For the summertime, Michelob created a ULTRA Fruit line of pilsner beers. The fruit beers are available in several flavors – pomegranate raspberry, Tuscan orange grapefruit, and lime cactus. All the fruit-infused pilsner beers are available in one twelve-pack consisting of four beers of each flavor. According to the Michelob ULTRA website, all three summer fruit pilsners contain “107 calories, 6.0g carbs, 0.5g protein and 0.0g fat, per 12 oz bottle.”
I taste-tested each of these fruit-infused pilsners and compared them. Here’s how they stack up:
Pomegranate Raspberry
According to the Michelob ULTRA website, it is “a pilsner with a berry aroma, raspberry flavor, and a hint of pomegranate.”
Initial reaction: A strong raspberry smell upon opening the bottle. It’s a light summer pilsner beer with hints of fruit. The fruit flavor is subtle and not overpowering. Of course, I love the taste of raspberry.
Tuscan Orange Grapefruit
According to the Michelob ULTRA website, it is “a pilsner with fresh juicy orange notes and a slight pink-grapefruit finish.”
Initial reaction: A tremendously overpowering citrus odor upon opening the bottle. I must admit, I was skeptical about this fruit-infused Pilsner beer before even opening it. While pomegranate raspberry and lime cactus seemed like potentially logical beers, Tuscan orange grapefruit seemed like an odd combination for a beer. The Michelob ULTRA Tuscan Orange Grapefruit has a stronger fruit flavor than the Pomegranate Raspberry beer. It is definitely not as subtle as beer.
Lime Cactus
According to the Michelob ULTRA website, it is “a fruit-infused light pilsner with natural lime flavor and a floral essence derived from the cactus.”
Initial reaction: Smells like a Corona upon opening the bottle. Or, more accurately, a Corona with lime. The lime flavor is pretty subtle, like the raspberry pomegranate beer.
Overall Reaction to the Michelob ULTRA Fruit-Infused Pilsner Beers
All the Michelob ULTRA Fruit-infused pilsner beers definitely taste light. Overall, the pomegranate raspberry beer is my favorite, but I’m partial to the raspberry flavor in general. I think the Tuscan orange grapefruit and lime cactus pilsners beers tie for the second favorite Michelob ULTRA summer beer. Initially, the lime cactus summer flavor seemed more appealing, but the Tuscan orange grapefruit grew on me.
Word of warning – these pilsner beers don’t mix with certain foods. Although that is true of many alcoholic beverages, it may be more pronounced with these fruit-infused pilsner beers. On the flip side, some foods may be very complementary due to the subtle fruit flavoring.
I’d say the Michelob ULTRA Pomegranate Raspberry, Tuscan Orange Grapefruit, and Lime Cactus beers are all worth a try. I would not rate them as exceptional beverages, but I think they can have their place within the beer market. If you’re looking for a light summer beer, these might do the trick. Also, the fruit infusion of the pilsners makes them a unique and interesting alcoholic drink to try.
