Belgium has witnessed the crushing of 2,352 cans of Miller High Life beer, an American brand known for its “Champagne of Beers” slogan, as Belgian customs authorities deemed the moniker a misuse of the term “Champagne.” The move came after a trade association for the Champagne industry complained that the term should be used only on bottles of sparkling wine, made using a traditional method in Champagne, France.
Charles Goemaere, managing director of the Comité Champagne, praised the Belgian authorities’ action, stating, “It confirms the importance that the European Union attaches to designations of origin and rewards the determination of the Champagne producers to protect their designation.” “Each year we carry out thousands of checks on designations of controlled origin,” said Kristian Vanderwaeren, general administrator of the Belgian General Administration for Customs and Excise.
Miller High Life, established in 1903 by the Milwaukee-based firm, has long associated its product with Champagne due to its premium packaging, starting with the slogan “The Champagne of Bottle Beer” in 1906 before shortening it to “The Champagne of Beers” in 1969.
“This destruction is the result of a successful collaboration between Belgian customs authorities and the Comité Champagne, Charles Goemaere, the Managing Director of the Comité Champagne, said in a statement. “It confirms the importance that the European Union attaches to designations of origin and rewards the determination of the Champagne producers to protect their designation”. He would also like to “congratulate the Belgian Customs for their vigilance with regard to the Champagne designation and for their responsiveness.”
“If the Champagne Industrial Complex is worried that they will be confused with Miller High Life—the “champagne of beers”—they clearly haven’t tried one,” one person tweeted.
Relevant articles:
– TIL Belgian authorities destroyed over 2,300 cans of an American beer branded as ‘The Champagne of Beers’ because the beer’s slogan was considered a misuse of the term “Champagne”, which is legally protected and reserved exclusively for the sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France.
– Miller High Life beer cans destroyed after slogan disapproval: ‘Misleads the public and harms winemakers’, Fox Business, Mon, 24 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT
– Customs Destroys Miller High Life for ‘Champagne of Beers’ Label, Food & Wine, Thu, 20 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT
– Belgian customs crush 2,000 cans of American Miller High Life for falling afoul of European laws, Daily Mail, Sat, 22 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT