Belgium destroys shipment of “the Champagne of beers”
Listen to the story (Kenyan accent)
Miller High Life, a popular American beer brand, has been using the slogan “The Champagne of Beers” since the early 1900s. However, a recent shipment of the beer to Europe caused some problems.
The Comité Champagne, an organization that protects Champagne products, requested that a shipment of 2,352 cans of Miller High Life be destroyed by Belgian customs. The Comité Champagne says that the slogan used by Miller High Life is against European Union (EU) rules. “Champagne” is a special name for a specific drink and it cannot be used freely.
The shipment of beer was stopped in Belgium on the way to Germany. Normally, Miller High Life is not delivered to Europe. Belgian customs did not say who the customer was.
The beer brand's owner, Molson Coors Beverage Co., has said that they "respect local restrictions" around the word Champagne but are proud of Miller High Life and Milwaukee, Wisconsin where it's made.
The destruction of the cans was paid for by the Comité Champagne. The organization says that the beer was destroyed in an environmentally friendly way and the cans were recycled.
The European Union has a system to protect the origin and quality of traditional food, wine, and spirits. This helps to prevent copying. The market is worth almost 75 billion euros annually.
Vocabulary25 words
- Brand
- the name of a company and its image; one product with a specific name made by one company, e.g., Sprite is one of Coca-Cola’s brands
- Slogan
- a short and easy to remember phrase used to promote a product or company
- Shipment
- sending something from one place to another, usually in a package or container
- Cause
- make something (usually bad) happen; create
- Organization
- a group of people with one purpose; an agency; a society; company
- Protect
- keep safe or secure; guard; defend
- Request
- to ask for something
- Destroy
- to “end” something by damaging it or attacking it; wreck; demolish; break
- Customs
- the place/department where goods are checked and taxed when they are brought into a country
- The European Union (EU)
- 27 countries in Europe that work closely together
- Against a rule
- not following a rule; break a rule; don’t do what you’re supposed to
- Specific
- referring to a particular thing or detail; exact
- On the way to
- heading towards a particular destination or goal; en route; going to
- Deliver
- to bring something to a person or to a place
- Respect
- to treat someone or something with kindness and consideration; to accept differences
- Restriction
- an official rule that limits what you can do; regulation; limitation
- Proud
- feeling pleased and satisfied with one's achievements or possessions; to feel good about yourself
- Environmentally friendly
- eco-friendly; not bad for or damaging to the Earth; sustainable
- Recycle
- to use again; to change trash into something useable; repurpose
- Origin(s)
- the place where something begins; source
- Quality
- how good or bad something is; condition;
- Spirits
- alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, vodka, or gin
- Prevent
- to stop; to keep from happening; to put an end to
- Market
- the field/area/place of trade or business; the buying/selling of a specific product or service; a category of potential buyers
- Worth
- the value that something has, usually in terms of money
Discussion questions
- What is your opinion about the Comité Champagne's request for the destruction of the shipment of Miller High Life beer? Is it fair? Is it wasteful?
- How important do you think it is to protect the origin and quality of traditional food, wine, and spirits?
- What do you think of the slogan "The Champagne of Beers" used by Miller High Life?
- How would you feel if a product from your country was being imitated by a company from another country? Do you think Miller High Life is really trying to imitate Champagne?
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