Beck's Beer Fans Could Get $50 Payout
A lawsuit against Beck's beer leads to a $20 million settlement.
— -- Beer drinkers who’re miffed that Beck's is actually made in the United States can get a small payout through a class-action settlement approved by a judge.
If you bought bottles or cans of Beck's beer at a retail outlet from May 1, 2011, to June 23, 2015, in the United States, you could receive $12 per household if you don't have a receipt or $50 if you have proof of purchase. A U.S. District Court judge in Florida Tuesday approved a settlement over allegations of deceptive packaging that included $3.5 million in attorney fees, though the total settlement will be determined by the number of claims.
The deadline to file a claim is Nov. 20 through a settlement website, becksbeersettlement.com.
The 2013 lawsuit alleged that the beer brand marketed "Germany quality" and that the beer was made under "German Purity Law of 1516, though it was made in St. Louis as a domestic beer.
Beck's parent company, InBev, acquired Anheuser-Busch in 2008, and moved production from Germany to St. Louis in 2012 because of costs, according to The Associated Press. The plaintiffs alleged that the country of origin for the beer was difficult to find: on the bottom of the box.
About 1.7 million U.S. households may qualify for the payout.
Jorn Socquet, vice president of marketing at Anheuser-Busch, said in a statement, "We reached a compromise in the Beck's labeling case. We believe our labeling, packaging and marketing of Beck's has always been truthful, transparent and in compliance with all legal requirements. A-B brews Beck's to the highest-quality standards, and is proud to employ the finest American brewmasters to produce Beck's for the U.S. market.”