Michelob Ultra

[tommy]

michelob has introduced Michelob Ultra, which is light, and has only 2.6 grams of carbs ta boot. this, no doubt, is great news for drinkers who pretend to be on the Atkins diet.

[KathyP]

I grabbed a six pack of this crap for a recent road trip from CA to OH. My advice: avoid at all costs. It has no flavor - even less than Coors Light. With a funny, mild aftertaste, too. What a waste of money.

[ranitidine]

C'mon. Don't you like beer-flavored water?

[Deacon]

Instead of two mediocre light beers (toward the goal of not gaining any weight) why not instead drink one really good beer and one really good glass of water? Same amount of calories. . . .

[Fat Guy]

I had some in Alabama a couple of months ago. I had no idea it was a low-carb beer at the time I placed the order. The waiter was rattling off some choices and at the end said, "And we have the new Michelob Ultra." So I tried it. Really bad -- exactly as described above. It's bad even if you define regular Michelob as good.

[tommy]

It's bad even if you define regular Michelob as good.

and why would anyone do that?

[rstarobi]

For some reason, their ad campaign is full of people engaging in healthy, outdoors activities - rather than face down in a keg somewhere.

[ranitidine]

For some reason, their ad campaign is full of people engaging in healthy, outdoors activities - rather than face down in a keg somewhere.

I think that the lower carbohydrates may mean lower alcohol content. Another reason not to bother with the stuff.

[Elizabeth_11]

*cowering* I kind of liked it! But then again, I am a bit of a girly girl........so that would probably explain it.

[hscottk]

As someone who has lost 100 lbs over the last year or so, I do pretend to be on the Atkins diet, and have had an Ultra on occasion.

I can't say it's particularly good, but it does taste a bit like beer, and it does bring back memories of drinking beer while dieting.

And to answer a question from above: when you are limiting your carbohydrates to 30 or so per day, even having 1 regular beer can add up to almost 50% of your daily carb intake. 2.6 carbs can be forgiven.

BUT.... I have to say that I find their commercials to be the funniest I have ever seen. After seeing people playing basketball, cycling, and rock climbing, one might think they were marketing Gatorade and not beer. One of these days someone is going to drink a 6 pack of the stuff, go rock climbing and fall, and sue them for every keg, case, and 6 pack they own....

[tommy]

And to answer a question from above:  when you are limiting your carbohydrates to 30 or so per day, even having 1 regular beer can add up to almost 50% of your daily carb intake.  2.6 carbs can be forgiven.

i was under the impression that some "regular" light beers have only about 5 grams of carbs. if that's the case, i can't see why anyone would drink that stuff. i'd gladly have 1/2 as many corona lights instead.

here's one persons math.

and, i see that i haven't posted on this thread: i tried this stuff and it's virtually tasteless. this is coming from a guy who can quite often be found drinking coors light and bud.

Edited May 27, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Fritz Brenner]

At the restaurant where I wait tables, ever since we've started offering Mich ultra it's been a very popular choice. I haven't tried it..... but I have to say I'm a little confused. Why do people order, like, huge meat and cheese and sour cream laden nachos, and then drink Mich ultra? If you're on an actual diet, and want to have a couple beers, then choices like Mich ultra are just fine.... but why try to save a few carbs on a diet beer while you're mounching on a carb/fat fest?

[tommy]

Why do people order, like, huge meat and cheese and sour cream laden nachos, and then drink Mich ultra?

because every little bit helps?

because they're used to drinking it?

because they like it?

meat and cheese and sour cream don't have too many carbs, do they?

[MatthewB]

tommy,

Remember you're a beer supertaster.

Edit: deleted stoopidity

Edited May 27, 2003 by MatthewB (log)

[Fritz Brenner]

because every little bit helps?

I guess...

[tommy]

because every little bit helps?

I guess...

fritz, i think it's a similar situation with diet soda. people snear when others order a big mac and a diet coke. there has been some discussion on that here and, as i recall, i was right.

