Americans may love the Champagne of Beers, but France isn’t as fond of the lager’s nickname.
Belgian customs officials destroyed a shipment of Miller High Life on April 17 at the petition of a Champagne trade organization, according to the Associated Press. The Comité Champagne, which represents producers in the French region, asked border agents to destroy some 2,352 cans of the American lager in the name of protecting the Champagne appellation.
The beer shipment, flagged at an Antwerp port in early February, was destined for an unnamed recipient in Germany. (The Associated Press notes that Molson Coors Beverage Co. doesn’t distribute in the European Union.) The recipient in Germany “was informed and did not contest the decision,” as The Comitè Champagne shared in an April 18 press release.
The beers were held by Belgian customs officials for two months and were eventually crushed by a Belgian company following approval by authorities.
“This destruction is the result of a successful collaboration between Belgian customs authorities and the Comité Champagne,” Comité Champagne managing director Charles Goemaere said in a public 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.”
The “Champagne of Beers” nickname has represented the brand for nearly 120 years, which Miller High Life adopted three years after founding in 1903. Its bottle design — featuring a high neck and gold foil details — calls back to the French sparkling wine’s typical packaging.
