Anheuser-Busch Pulls Stimulants from Brews

ST. LOUIS -- Anheuser-Busch Cos. (A-B) will stop selling alcoholic energy drinks in the U.S., as part of an agreement with 11 state attorneys general who alleged the brewer was marketing the products to underage drinkers, Reuters reported.

The St. Louis-based company announced last week it stopped producing caffeinated versions of its Bud Extra and Tilt malt beverages, and was reformulating the drinks to remove caffeine and guarana, according to the report.

"We have determined that competing in the prepackaged caffeinated alcohol beverage sector may detract from our reputation as the global industry leader in promoting responsibility among adults who drink and discouraging underage drinking," Francine Katz, vice president of communications and consumer affairs for A-B, said in a statement cited by Reuters.

The 11 attorneys general -- from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio and New York -- praised the company and requested other beverage makers also remove the stimulants from alcoholic drinks, the report stated.

As part of the settlement, Anheuser-Busch will also pay $200,000 to participating states, Reuters reported.

It will still be several weeks before the caffeinated versions of Bud Extra and Tilt sell out at retail locations, according to the report.
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