Belgium destroys a shipment of U.S. beers after disagreeing with its slogan
Belgium has destroyed a shipment of Miller High Life brand beer from Milwaukee. -USA- after disagreeing with the company’s slogan. The batch was intended to reach Germany, however, this was intercepted at the port of Antwerp and did not reach its destination.
The company began using the slogan ‘The champagne of bottled beer’ in 1903 with its launch. But, years later they shortened it by. ‘The champagne of beers’, a slogan that came the batch of 2,352 cans of beer. and to which Belgian customs did not give the go-ahead.
This is why, on April 17 last, the customs authorities decided to crush the shipment of beers on the grounds that they were mislabeled as champagne.. In addition, this action was also supported by the joint trade association for the industry, Comité Champagne, which claimed that the lot as it infringed the appellation ‘champagne’.
Here’s video of Belgian customs officials pouring out and crushing a couple thousand cans of Miller High Life because it calls itself the Champagne of Beers.pic.twitter.com/PTUo3HofN4
– Craig Winneker (@CraigWinneker). April 23, 2023
In this context, an important role is played by the legality in force in Europe. The European industry trade association states that the term ‘champagne’ may only be used for those beverages containing this type of sparkling wine.. In this sense, ‘champagne’ is considered to be those liqueurs containing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes in their production.
The Champagne Committee argued that the decision to destroy the beers was made “with the utmost respect for environmental concerns by ensuring that. the entire batch, contents and container are recycled in an eco-responsible manner.“.
For his part, Kristian Vanderwaeren, of the Belgian General Administration of Customs and Excise, argued that. “every year thousands of controls are carried out in the appellations of origin.” and when a “misrepresentation is evidenced, as is the case here”, the decision to “destroy these goods and how to do it” is consulted.
The managing director of the Comité Champagne, Charles Goemaere, made it clear that this is a successful collaboration between the Belgian customs authorities and the Committee. “I confirm the importance that the European Union attaches to appellations of origin and rewards the determination of the people of Champagne to protect their appellation“, he expressed.
