If you’ve graced your lips with the taste of a Bud Light Lime-a-Rita in the past, you could be in line for compensation as part of a class-action suit. According to SF Gate, a federal lawsuit filed against parent company Anheuser-Busch said customers were misled by the Ritas line of malt beverages because real margaritas contain tequila, which the Bud Light canned concoctions do not have.
“Nowhere on the packaging did [the plaintiff] see a disclaimer or any other statement indicating that the margarita product does not contain tequila, or that the product is just a flavored beer,” the complaint reads. The suit didn’t go to court, with Anheuser-Busch admitting no wrongdoing but agreeing to settle for an undisclosed sum.
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The settlement agreement means that if you purchased any of the company’s 112 qualifying Ritas products between January 2018 and July 2022, you could have some cash coming to you. Those affected can file a claim online, with maximum compensation totaling $21.25 per household with a receipt. If the person doesn’t have proof of purchase, they are still eligible for $9.75 in the settlement. That’s more than enough to buy more fine Budweiser and Bud Light products.
While it isn’t enough to wipe the memory of drinking the margaritas in a can, it’s something you didn’t have before popping the top on the can. It also guarantees that someone at Anheuser-Busch has been given the task to double-check all cans to avoid these types of lawsuits in the future.
If you happen to enjoy the beverages, there isn’t any trouble or health hazard involved, so that’s a blessing. What isn’t is how some believe a malt beverage sold alongside beer is going to contain any true spirits. Some states won’t even sell both in the same location, so it likely was assumed people understood the contents.
Not so, according to the settlement details. Even the lower 8% ABV didn’t provide a hint that this wasn’t a true margarita, but it played the part effectively.