Court Rules for Beck’s Beer Drinkers

June 29, 2015 – A settlement has been reached between Anheuser-Busch and three plaintiffs concerning Beck’s German beer being brewed in St. Louis, Missouri, not Bremen, Germany.   Since it was a class action suit, anyone who has purchased Beck’s since May 2011 is entitled to a refund.  If you have a receipt, you can get up to $50.00.  If you do not have a receipt, you may be eligible for up to $12.00.  The three original plaintiffs will receive $5,000 apiece.  The lawyers, however, will get $3.5 million in legal fees.  Go figure.  When details are worked out, it will be possible to file on line for a refund.

A-B was accused of deceptive marketing practices with packaging claims such as “German Quality” and “Originated in Bremen, Germany” leading consumers to assume it was imported.  They denied the charges and as a part of the settlement, A-B will make packaging changes so that it is clear it is American made.

Beers that are truly imported include Guinness, Corona and Heineken.  Others that are “foreign” but made here are Red Stripe made in Wisconsin, not Jamaica, Fosters made in Texas, not Australia, Bass Ale “the original English pale ale” made in New York, and Kirin Ichiban brewed in Virginia and California.  All these brands say “Made in the USA” on the label (if you look hard).  A suit against A-B InBev over Kirin was settled last year in Florida.