New Lawsuit Accuses Anheuser-Busch Of Watering Down Beer

We figure there are going to be a lot of wisecracks from the craft beer industry on this news: New reports say that a class-action lawsuit has been filed against Anheuser-Busch InBev, with consumers accusing the company of watering down its beer. (Looks like Maker's Mark isn't the only company to come under fire for watering down a beverage.)

The Associated Press and Bloomberg report that the $5 million suit was filed by consumers in three states, who say that AB InBev oversold the alcohol content in its most popular brands, Budweiser, Michelob, and others. The suit alleges that AB InBev has been adding water and CO2 to its malt beverages during the final stages of brewing, which decreases the alcohol content and violates a state statute on consumer protection. "AB's customers are overcharged for watered-down beer and AB is unjustly enriched by the additional volume it can sell," read part of the Philadelphia complaint obtained by Bloomberg. (Of course, no one's really sure how these complaints can tell that the alcohol content has gone down in the last few years.)

So far, the complaints are from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and California; two more are expected from Ohio and Colorado. The complaints seek damages as well as a "corrective advertising campaign" to make up for the watered-down products. AB InBev has denied that the beer is watered down. Surely, there are other beers these people can be drinking, no?