Heineken is launching a lower-calorie, gluten-free beer in Brazil, adding another product to its range aimed at drinkers seeking “alternation, moderation and greater balance”.
The Dutch brewer said Heineken Ultimate will go on sale this month in São Paulo and Minas Gerais, before expanding to Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo in July and then nationwide.
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Jules Macken, global innovation director for the Heineken brand, said: “Launching first in Brazil, this exciting innovation came from listening to consumers, understanding the challenges they face in balancing their social lives and their well-being goals, and once more demonstrating Heineken’s pioneering nature and commitment to low-no beer.”
The beer contains 97 calories, has 30% fewer calories than regular Heineken and a lower alcohol content, according to the group.
Heineken said the move fits a wider strategy to diversify its portfolio in Brazil, where it already sells products including Heineken 0.0, Amstel Ultra and, Praya Lager. Last year, the brewer also launched Sol Gluten Free in the country.
Globally, Heineken has already used the Ultimate name on a different product: Heineken 0.0 Ultimate, a zero-alcohol, zero-calorie and zero-sugar beer launched in the US and Poland in March.
Mauricio Giamellaro, the MD of Heineken’s operations in Brazil, said: “More than launching a new product, we are expanding the range of choices within the category. The fact that Brazil is the first market to receive this innovation reinforces the country’s strategic relevance for the brand globally.”
In 2025, Heineken’s net revenue in Brazil fell by a low-single-digit and beer volumes declined by a mid-single-digit in a contracting market, though the group said it gained “meaningful” volume and value share.
The brewer has continued to invest in the country, opening a brewery in Passos in south-eastern Brazil last year.
In December, Heineken said it would end brewing at one of its sites in the north-east of the country.
