What Happened To Keystone Light's Fruit-Filled Spinoff Beers?

Americans are drinking less alcohol than they used to, a years-long trend that includes beer consumption. Brewers have responded with products like non-alcoholic beers and flavored versions to appeal to consumers. In March 2020, Keystone Light tried to win back a generation that had largely sworn off drinking by introducing the raspberry lime-infused Keylightful. But like many trends of that year, the fruity beer didn't stick around for long.

Launched by Molson Coors to rival the success of Natural Light's Naturdays, Keylightful's raspberry lime profile sat in the same citrusy family as a simple summery shandy. Its bright pink and green cans featured a French bulldog mascot sporting sunglasses named Lil' Breezy Keezy — a clear attempt to capture the attention of a younger demographic.

But it apparently didn't perform as well as the company hoped, which likely wasn't helped by the COVID-19 pandemic that struck the same month it debuted. Molson Coors announced less than a year and a half later, in August 2021, that Keylightful was one of 11 lower-cost brands it was eliminating to pare down its products and focus on more premium ones.

Despite the relatively quick disappearance of Keylightful, Molson Coors decided to try another fruity light beer, introducing a limited-time apple flavor — nicknamed "Kapple" — in 2026 ahead of Memorial Day. Much like its raspberry lime predecessor, Keystone Light Apple arrived as a response to a rival's success — specifically Busch Light Apple, or "Bapple." After a fleeting 2020 debut, Busch's version returned for high-selling limited runs in 2021, 2022, 2025, and again in 2026, just weeks before Keystone made its move.

This time, the brand is leaning into patriotism through a comedic campaign for the nation's 250th birthday. The ads argue that there's nothing more American than taking an original idea and making it better — and even the can itself is super patriotic, with red, white, and blue colors and the image of a bald eagle wearing sunglasses and an American flag bandana.

Although these Keystone and Busch light beers are both apple-flavored, they shouldn't be confused with hard ciders, which are essentially apple juice fermented with yeast. While beer is also fermented, it's traditionally made with malt, hops, and yeast, with the fruit flavor added afterward.