Bud Light's New Beer Is Finally Ready After Nearly 10 Years

If you're planning to have more than one, watching your carb intake, or counting calories, light beer is probably one of the first things you reach for. It has significantly fewer carbs and calories than the regular kind, and its lower alcohol content allows you to drink more of it. For years people have been drinking Bud Light for this very reason, and now, it's getting a long overdue upgrade.

The brand announced in a press release on the Anheuser-Busch website that after 10 years of working on a new formula, they've finally made a breakthrough that they're ready to share with the world: The first ever zero-carb beer. Appropriately named Bud Light NEXT, the zero carb version of the product will have only 80 calories and 4% ALC/VOL.

To accompany the launch of their first ever zero carb beer, Bud Light is also introducing their first ever NFT project. As the brand shared, 12,722 one-of-a-kind tokens will be available for purchase come February 6 and those who pay $399 for them will be able to vote on merchandise, attend exclusive events, and be invited to participate in whatever surprises the brand has in store.

Considering Bud Light spent a decade perfecting their new beer, it's safe to assume it doesn't fall short on flavor. Bud Light's head of innovation, Paul Scholz, tells PEOPLE that it has the same beer taste you know and love, but also shares the same qualities of a hard seltzer. "You'll get a hint of a citrus note but still the taste of a light lager coming through in a subtle but present way," Scholz describes.

Retaining the crisp consistency and refreshing mouthfeel of a traditional beer, Bud Light fans will be happy to know the new product doesn't sacrifice calories and carbs for quality. Because even though it's seen as an upgraded version of Bud Light, Bud Light NEXT is also an entirely unique formula. According to Scholz, the brewery workshopped 130 different recipes before they settled on the right one. That means what you drink when you crack open a can of Bud Light NEXT, it'll be nothing like you've tried before — or in Bud Light's words, "The next generation of light beer for the next generation of beer drinkers."