[timothycdavis]

Yes! I drive every day under a billboard showing a hard-bodied woman doing situps. Next thing you know they'll toss some caffeine in that bad boy, or vitamins.

Agreed also that it is virtually tasteless. When I must drink it (IE, at a dieting friend's), I put a small slice of lemon in there. Might be sacrilege, but it gives it at least SOME flavor....

[Marlene]

C'mon.  Don't you like beer-flavored water?

Um, most American beer tastes like beer flavoured water. Canadian beer, on the other hand does not

[Fritz Brenner]

fritz, i think it's a similar situation with diet soda.  people snear when others order a big mac and a diet coke.  there has been some discussion on that here and, as i recall, i was right. 

Definitely don't wanna argue with you there.

I have no problem with people drinking (and eating) whatever the hell they want. I will drink light beers, and I'll eat a lot of "nasty" stuff too. Could you, however, point me in the direction of the diet coke/big mac thread (or threads)? I'm interested.....

[beans]

Hi y'all.

Sorry, in all honesty, it is all rubbish. It is marketing at its finest.

In terms of calories the alcohol is more to blame than the carbs. 1g of carb contains 4 calories whereas 1g of alcohol contains just over 7. However, the body cannot store alcohol so it is broken down and expelled from the body at a steady rate (how breathalizers work). The source of the alcohol (grain, molasses etc) does not effect the carb or calorie content once it has turned to alcohol.

"In addition to the calories, alcohol interferes with fat burning, something important for weight loss. Normally, the liver metabolizes fats, but when a person drinks, alcohol takes preference. The liver breaks down alcohol for energy first, causing a build-up of fatty acids. What this means is that the body uses the calories supplied from alcohol before it is able to expend the calories from fat. This characteristic is referred to as "fat sparing," meaning alcohol's presence spares the fat from being utilized for energy. Alcohol also stimulates appetite in many people. This may thwart your weight loss efforts even more."

http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2253.html

It was a clever angle for those at Michelob to boost their market presence for all of those carbo minded potential consumers.

(edited to correct url typos !!!)

Edited May 27, 2003 by beans (log)

[tommy]

Could you, however, point me in the direction of the diet coke/big mac thread (or threads)?  I'm interested.....

three posts up from the last post (this is the first page). just above the pictures of awbrigs kids.

[NeroW]

Every day on the train, I see that billboard of the woman doing push-ups and staring at herself in the mirror.

If I ever did push-ups, I'd be thinking about beer, too.

P.S. Fritz: age before beauty, goat cheese.

[Kerouac1964]

Surprisingly, Ales and Stouts have around 5 - 8 carbs? So, drinking Ultra is not the way to go. Although years of lite type beer drinking will allow it when I happen to low carb. But then, Milwaukee has a light beer that is low in carbs and tastes better than the Michelob product.

[hscottk]

Ok, let's take these one at a time.

First, there are definitely times when I would rather have a corona Amstel light at 5 carbs than a couple of Mich Ultras at 2.6. But there are times when I might want to drink more and sacrifice taste. Sometimes 4 Mich Ultras are better than 2 Amstels. This is especially true when in a social setting for several hours and having 1 or 2 drinks may not cut the mustard.

Moving on to alcohol and fat, beans is correct that alcohol is expelled from the body first. In fact, those who are on the Atkins diet and are in ketosis will have that condition 'paused' by the consumption of alcohol. The good news is that when the alcohol is burned off, the body returns to its previous ketogenic state.

[tommy]

But there are times when I might want to drink more and sacrifice taste.  Sometimes 4 Mich Ultras are better than 2 Amstels.  This is especially true when in a social setting for several hours and having 1 or 2 drinks may not cut the mustard.

dude, you're talking about 12 extra grams of carbs over a "several hours." have yourself the coronas and skip the pigs-in-a-blanket.

Edited May 28, 2003 by tommy (log)