MillerCoors sued over "craft beer" Blue Moon

[Webb]

MillerCoors Sued for Claiming Blue Moon Is a Craft Beer

I like beer. I like Blue Moon beer. I always knew Blue Moon was made in America by MillerCoors and my local pub charges "import" prices for it despite all of my arguing. So I don't buy Blue Moon beer very often.

Is Blue Moon a craft beer? California resident and angry beer drinker Evan Parent doesn't believe so. According to court documents, Parent has filed a class action lawsuit against MillerCoors, the company that owns Blue Moon. His suit claims that MillerCoors markets Blue Moon as a craft beer when it is in fact a mass produced beer.

The Brewers Association — an organization "dedicated to promoting and protecting American craft brewers" — defines craft breweries as small and independent companies that produce less than six million barrels of beer each year. The suit argues that because MillerCoors has eight major breweries across the U.S. and produces 76 million barrels annually, it cannot qualify as a craft brewery.

Parent feels MillerCoors has been deceptive in their marketing, alleging in the suit that the company has gone to "great lengths to disassociate Blue Moon beer from the MillerCoors name." MillerCoors does not appear on the Blue Moon bottle and Blue Moon's website does not feature "a single reference to MillerCoors." The label also claims that the beer is "artfully crafted" which Parent believes is a way to falsely portray Blue Moon as a craft beer — something many beer drinkers are willing to pay higher prices for. The lawsuit adds that MillerCoors charges up to 50 percent more for Blue Moon beer than it charges for its other products.

A number of booze brands have faced lawsuits over their labeling and marketing practice in recent months. In January, a judge ruled that those who believed that Kirin Ichiban beer was imported from Japan are entitled to a refund. Since Anheuser-Busch purchased the beer brand in 1996, Kirin hasn't been made with any Japanese ingredients, or brewed anywhere near Japan. In February, bourbon brand Jim Beam was slapped with a $5 million lawsuit over its use of "handcrafted" on its bottles.

[expat]

A number of booze brands have faced lawsuits over their labeling and marketing practice in recent months. In January, a judge ruled that those who believed that Kirin Ichiban beer was imported from Japan are entitled to a refund. Since Anheuser-Busch purchased the beer brand in 1996, Kirin hasn't been made with any Japanese ingredients, or brewed anywhere near Japan. In February, bourbon brand Jim Beam was slapped with a $5 million lawsuit over its use of "handcrafted" on its bottles.

I wish I had as much spare time on my hands as some people seem to have....

Also, I am guessing that Tiger Beer probably does not contain any Tiger...........Time to sue.......

Matt

[Apex]

This Evan guy sure is Chairman of the Bored.

Lawsuits over alcohol, I gotta wunder. I used to drink Budweiser back in my drinking days, but I never saw any "buds" in the beer, and I didn't feel any wiser for having drank it.
So, can I sue the Budweiser people?

Good thing Star Trek Scottie wasn't named Jim instead. (Let that sink in a bit. Sorta like "Sorry, sir, your engine's Serling rod is broken.")

Y'know, I feel like singing a tune: "Blue Mooon, you saw me drinking alone. . . " Hey, they can't sue me, on the advice of my attorney, I spelled moon with 3 "O's."

[Jean Loup]

One thing that shocked me when I was a teenager in USA, was living in a county that still had PROHiBiTiON LAWS: Haskell, Texas - in 1958. When comercial aircraft flew over it, they stoped serving drinks aboard!! MY sister & brother in law had to go all the way to Abilene for buying beer at the supermarket. When I was a kid in Spain, our family used to have either beer or wine with our food. Spanish red wine being stronger than french wine, it was diluted with fruit juice (Sangría it was called). In México I allways had beer or wine in restaurants, as long as an adult would be company.

When in the USA I lived in Madison Wisconsin, for a summer. The Milwaukee breweries were close to visit & taste beer: it seemed to me like WATER, comparing to mexican Bohemia (my preference then & now, dark beer: but I also like clear beer). Some times Vicky buys imported beer from different parts of Europe: I must say I like them all, not better nor worst than mexican brews, but different tastes are wellcome. My prefference is acording to Moon Fases (or state of humor) more than a Blue Moon, but I also welcome & enjoy it!! (Hic!!) In México we believe the British must be crazy, drinking warm beer: we drink it very very cold (the weather must be at cause never have been in Britain to find out). SALÚD!!

[Fozzer]

Its a funny old do....

...but at my time in life now, as well as constantly cooking up nice things to eat (every 5 minutes or so), I also seem to spend a lot of time drinking things!
If I am lucky enough to be taken out to a pub, I would quite enjoy a nice cold beef shandy. A very rare occurrence.
When I am at home, most of the time, I alternate between cups/mugs/glasses of tea, coffee, cocoa, fizzy lemonade, and an occasional small glass of mostly unpleasant red wine for dinner (I prefer sweet drinks).
I also consume a very small quantity of plain water, out of the tap, during a spell of brushing my teeth.
(Milk comes in my tea, coffee, etc).

Whatever it is, we old/elderly folk seem to require consuming vast quantities of liquids to regularly flush our kidneys, ....and also something to do to pass the time, and keep our hands busy!..... ...!

I cant ever remember getting drunk on Tetley Tea....and the red vino tastes so bloody horrible that I cant drink much of it!.... ...!

.....mind you...I wouldn't mind someone popping in here right now, to treat me to a nice, cool, beer shandy!

Paul..... ...!

[Webb]

I don't know how they do things in other countries but in the US you could go to a large liquor/wine store and ask for recommendations. They might even offer you a sample or a refund if you didn't like it and brought back 99% of the bottle.

