# Budweiser accused of watering down their beer. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [February 27, 2013, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494 "2013-02-27T05:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/1 "2013-02-27T05:13:09Z")
[Link.](http://www.nbcnews.com/business/budweiser-waters-down-its-beer-lawsuit-alleges-1C8566405) What I want to know is: How can they tell? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/2 "2013-02-27T06:22:27Z")
Reading comprehension is overrated. When I got to the part where the watering cut the alcohol by volume “by three percent to eight percent” I was lost in a world where Budweiser offered a beer that was 8% abv. Drunks all over the world would be outraged at being lied to, and fight to the death to prevent any change in the product. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/3 "2013-02-27T06:35:49Z")
Yeah, I’ve said it for years, it’s piss water. The only argument is if it’s more piss or water. Wait, you mean like, officially? ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/4 "2013-02-27T07:05:30Z")
Wait till they discover it’s also tainted with horse meat. (Probably improves the flavor.) ---
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/5 "2013-02-27T07:34:40Z")
> [@](#): > > The suits, filed in Pennsylvania, California and other states, claim consumers have been cheated out of the alcohol content stated on labels. Budweiser and Michelob each boast of being 5 percent alcohol, while some “light” versions are said to be just over 4 percent… > > The excess water is added just before bottling and cuts the stated alcohol content by 3 percent to 8 percent, he said… > > According to the lawsuit, the company has sophisticated equipment that measures the alcohol content throughout the brewing process and is accurate to within one-hundredth of a percent. It’s late and my reading comprehension is not so good right now. But the way I’m reading this is that a beer is labelled as say 5% alcohol. But it’s being diluted by 3-8%. So I’m assuming it’s 3-8% off of the 5%. So the suit is alleging that beer labelled at 5% is really 4.6 to 4.85% ? Correct? Wouldn’t it be pretty simple for the lawyers to buy a bunch of random cases of beer and have them tested at an independent lab? Seems like it wouldn’t be too hard to test. ---
**Author:** ![mckall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mckall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mckall)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/6 "2013-02-27T08:25:41Z")
Diesel is Diesel. The, Royal We, know what we’re getting into with it. While a Smithwick’s or a Pliny the Elder (or Younger) is much better; a Bud serves it’s purpose. Drunkness. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/7 "2013-02-27T08:48:11Z")
I think any efforts to dilute the stuff that is Budweiser provides a service to the populace. The less Budweiser actually consumed the better. I think it would function best as a homeopathic beer. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/8 "2013-02-27T08:57:14Z")
Getting drunk on beer? Beer is for socializing. Vodka is for getting drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/9 "2013-02-27T08:59:18Z")
> [@Waenara](#): > > It’s late and my reading comprehension is not so good right now. But the way I’m reading this is that a beer is labelled as say 5% alcohol. But it’s being diluted by 3-8%. So I’m assuming it’s 3-8% off of the 5%. So the suit is alleging that beer labelled at 5% is really 4.6 to 4.85% ? Correct? > > Wouldn’t it be pretty simple for the lawyers to buy a bunch of random cases of beer and have them tested at an independent lab? Seems like it wouldn’t be too hard to test. Yea, I had the same thought. Doesn’t seem like it would be a hard claim to prove or disprove. Especially given that we have 50 seperate state liquor control boards, you’d think at least one of them would be set up to test alcohol content. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/10 "2013-02-27T09:35:47Z")
I don’t know if it still does but Oklahoma beer is 3.2% by law. Anything stronger is liquor. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/11 "2013-02-27T13:20:12Z")
IMHO, if Bud cuts the alcohol down to the 5% number, that makes utterly good sense, truth in advertising, etc. Cutting below that doesn’t seem to me to be worth the effort. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/12 "2013-02-27T15:07:19Z")
If Bud is “watered down” then what is Corona? That stuff tastes like diluted soda water. Bud is a fine VERY light beer…but how could it be made any more dilute? ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/13 "2013-02-27T15:19:41Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > Wait till they discover it’s also tainted with horse meat. > > (Probably improves the flavor.) Hmmm. Needs more dog. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/14 "2013-02-27T17:22:52Z")
> [@mckall](#): > > Diesel is Diesel. > > The, Royal We, know what we’re getting into with it. > > While a Smithwick’s or a Pliny the Elder (or Younger) is much better; a Bud serves it’s purpose. > > Drunkness. It’s so lame to refer to Budweiser as “Diesel.” It implies that the even worse Bud Light is a standard, and therefor the regular is somehow manlier. They’re both rice/adjunct tonics with a pixie’s fart worth of barley and hops. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/15 "2013-02-27T17:35:19Z")
Budweiser is supposed to be beer? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/16 "2013-02-27T17:52:15Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Getting drunk on beer? Beer is for socializing. Vodka is for getting drunk. I had three or four pints of Troegs Mad Elf last night. Got _me_ drunk, and it’s just beer! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/17 "2013-02-27T18:11:03Z")
I fully support the watering down of Bud. Finally, AB can make a little profit and be a major player in the brewing industry. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/18 "2013-02-27T18:28:28Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > I don’t know if it still does but Oklahoma beer is 3.2% by law. Anything stronger is liquor. The arcane and silly system is still in place in Texas’s Hat. Low point (intentionally diluted 3.2% macrobrew) beer is sold in supermarkets, drugstores, and gas stations, from 6AM to 2AM. “Liquor” includes spirits, wine, and normal beer, as mentioned. It may be sold only at liquor stores, and not on Sundays, election days, and some holidays. It must be stored and sold at room temperature. According to a store owner I knew, he could not sell anything that would “encourage consumption”, such as cups, corkscrews, mixers, or ice. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/19 "2013-02-27T18:32:17Z")
> [@Furious\_Marmot](#): > > Low point (intentionally diluted 3.2% macrobrew) Well, the one thing about this is that 3.2% in low-point beers refers to ABW (alcohol by weight) not ABV, as most beer alcohols are listed. So 3.2% beer is actually 4% abv. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494/20 "2013-02-27T18:40:21Z")
> [@Furious\_Marmot](#): > > The arcane and silly system is still in place in Texas’s Hat. > > Low point (intentionally diluted 3.2% macrobrew) beer is sold in supermarkets, drugstores, and gas stations, from 6AM to 2AM. > > “Liquor” includes spirits, wine, and normal beer, as mentioned. It may be sold only at liquor stores, and not on Sundays, election days, and some holidays. It must be stored and sold at room temperature. According to a store owner I knew, he could not sell anything that would “encourage consumption”, such as cups, corkscrews, mixers, or ice. Well, that makes sense. You wouldn’t want anyone to consume that wicked liquor he just bought. Leave it in the cabinet as a constant reminder of one’s purity and strength of will. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/budweiser-accused-of-watering-down-their-beer/651494.md?page=2)