Pabst Avoids Class Status in Olympia Beer False-Ad Lawsuit

Pabst Brewing Co. fended off class status in a false-ad suit over its now-discontinued Olympia Beer, as a federal court in California said consumer Brendan Peacock can’t show the future harm needed to support a claim for injunctive relief such as label changes.

Peacock sued in 2018, alleging the product name “The Original Olympia Beer,” coupled with the slogan “It’s the Water” and an image of a cascading waterfall (a reference to the site of the original brewery) created the impression Olympia beer is brewed with artesian water from the Olympia area of Washington.

The beer was originally brewed by ...