Tecate Beer Lawsuit

The Heineken Group acquired the beer operations of Mexico’s Fomento Económico Mexicano (FEMSA) in a multi-billion dollar deal 10 years ago. That gave the Dutch company control of Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma brewer and put Heineken in charge of several well known Mexican beer brands, such Dos Equis, Sol, and Tecate. But many costumers continue to think that at least Tecate is an authentic Mexican beer, and the labeling makes it seem so.

A New York man says he and other consumers have been duped into believing that Tecate beer is Mexican when it’s actually made by Dutch company Heineken in Holland, new court papers say. Miguel Schelmetty says the beer is masquerading as Mexican “through the brand name, the traditional Meso-American typeface, the mythical Aztec eagle emblazoned on the product and the statements ‘Original’ and ‘Cerveza,’” on the labeling, according to his Manhattan Federal lawsuit from Friday. Tecate’s website says “Hecha En Tecata Baja California Mexico” and “Born and brewed in the land we are proud to share our name with: Tecate,” the suit points out.

Schelmetty says that Tecate is sold for “a premium” of $11.99 for a 12-pack. He wouldn’t have been willing to pay that roughly $1 per can if he’d known the beer was made in Holland. “Defendant sold more of the Product and at higher prices than it would have in the absence of this misconduct, resulting in additional profits at the expense of consumers,” court documents say.

The beer has been actually produced in Tecate, but recently production was moved to Holland. Schelmetty is asking a judge to allow his suit to be filed as a class action so that other consumers can also seek damages. He is suing for unspecified damages. If you drink Tecate you should keep an eye out on how the lawsuit develops. You could be a class member and possible get a check if it is approved and then settled.