In a US pub I'd buy a couple of Buds to prove I'm not a freeloader and then ask for a sample of one or two (don't overdo it) of the craft beers. Most places will give you a couple of ounces in a plastic cup.

I accidentally lucked out on wine. I like a dry red with Italian food but I like a sweet pink or red for general purposes. I don't drink wine very often but I found this at Walmart for $3.50/quart (£2.5/liter). I'm old enough that I don't care if people tell me I have no taste. It's cheap and I like it.



(If the hotlinked picture dies it's called Oak Leaf Moscato)

[Fozzer]

I accidentally lucked out on wine. I like a dry red with Italian food but I like a sweet pink or red for general purposes. I don't drink wine very often but I found this at Walmart for $3.50/quart (£2.5/liter). I'm old enough that I don't care if people tell me I have no taste. It's cheap and I like it.

The only reason why I drink/sip red wine, as opposed to other alcoholic drinks, is because it is supposed to thin the blood, and therefore reduce the possibility of heart attack from increased blood pressure. (I also take medication to lower blood pressure).
White wines are generally sweeter (to my taste), but do not have the blood thinning benefits of red wine.
My friends tell me that the very cheap red wines that I purchase, (£4-£5 per 75cl bottle), is the reason that they taste awful....
....but even the very expensive reds taste just a awful to me...bitter...and the reason why I actually prefer sweet, reduced sugar, lemonade!

All in all, though, drinking any sort of liquid will do for me, as long as its wet!

Paul.... ...!

Blood pressure = 130/79. Heart Rate = 60BPM

[logjam]

The whole world is being scammed by the Multi-national breweries it seems. That's why there's legislative controls over what and what isn't a "craft" beer. I remember it all started with Watney's Red Barrel back in the '50's. Fancy serving ale in a steel barrel? It was promotional propaganda at it's worst and spread throughout the world. Gone by the wayside, such nectar of the God's such as Bass, M&B and (Heaven forbid) Davenports beer at home. Remember these were Ales, not beers, ales to be served at cellar temperature 50F if I remember. Marstons, Phipps, Samuel Smiths, Theakstons to name a few. Needed a good cellar-man back then as well as a landlord that knew his stuff. Of course we all know now that beer and ale are all the same according to Stella Artois the leading lager liquor giant. Budweiser Busch know nowt except how to serve watered down ice cold chemicals. Ask any US visitor to Canada which beer he prefers and I'll bet you a CAD to a USD he'll say Canuck, solely because it's stronger by far. They all just want alcoholic content, not taste. That's why craft brews need to be protected and encouraged, not diluted into the polluted porridge that the big bad breweries would have us drink. None but the Europeans have a truly developed taste for the brew, that's why master brewers around the world clamour for a European mixmaster. Phew. at least here on Canada's west coast there's a plethora of delicately crafted nectar available to the genuine hop head. Here in Lillooet,BC we grow the world's best hops, which are used by craft breweries as far as Whistler even. The naval base at Esquimalt is even named after beer( ) Mind you, I'd still give a week's wages for a case of Dragon's blood.

[ViperPilot]

Sounds like the row the Corporate European Cheese manufacturing conglomerates are making; they want to make a ruling stating that cheeses similar to Gouda, Camembert and others that are not indigenous to the region or Country of origin, have to carry a 'Disclaimer' or Label calling them "... style" Cheeses!

[Hawkeye07]

I accidentally lucked out on wine. I like a dry red with Italian food but I like a sweet pink or red for general purposes. I don't drink wine very often but I found this at Walmart for $3.50/quart (£2.5/liter). I'm old enough that I don't care if people tell me I have no taste. It's cheap and I like it.



(If the hotlinked picture dies it's called Oak Leaf Moscato)

I'll have to try that! Barefoot Cellars winery also makes a very nice Red Moscato and so does Sutter House. The wife recently discovered these at our local liquor store when she was looking for something different to cook with.

Jean, here in the States the beer is served ice cold or in a frosted mug to kill the taste. Try drinking a Bud or any other American beer at near room temp or slightly chilled and it tastes like donkey piss. Now a good German Pilsner tastes excellent chilled a bit.

[logjam]

I thought I was the only one that called it Donkey Piss. Well, well.

[Jean Loup]

Me preffer beer to wine, but some California wines (I don't have taste either) are sweet not so bitter. It helps to open the bottle of red at room temperature (in a cool room) an hour BEFORE drinking, because of tannins content having to dissipate.

[Jean Loup]

This Bitter Red Wine discuss reminds me of a Taco Place in past Cuernavaca (it has gone with the wind & new millenia), were they seved Red Wine with little squares of an apple 1/4 of an inch thick swiming on top, covering the wine. First time I was there I exclaimed: "What a waste of a good Apple!!" but the waiter lady, unperturbed told me: "Taste first, Sir: then decide if the apple is wasted". I complied because the lady was well built & had a nice smile: I was surprised! All bitterness from red wine was ABSENT!! I pass on this receipe for Fozzer's red wine medication to lower blood pressure, so it becomes a pleasure.

[Hawkeye07]

I thought I was the only one that called it Donkey Piss. Well, well.

Nope, I call it Donkey Piss too unless it's really horrible then it's Panther Piss.

Jean, you have me intrigued; I'm going to have to try that apple trick. I read a long time ago that a glass of wine in the late evening also helps you sleep better. It really does help. Of course if I drink two or more glasses I'll fall asleep in my chair.

[Hawkeye07]

I don't drink wine very often but I found this at Walmart for $3.50/quart (£2.5/liter). I'm old enough that I don't care if people tell me I have no taste. It's cheap and I like it.

Webb, your Walmart sells wine!!! No wonder so many retirees head to Florida to live. Ours doesn't sell wine even though it's a Super Walmart. Must have to do with the Puritanical state laws of Minnesota.