Budweiser Lawsuit; $5 Million Suit Alleges Watered Down Brew

A Budweiser lawsuit filed in three separate states accused the beer maker of watering down its beverages and selling customers a product with less alcohol content than is advertised on its labels. The Budweiser lawsuits were filed in Philadelphia, San Francisco and New Jersey federal courts and seek more than $5 million in damages.

"We learned about the mislabeling from a number of former employees of AB (Anheuser-Busch) at breweries throughout the United States," Josh Boxer, an attorney behind the legal challenge, told the Daily Mail. "And some high-level guys at the brewery level all told us that as a matter of AB corporate policy, these target brands are watered down."

Attorneys for the plaintiffs say their Budweiser lawsuit could affect tens of millions of consumers of products from Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest brewer. They are seeking restitution for U.S. consumers that they say could amount to tens of millions of dollars and they also want new regulations applied to how Budweiser labels and evaluates the alcohol content in its beers.

"We have a situation here where a nationwide class of beer drinking consumers has been denied the full value that they paid for AB's products," Boxer said.

Peter Kraemer, vice president of brewing and supply at Anheuser-Busch, said in a statement the Budweiser lawsuits were "groundless" and the company's beers were in "full compliance with all alcohol labeling laws."

"We proudly adhere to the highest standards in brewing our beers, which have made them the best-selling in the U.S. and the world," Kramer said.

One of the California plaintiffs, Nina Giampaoli, of Sonoma County, said she bought a six-pack of Budweiser every week for the past four years.

"I think it's wrong for huge corporations to lie to their loyal customers -- I really feel cheated. No matter what the product is, people should be able to rely on the information companies put on their labels," Giampaoli said in a news release issued by Boxer's law firm.