Kirin Ichiban beer has not been brewed in Japan since Anheuser-Busch InBev took over brewing in 1996, but if you thought it was, you may be entitled to up to $50.
AB InBev has settled a lawsuit filed by two Miami residents who alleged that Kirin’s marketing and packaging led consumers to believe the beer was imported from Japan. While Kirin labels say that the beer is “brewed under Kirin’s strict supervision by Anheuser-Busch, Los Angeles, CA and Williamsburg, VA,” they are not visible from the outside the packaging.
As part of the preliminary settlement, AB InBev will no longer be able to call the beer imported, and consumers who purchased the beer in the last five years can get up to “$50 per household in reimbursement for Kirin they bought while thinking it was imported.”