Cases & Investigations
Lagunitas Beer PFAS Consumer Litigation

Wolf Popper LLP represents consumers in a class action lawsuit alleging that The Lagunitas Brewing Company (“Lagunitas”) failed to disclose that its beer products contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"), commonly known as "forever chemicals," at levels that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") has found pose risks to human health. According to the complaint, consumers purchased Lagunitas beer without knowing it allegedly contained elevated levels of PFAS and would not have purchased the products had the truth been disclosed. 

As alleged, PFAS are synthetic chemicals that persist and accumulate in the human body over time and have been associated with numerous adverse health effects, including certain cancers, liver damage, decreased fertility, immunological effects, thyroid disease, and developmental harms. The complaint alleges that consumers reasonably expect beverages sold for human consumption to be free from harmful man-made contaminants that regulators have identified as posing health risks. 

The lawsuit alleges that independent testing commissioned by the plaintiff in 2026 found significant concentrations of PFAS compounds in samples of Lagunitas IPA purchased from retail stores across the United States. According to the complaint, testing conducted using methods adapted from EPA Method 533 found levels of PFOA and PFNA that substantially exceeded the EPA standards and guidance levels for drinking water. By comparison, a control sample of another popular beer allegedly contained no detectable PFAS compounds that the EPA has found pose risks to human health. 

The action seeks relief on behalf of consumers nationwide who purchased Lagunitas beer. The lawsuit alleges violations of the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, California's Unfair Competition Law, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, and related common-law principles, including unjust enrichment. 

The case is currently pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.