Need a Quick 5 Bucks? A&W Owes You Money Over Misleadingly-Labeled Root Beer

A class action lawsuit took issue with the brand's claims their products were "Made With Aged Vanilla."

While a lot of us were barely holding things together during that unprecedented summer of 2020, there was still a bit of so-called normal life out there. You know, like three people filing a class-action lawsuit against A&W Root Beer and Keurig Dr Pepper because of the “Made With Aged Vanilla” claim printed on the side of some of its soda cans. That kind of normal.

The three plaintiffs alleged that they and other consumers were misled by the “Made With Aged Vanilla” tout, especially since they also alleged that A&W’s root beer and cream soda got its flavor from “an artificial, synthetic ingredient” called ethyl vanillin.

“A cheap and inferior substitute for real vanilla, ethyl vanillin does not come from the vanilla plant,” the lawsuit read. “Had plaintiffs known the truth about the origin of the vanilla flavoring, they would not have purchased the product at a premium price. If the products are reformulated such that the vanilla flavor comes exclusively or predominantly from the vanilla plant or the products are no longer deceptively labeled, plaintiff would purchase the drinks again in the future.”

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Vanilla

Now, almost three years later, a New York judge has sided with the plaintiffs, and has preliminarily approved a settlement that would require A&W and Keurig Dr Pepper to give “close to a full refund of the premium price” to any customer who purchased A&W Root Beer or Cream Soda during the past seven years.

The settlement requires the defendants — A&W and Keurig Dr Pepper — to pay out $15 million worth of claims to those customers, who are now part of the Settlement Class. Each customer is entitled to a minimum of $5.50 and can receive up to $25 if they provide proof of their soda purchases. (The three plaintiffs will each receive $5,000 “for their time and effort in prosecuting this matter.”)

According to OpenClassActions.com, anyone who purchased either A&W Root Beer (including the Regular, Diet, and Zero Sugar versions) or A&W Cream Soda (including the Regular, Diet, and Zero Sugar versions) that was labeled with the “Made With Aged Vanilla” wording between February 7, 2016 and June 2, 2023 is eligible for the settlement.

Customers without proof of purchase will get $5.50, while those with receipts could collect a higher amount, up to a maximum of $25. Customers will be able to submit their claims through the website RootBeerAndCreamSodaSettlement.com (although at the time of writing, the site is not yet live).

ClassAction.org reports that the payments will be distributed to eligible class members after the settlement receives final court approval “and any appeals are resolved.” A final approval hearing has been scheduled for Monday, September 18, 2023. (So if you’re craving root beer right now, you might not want to wait for A&W to buy your next 12-pack.)

Neither A&W Root Beer nor Keurig Dr Pepper have admitted to mislabeling their products, nor to misleading any customers. According to ClassAction.org, the companies agreed to the settlement “to avoid further expense, inconvenience, and interference with ongoing business operations, and to dispose of burdensome litigation.”

As of this writing, none of A&W’s root beers or cream sodas are marked “Made With Aged Vanilla.”

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