Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Belgian authorities destroyed 2,352 cans of Miller High Life beer because it was labelled as “the Champagne of Beers”. A trade association complained that the term can only be used for the eponymous sparkling wine that originated in and is produced in Champagne, France.Miller High Life initially used the slogan “The Champagne of Bottle Beer,” before shortening it to “The Champagne of Beers” in 1969. The shipment arrived in Belgium in February and was on its way to Germany when the Comité Champagne trade association asked for the destruction of the beers due to its packaging, “with the greatest respect for environmental concerns”. The buyer in Germany “was informed and did not contest the decision,” the trade organisation said in a statement.The managing director of the Comité Champagne, Charles Goemaere, said the move “confirms the importance that the European Union attaches to designations of origin and rewards the determination of the inhabitants of Champagne to protect their designation”.