The St. Louis-based brewer said the new "beer" — pending governmental approval — should debut in November against the backdrop of the company's existing line of Bacardi liquor-branded flavored malt beverages — or malternatives. The drink also faces competition from the ever-increasing line of alcohol-free energy drinks, such as Red Bull, often used as mixers in clubs.

Anheuser-Busch said each can of the B-to-the-E beverage would pack 22.5 grams of carbs, along with 6.6 percent alcohol by volume, 54 milligrams of caffeine and 203 calories. By comparison, Anheuser-Busch's Bacardi Silver Low-Carb Black Cherry has 2.6 grams of carbs and 96 calories per 12-ounce serving.

"The majority of beer drinkers and the people we're trying to approach with this product are not concerned with carbs all the time," Bob Lachky, Anheuser-Busch's vice president of brand management, told reporters during a conference call.

Convinced the carb-counting craze may be waning, Lachky said "there's plenty of room in the beer industry for innovation not tied to carbs."

B-to-the-E will be slightly sweet but tart, coming in the aromas of blackberry, raspberry and cherry.

Anheuser-Busch trumpeted itself as the first major brewer to infuse beer with caffeine, ginseng and guarana, the latter a caffeine-bearing herb used in a popular Brazilian soft drink.

The brewer did not specify possible pricing for the new beverage, suggesting only that the "very unique product" would fetch slightly more than Budweiser as a premium product.

"It's not that people aren't drinking beer," Lachky said. "It is one of those things where variety and innovation is more of a factor than anything else."

Some analysts suggested that Anheuser-Busch was trying to set itself apart in a market with increasing choices for consumers while appealing to a demographic whose taste buds go beyond conventional beer offerings.

"It's consumer marketing — everyone's trying to do something," said Juli Niemann, a St. Louis-based analyst for RT Jones.