(Image Source : (Inquisitr)

BY NOE GANDILLOT

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

Bud Light has a new beer - and it’s called Platinum. But it won’t actually be light. HLN has more: 

“The world's largest beer maker, Anheuser-Busch, is jumping into the craft beer market with Bud Light Platinum. They hope to boost sagging sales with a new version that has less calories than regular but more alcohol.”

So, who is Budweiser targeting with its new brand? Advertising Age says...

“With its higher alcohol content, Platinum would break new ground for mainstream light beers, which typically have been marketed for their refreshment and drinkability. … With a higher alcohol version, A-B could be trying to tap into the rising popularity of craft beers, which tend to be fuller bodied with more alcohol.”

While total US beer sales dipped 1 percent in the first half of 2011, sales of craft beer rose 11 percent, according to the Brewers Association. A trend a big brand like Budweiser can not overlook. Business Insider says this is not A-B’s first try at expanding into the craft beer market.

“Bud Light launched a pair of spinoff brands in the last few years ... in an attempt to attract more craft beer drinkers. Bud Light Platinum’s differentiation will most likely rely on its marketing as a 'premium' brand, as its name implies (though it does sound a bit like a credit card rewards program).”

But Boston.com is skeptical Budweiser’s new beer will actually be “craft” :

“There is no universally accepted definition of ‘craft beer’ ... but what Budweiser does isn't it. ‘Craft’ suggests the beer has been handcrafted, with care, with perhaps more attention to how good the beer is than to how much the product will increase a company's bottom line. “

And Website BeerAdvocate.com reckons Bud Light Platinum could be at odds with other Bud Light products:

“This higher alcohol platinized version seems to go against the Bud Light family of low alcohol, low calories, and low carb light beers; 6-8% ABV is not "light." It'll be interesting to see where the final product and marketing land how it fits within the family.”