Can Beck's Be Labeled 'German' If It's Brewed In St. Louis? No, Judge Agrees

NPR | By NPR Staff

Published October 20, 2015 at 5:36 PM EDT

A judge has approved the settlement terms of a lawsuit over the way Anheuser-Busch labels its U.S.-made, German-style Beck's beer.

Anheuser-Busch, the company behind both Budweiser and Beck's, has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit. The plaintiffs claim the megabrewer misled customers by trumping up Beck's German roots and insinuating that it was an imported beer.

Now, for more than 100 years, Beck's has been brewed in Germany. But in 2002, the company was bought up by big international brewers, eventually becoming part of Anheuser-Busch InBev, based in Belgium.

And, since 2012, Beck's has also been made in St. Louis, which is definitely not in Germany. Which means the Beck's you buy in the U.S. is definitely not an import.

But, the lawsuit claims, that didn't stop Anheuser-Busch from charging import prices.

On Tuesday, a judge gave final approval to the settlement terms. Anheuser-Busch referred us to a June statement that reads in part, "AB brews Beck's to the highest quality standards and is proud to employ the finest American brewmasters to produce Becks for the U.S. market."

And if you bought Beck's in the past few years and kept the receipts, you could get a partial refund: 50 cents back for every six-pack, up to $50 total.

In case you were wondering, $50 can buy you a couple of cases of Beck's.