Bud Light has been overtaken as the world's best selling beer, with China's Snow brand now in pole position, according to new data.

Plato Logic reports that Snow - brewed by SABMiller and its Chinese partner China Resources Enterprises - saw its 2008 sales volumes jump 19.1% to 61 million hectolitres.

Bud Light is measured at 55.6 million hectoliters and Budweiser at 43.4 million. The next three places are occupied by Skol, Corona and Heineken.

AB-InBev still maintains that Bud Light was still the biggest selling "single trademark" brand because the Snow calculation includes at least 25 extensions.

Snow accounts for 84% of sales at the China Resources-SABMiller joint venture. The Chinese beer market is now by far the biggest in the world, having outgrown the US market by 50%.