Bud Light lost its sales crown to Modelo Especial amid right-wing backlash, report finds

• Bud Light sales dropped 23% in May, according to data cited by CBS News.
• The drop came as the brand faced right-wing backlash over a promotion that featured a trans influencer.
• Mexican lager Modelo Especial was the top-selling beer in the US last month, per the report.

Modelo Especial dethroned embattled Bud Light as the best-selling beer in the US last month, a new report says. 

Bud Light sales plunged 23% year-over-year in May to $297.3 million, according to data compiled by consumer-behavior research firm Circana and shared with CBS News. Meanwhile, sales of the Mexican lager, which is owned by Constellation Brands, surged 15% to $333.1 million, the news outlet reported.

Conservative outrage over a March Madness promotion that featured transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney sparked calls for a boycott. 

Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch initially stood by the promotion, but as the right-wing backlash grew, the executive who arranged the Mulvaney campaign took a leave of absence, and the brewing company reportedly offered to buy back expired cases of Bud Light from distributors and gave free cases of beer to distributor employees.

Analysts at JPMorgan recently warned that Bud Light sales could drop as much as 13% this year. 

Rounding out the top five in beer sales for May were Michelob Ultra, Coors Light, and Miller Lite, per CBS News. 

Anheuser-Busch did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.