There are lots of things you might not know about Michelob Ultra that are important to share. Since many light beer brands are constantly targeting lifestyle diets, you’ll want to know how is Michelob Ultra a healthy beer to drink. The same will apply when asking- is Michelob Ultra gluten free, and Is Michelob Ultra keto-friendly? But when it really matters you’ll need to know- Is Michelob Ultra vegan or not… Let’s find out!
Is Michelob Ultra a healthy beer to drink?
We’re not entirely sure how the whole light beer thing all started, but obviously, regular beer does have a substantial amount of calories. This is why you see the typical beer drinker that looks like Homer Simpson with an oversize belly. Somehow in the 1990s, light beer took a turn and started to see the evolution of ultralight beer variants emerging from all of your favorite brand names.
When it came to Michelob beer, they first introduced Michelob Light in 1978, and then Michelob Ultra in 2002. This recipe is still considered a light beer because of the brewing method. All that they did was refine the recipe so the calories and carbs were much lower but the alcohol content wasn’t watered-down. The average Michelob Ultra has 95 calories and 2.6 carbs which makes it the healthiest of the American beer brands.
In terms of nutrition, this brand is healthy to drink when you are sticking to any kind of diet or lifestyle nutrition choice. Some have said that Michelob Ultra is the best beer spritzer that is more refreshing than typical light beers on the market. It’s not the lowest when it comes to calories, which is why Michelob Ultra remains a top-selling brand for overall flavor.
Is Michelob Ultra gluten free?
The simple answer; NO. When it comes to science, you have to trust the truth when actual testing proves the case for gluten content in Michelob Ultra. It’s not going to cause any alarm bells to go off because the results of this test can be repeated using the Imutest Gluten in-food Kit or any gluten test kit you have on hand. No matter where you’ve read that Michelob Ultra contains gluten wasn’t lying, but these sites weren’t being completely honest either.
The test used to check for gluten content in Michelob Ultra revealed that it contains between 20-100ppm for the result. This is essentially- Very Low Gluten for those who have used this type of test before. It barely registers on the test spot and would likely rank from 1-20 for intensity as a 1. For those who have serious gluten allergies and intolerance, you might want to avoid drinking Michelob Ultra.
If you simply want to keep a gluten-free diet, don’t drink this brand because it contains a needle in a haystack’s worth of gluten. It’s only natural that barley, rice, malt, and imported hops are used as the main ingredients that make this beer. By the time they are transformed into sugar through the fermentation process, some of that gluten sneaks its way in. But there is good news for those who want to enjoy Michelob ultra anyway.
They do offer their Michelob Ultra Organic which is the 100% gluten-free version. This recipe still offers the seltzer-like carbonation with low alcohol and tastes strikingly similar to their Ultra recipe. The only difference is that it’s a golden color similar to sparkling cider rather than being sold in a brown beer bottle.
Michelob ultra nutritional facts
| Nutrition facts | Michelob ULTRA | Michelob Light | Michelob Pure Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Units | 1 Serving (12 fluid ounce) | 1 Serving (12 fluid ounce) | 1 Serving (12 fluid ounce) |
| Calories | 95 | 113 | 85 |
| Total Fat | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0mg | 0mg |
| Sodium | 10mg | 0mg | 10mg |
| Potassium | 60mg | – | 60mg |
| Carbohydrates | 2.6g | 6.7g | 2.5g |
| Protein | 0.6g | 1g | 0.6g |
| Vitamin D | 0mcg | 0mcg | 0mcg |
| Sugars | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| Alcohol | 11.8g (4.2% ABV) | 12g (4.2% ABV) | 10.6g (3.8% ABV) |
| Calcium | 10mg | 0mg | 10mg |
| Iron | 0mg | 0mg | 0mg |
Is Michelob Ultra keto-friendly?
If there is one thing that beer drinkers who are observing the keto diet will enjoy hearing, is that Michelob Ultra is absolutely working for your dietary needs. With only 2.6 carbs per 12oz can, go ahead and have another if you like. Michelob Ultra also contains only 95 calories per glass, so working off a single glass is just as easy as walking a mile or two. It all depends on how many beers you like to enjoy…
The reason that this beer works out so well for keto training is that a total daily carb intake requires fewer than 50 net carbs per day. On the low end, it can be somewhere ideally around 20 carbs per day. With Michelob Ultra being 2.6 carbs, this is worth celebrating since the idea is to have low calories with very few carbs. Too bad you can’t live off of beer alone, otherwise this might be the ideal keto diet.
If you happen to see the Michelob Ultra Organic on the shelf, don’t bother buying this beer. It has added sugar and is often called a ‘Dirty Keto’ due to unhealthy ingredients that are added. It won’t be healthier over a long period than the original Michelob Ultra can offer.
Is Michelob Ultra vegan?
Well, it might as well be mentioned that Michelob Ultra is 100% vegan-friendly. Except for one shocking aspect that is still lingering- and we’re not talking about this beer’s aftertaste. Since there are no dairy products that are used in making beer, all of the ingredients and methods used to make Michelob Ultra are certainly vegan and vegetarian-friendly. It’s not until you have an ethical issue that still has not been resolved with the Anheuser-Busch Co.
As you may or may not know, Anheuser-Busch has its fingers in many other businesses. It owns theme parks including Busch Gardens and Sea World. They also spend an enormous amount of money sponsoring rodeos all over the country. These diversifications have earned them more creditability and increased their profit margins by millions of dollars. Just how much is that? In 2019, it was reported that they earned $52 Billion from global sales of beer!
Now, what seems to be the problem exactly? With aquatic animal parks like Sea World and Pro rodeos that routinely feature bull riding, you might already know where this is going. Essentially, Anheuser-Busch is exploiting animals to sell their product. And, for those of you who are drinking Michelob label beer, guess who the parent company is? It’s an ethical question that worries about any kind of animal exploitation for a product no matter how it’s made.