Anheuser-Busch Ritas false advertising class action settlement

Updates:

• Top Class Actions readers reported this settlement paying out up to $9.75 as of February 2024.
• Congratulations to everyone who filed a claim and got PAID!

• Final approval was granted for this class action settlement on Dec. 19, 2022.

• Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

Anheuser-Busch agreed to an undisclosed class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims its Ritas products don’t actually contain tequila or wine — and no proof of purchase is required for consumers to benefit.

The settlement benefits consumers who purchased any Ritas products (margarita products, spritzers and more) between Jan. 1, 2018, and July 19, 2022. A full list of included products is available on the settlement website.

Anheuser-Busch is an alcohol company that sells products under a number of brands. The company sells popular beers like Budweiser, Musch, Natural Light, Michelob Ultra and more, but also sells non-beer alcohol products such as the Ritas brand products like Lime-a-Rita and Rita spritzers.

According to a class action lawsuit against Anheuser-Busch, Ritas products do not actually contain tequila, other distilled liquor or wine as advertised. Instead, the products are “just flavored beer,” plaintiffs claim. 

“Reasonable consumers did not know, and had no reason to know, that the Products were, and continue to be, falsely and deceptively packaged,” the Ritas class action lawsuit contends.

“Nowhere on the front, sides, or top panel of the packaging (the consumer facing panels) does Defendant state that the Products do not have distilled liquor or wine, or that the Products are actually just flavored beers that taste like margaritas, mojitos or wines.”

Plaintiffs in the case say they wouldn’t have purchased the products or paid as much as they did if they had known the truth. 

Anheuser-Busch hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to a class action settlement to resolve these allegations. The total settlement amount hasn’t been disclosed.

Under the terms of the Anheuser-Busch settlement, class members can receive a cash payment based on the products they purchased. Payment amounts will vary depending on the product and pack size purchased by the class member:

• For 8-ounce cans, consumers can receive $0.30 for each purchased four-pack or $0.60 for each purchased 24-pack 
• For 12-ounce bottles or cans, consumers can receive $0.15 for each purchased four-pack, $0.25 for each purchased six-pack, $0.45 for each purchased 12-pack and $0.85 for each purchased 24-pack
• For 16-ounce cans, class members will receive $0.20 for each four-pack or $0.30 for each six-pack. 
• For each single 22-ounce bottle, class members can receive $0.10
• For 25-ounce cans, class members can receive $0.10 for a single can or $0.15 for a two-pack 
• Any additional unlisted package configurations will result in payments of $0.50

Class members with proof of purchase can collect maximum payments of $21.25 per household based on the above specifications. 

Class members without proof of purchase are limited to maximum payments of $9.75 per household.

Consumers who purchased Lime-A-Rita or related products since Jan. 1, 2018, will also benefit from the settlement’s injunctive relief. 

Anheuser-Busch agreed to make changes to its marketing to better inform consumers of what type of alcohol is in the Rita products. Product packaging will contain the phrase “malt beverage” and the Ritas website will include disclosures that the product “does not contain distilled spirits.” These disclosures will be made in sufficiently large and bolded font. All injunctive relief will be completed within six months of Dec. 2, 2022.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is Nov. 11, 2022. 

The final approval hearing for the Anheuser-Busch Ritas lawsuit settlement is scheduled for Dec. 2, 2022.

In order to receive benefits from the settlement, class members must submit a valid claim form by Dec. 16, 2022.

Who’s Eligible

The settlement benefits consumers who purchased any Ritas products (margarita products, spritzers and more) between Jan. 1, 2018, and July 19, 2022. A full list of included products is available on the settlement website.

Potential Award

$9.75 per household without proof of purchase

$21.25 per household with proof of purchase

Proof of Purchase

No proof of purchase necessary, but maximum payout can only be reached with proof of purchase.

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

12/16/2022

Case Name

Browning, et al. v. Anheuser-Busch LLC, Case No. 20-cv-00889-SRB, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri

Final Hearing

12/02/2022

Settlement Website

RitaSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Browning v. Anheuser-Busch Administrator
P.O. Box 5176
Portland, OR 97208-5176
info@RitasSettlement.com
888-905-0657

Class Counsel

Benjamin Heikali
Timothy J Peter
FARUQI & FARUQI LLP

Tim E Dollar
DOLLAR BURNS BECKER & HERSHEWE L C

Defense Counsel

James F Bennett
Hannah F Preston
Adam J Simon
DOWD BENNETT LLP