Cero. 

The non-alcoholic variant is the first beer brand to sponsor the Olympic Games, debuting in Paris last year. 

Corona’s “Corona 100” platform will feature anniversary events across global markets throughout 2025, positioning the brand at the centre of both celebration and innovation. 

Marcel Marcondes, AB InBev’s global chief marketing officer, says the brand’s success demonstrates the value of long-term brand building and consistency. 

“Having eight out of the top 10 beer brands in Kantar’s BrandZ rankings reflects our focus on growing our megabrands through consumer-centricity, consistency and effectiveness.”
 he said. 

Michelob ULTRA, the fastest-growing beer brand in the US, moved up one position in Kantar’s beer rankings, now fifth globally. 

The AB InBev-owned light beer brand continues to tap into health-focused consumer trends in North America and beyond.

The top 10: 1. Corona, 2. Budweiser, 3. Heineken, 4. Modelo, 5. Michelob ULTRA, 6. Brahma, 7. Bud Light, 8. Skol, 9. Stella Artois, 10. Guinness. 

Here's cheers to a global beer monopoly

Talk about a monopoly.

One company owns eight of the 10 most valuable beer brand in the world, a new research report shows.

AB InBev, the merged entity of Anheuser-Busch and InBev SA/NV, is a Belgian-Brazilian multinational brewing and drinks company based in Belgium is the global behemoth, research firm Kantar says.

AB InBev was formed through acquiring American company Anheuser Busch.

AB INBev-owned Corona is the world’s most valuable beer brand in 2024, says the London-based market researcher its annual BrandZ global rankings.

“Valued at more than US$19 billion, Corona has become the most valuable global beer brand due to consistent acceleration of growth globally and specifically tapping into growing markets, like Brazil, China, South Africa while maintaining its stronghold in Mexico,” says Kantar CEO Chris Jansen.

The top 10 ranking for beers is:

1. Corona

2. Budweiser

3. Heineken

4. Modelo

5. Brahma

6. Michelob

7. Bud Light

8. Skol

9. Guinness

10. Stella Artois

Of these, Ab InBev owns Corona, Budweiser, Modelo, Brahma, Michelob Ultra, Bud Light, Skol and Stella Artois, industry authority the drinks business reports.

Marcel Marcondes, AB InBev’s global chief marketing officer, said of the results: “Growing our megabrands is a key part of our business strategy to lead and grow the category.”

He said the company’s focus was “on delivering against the needs of our consumers in a way that gives them what they seek, but also in a way that earns their love.”

Hard to believe anyone could love Bud Light, but there you go.

Published annually, the Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands Report ranks the world’s top brands, the sector leaders, big movers and brands to watch.

Guess what happens when you mix sport, politics and money?

Mix politics, sport and money and the result is unlikely to be a good one.

The International Olympic Committee this week named international beverage giant AB InBev as a worldwide partner until 2028, following news that Asahi had pulled out of its Paris sponsorship deal due to Russia’s presence at the 2024 Games.

Multinational brewer AB InBev, full name Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV and the largest brewer in the world, revealed that its alcohol-free Corona Cero will be the official beer of the Olympics through the Olympic and Paralympic Games LA 2028.

The company's brands include Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois.

The deal means poor sports lovers are going to lumbered with an no-alcohol beer.

The agreement also includes marketing rights for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Paralympic Games through the IOC-IPC long-term collaboration agreement, website The Drinks Business reported.

Asahi announced last month that it would be pulling its sponsorship of the Paris Games.

Asahi brand Pilsner Urquell, which is also the official partner of the Czech Olympic Committee, withdrew from all communications and sponsorship material related to the 2024 Olympics, reportedly due to the IOC deciding to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the event.

Asahi released a statement saying “Pilsner Urquell does not want to support the Olympic Games in Paris under current conditions. It will send money to Czech athletes”.

AB Inbev CEO Michel Doukeris said: “Beer is the beverage of moderation and choice, and so it’s fitting to lead with Corona Cero, for this occasion.”

Moderation and choice? Mr Doukeris is clearly a master of spin and bulldust.

French law prohibits the sale or distribution of alcohol in stadiums, and the organisers of the Paris Olympics have not applied for an exemption. Alcoholic drinks can, however, be served in VIP areas.

How very IOC. One rule for the plebs, one rule for sponsors and high flyers.

# The writer has been known to drink beer and is a former consultant to the IOC