Constellation Brands, the producer and owner of Modelo for the US market, has launched its first non-alcoholic variant for the brand in the US.
The Modelo Chelada Limón y Sal Non-Alcoholic variant is being sold in "leading markets nationwide", a statement from Modelo said.
The Modelo brand is the second non-alc beer offering from Constellation in the US, sitting alongside the group's non-alc Corona.
Constellation has started rolling out the non-alc Modelo brand in Illinois, New York, Texas, Florida, and California. It is being sold in 12oz six-packs and is "line-priced" with its non-alc Corona brand in the US.
The Pacifico brewer already produces an alcoholic Chelada brand range for US consumers which includes the Limón y Sal flavour. The latest non-alc variant contains less than 0.5% abv.
“People want choices without having to compromise, and Modelo Chelada Non‑Alcoholic does exactly that,” said Logan Jensen, vice president of brand marketing at Modelo.
“Limón y Sal has been the fan favorite in our ready-to-drink Chelada lineup for six years running, so it was the obvious pick for our first non‑alcoholic release. It brings moderation and flavor together, with the authentic sabor that defines the Modelo Chelada product line.”
Constellation has a smaller range of non-alc options in its portfolio compared to some of its other brewing competitors but it has made a couple of investments in the space over the past few years.
Last year, the Kim Crawford wine brand owner took a minority stake in Los Angeles-based functional drinks producer Hiyo.
The organic, alcohol-free “social tonic” maker makes adaptogen, nootropic and botanical-infused beverages, using ingredients such as ashwagandha, L-theanine, lion’s mane and lemon balm.
Constellation also bought a minority share in alcohol-free sparkling beverage brand Töst in 2023.
The launch came ahead of the company's third quarter results for its 2026 fiscal year, released today (8 January).
In the three months ended 30 November, the business saw total organic net sales drop 10% to $2.2bn.
Net sales for its beer business drop 1% to $2bn. Its wine and spirits sales segment saw organic net sales drop 7% to $229m, while shipments in this side of the business slumped more than 70% to 1.5 million nine-litre case equivalents, attributed to its sale of the Svedka Vodka business and its disposal of several wine brands to The Wine Group last year.
