The UK version of Bud Light Seltzer is to be a flavoured malt beverage (FMB), owner Anheuser-Busch InBev has revealed.

The 4%-abv sparkling water will roll out in the UK from 29 April as the brand extension expands out of the US, where it launched early last year. A spokesperson for A-B InBev confirmed to just-drinks the UK formulation will follow the US model and will be an FMB.

In the US, most hard seltzers are FMBs because of tax advantages, whereas many European hard seltzers use a spirit base. For past UK alcoholic seltzer launches, A-B InBev has favoured non-FMBs. However, Mike’s Hard Seltzer, which the group owns outside of the US, used a spirit base when it appeared in the UK in late-2019.

As well as their strong growth in the US, one of the appeals of hard seltzers for global brewers is that their formulation can be changed to suit different markets. For example, although Heineken’s recently-launched Pure Pirana uses fermented sugar alcohol in Europe, the New Zealand version is beer-based.

Speaking to just-drinks last month, Heineken‘s head of global flavoured beverages, Cecilia Bottai Mondino, said of formulation decisions: “We look at three things – the performance of the product has to be good, but then we look also at the excise, because there are a lot of differences in economic costs. The other thing is our facilities. Sometimes we’ll have to adapt our facilities.”

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Bud Light Seltzer will be on sale in the UK for GBP2 (US$2.80) per 33cl slimline can. Three flavours are planned – Lemon Lime, Passionfruit and Strawberry.

The A-B InBev spokesperson told just-drinks the alcoholic sparkling water is being brewed in Belgium but that A-B InBev is working to bring production in-market in the longer term to lower carbon emissions.

Heineken’s hard seltzer switch and the rise of ranch water – Click here for a just-drinks focus