() — Belgium destroyed a shipment of American beer after objecting to its maker’s slogan that it was “The Champagne of Beers.”
Belgian customs crushed the 2,352 cans of Miller High Life beer earlier this week, arguing they were incorrectly labeled as champagne.
The move came after a champagne industry trade association complained that the term should only be used on bottles of sparkling wine, made using a traditional method in Champagne, France.
By convention, true champagne—like French sparkling wine—can only be made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes.
The Champagne Committee, a joint trade association for the champagne industry, called for the destruction of the American beers, arguing that the label “The Champagne of Beers” infringed the protected designation of “Champagne.”
Miller High Life was launched in 1903 by a Milwaukee-based company. According to his website, he began using the catchphrase “The Champagne of Bottled Beers” three years later, shortening it to “The Champagne of Beers” in 1969.
The beers were headed for Germany before being intercepted at the port of Antwerp in February.
On April 17, the cans were destroyed “with the utmost respect for environmental concerns by ensuring that the entire batch, contents and container are recycled in an eco-responsible manner,” the Champagne Committee said.
“Every year we carry out thousands of checks on appellations of controlled origin,” said Kristian Vanderwaeren, general administrator of the Belgian General Administration of Customs and Excise.
“If a misrepresentation is proven, as is the case here, we also consult with each other about the decision to destroy these assets and how we will destroy them.”
Charles Goemaere, managing director of the Champagne Committee, said the move is the result of a successful collaboration between the Belgian customs authorities and the Champagne Committee services.
“It confirms the importance that the European Union attaches to appellations of origin and rewards the determination of the inhabitants of Champagne to protect their appellation,” he said.
