About 12,000 barrels of Stella Artois beer were recalled by Anheuser-Busch InBev recently after a production error led to quality problems, according to a Belgian newspaper.

The report of the skunky beer flashed across the internet this morning -- with most reports failing to note that the beer was produced in Leuven, Belgium, not at any of the brewer's U.S. plants, and that none of the suspect brew actually reached American shores.

The problem was caused by pipes that were not cleaned properly after another beer (Leffe) was shot through the same system, leading to mixed fermentation, the Belgian press reported. The resulting beer was "terribly sour." 

Some of it reached bars in Belgium. But 8,300 barrels shipped to the United States were still en route when the recall was made.

The union representing some A-B InBev workers blamed the problem on job cuts and cost reductions implemented by the mega-brewer.