- Reaction score
- 1,687
Earlier this week, Belgian authorities destroyed every single drop of a shipment of 2,352 cans of Miller High Life in Ypres, Belgium. The beers, labeled as "The Champagne of Beers," had first arrived in the country in February.
A joint statement issued by the authorities and France's Champagne Committee, a trade organization representing the French region of Champagne, confirmed the beers were destroyed because they infringed on the "protected designation" of Champagne.
It went on to refer to the beers as "illicit goods" and said the recipient of the beer in Germany, where the cans were headed, did not contest the decision to destroy it.
According to the Miller High Life website, the American beer was first produced in the early 1900s and gained its nickname as "The Champagne of Beers" soon after.
But by advertising the alcoholic beverage in such a way, the beers crossed into murky waters with European regulations that stipulate that any goods that infringe upon a protected designation of origin of a member state are "counterfeit goods."
Champagne, the sparkling wine and its name, has been protected by European law that says it can only be used for wines made in the region made through a regulated production process since the 1980s, according to France's Champagne Committee website.
www.insider.com
A joint statement issued by the authorities and France's Champagne Committee, a trade organization representing the French region of Champagne, confirmed the beers were destroyed because they infringed on the "protected designation" of Champagne.
It went on to refer to the beers as "illicit goods" and said the recipient of the beer in Germany, where the cans were headed, did not contest the decision to destroy it.
According to the Miller High Life website, the American beer was first produced in the early 1900s and gained its nickname as "The Champagne of Beers" soon after.
But by advertising the alcoholic beverage in such a way, the beers crossed into murky waters with European regulations that stipulate that any goods that infringe upon a protected designation of origin of a member state are "counterfeit goods."
Champagne, the sparkling wine and its name, has been protected by European law that says it can only be used for wines made in the region made through a regulated production process since the 1980s, according to France's Champagne Committee website.
Belgian authorities destroyed 2,352 cans of American beer advertised as 'The Champagne of Beers' because it is not, in fact, Champagne
Thousands of cans of Miller High Life, advertised as "The Champagne of Beers," were destroyed before reaching their destination in Germany.
www.insider.com
