Anheuser-Busch Tests Light Beer in Carson

Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser, is testing in Carson a premium beer that some experts think is aimed at the growing raft of microbrews. It is called Meridian, a light-bodied beer with 85 calories per 12-ounce serving--about 25 fewer than Bud Light. St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch said it chose Carson in part because light brews sell well in that city, but it declined to provide further details of the test. Reduced-calorie beer accounts for nearly 40% of beer sales nationwide, according to the industry newsletter Impact.