Miller High Life’s use of the “Champagne of Beers” slogan has landed the US beer company in hot water with the guardians of Champagne. The Comité Champagne, which defends the interests of houses and growers of the north-eastern French sparkling wine, requested the destruction of a shipment of 2,352 cans of Miller High Life on the grounds that the century-old motto infringes on the protected designation of origin “Champagne”. Belgian customs workers ultimately crushed over 2,000 cans of the beer. Although Molson Coors Beverage Co, which owns Miller High Life, does not export the brand to the EU, the ruling signifies the importance of the system of protected geographical designations, worth nearly €75bn annually in artisanal food, wine and spirits.
