By Samuel Petrequin|Associated Press

BRUSSELS-- The guardians of Champagne will let no one take the name of the bubbly drink in vain, not even a U.S. beer leviathan.

For years, Miller High Life has utilized the "Champagne of Beers" slogan. Today, that appropriation became difficult to swallow.

At the request of the trade body protecting the interests of houses and growers of the northeastern French sparkling wine, Belgian custom-mades squashed more than 2,000 cans of Miller High Life advertised as such.

The Comité Champagne asked for the destruction of a shipment of 2,352 cans on the premises that the century-old motto used by the American brewery infringes the protected designation of origin "Champagne.".

The consignment was intercepted in the Belgian port of Antwerp in early February, a representative at the Belgian Customs Administration said on Friday, and was destined for Germany.

Molson Coors Beverage Co., which owns the Miller High Life brand name, does not currently export it to the EU, and Belgian customizeds decreased to state who had actually ordered the beers.

The buyer in Germany "was notified and did not object to the choice," the trade company stated in a statement.

Frederick Miller, a German immigrant to the United States, established the Miller Brewing Company in the 1850s. Miller High Life, its oldest brand name, was launched as its flagship in 1903.

According to the Milwaukee-based brand name's website, the company started to utilize the "Champagne of Bottle Beers" nickname 3 years later. It was reduced to "The Champagne of Beers" in 1969. The beer has also been offered in champagne-style 750-milliliter bottles during joyful seasons.

" With its elegant, clear-glass bottle and crisp taste, Miller High Life has proudly worn the label ‘‘ The Champagne of Beers' for practically 120 years," Molson Coors Beverage Co. stated in a declaration to The Associated Press.

No matter how popular the motto remains in the United States, it is incompatible with European Union rules which make clear that goods infringing a protected classification of origin can be dealt with as counterfeit.

The 27-nation bloc has a system of safeguarded geographical classifications developed to ensure the real origin and quality of artisanal food, wine and spirits, and protect them from imitation. That market is worth almost 75 billion euros ($ 87 billion) every year-- half of it in white wines, according to a 2020 study by the EU's executive arm.

Charles Goemaere, the handling director of the Comité Champagne, stated the damage of the beers "verifies the significance that the European Union connects to designations of origin and rewards the decision of the Champagne producers to secure their designation.".
Molson Coors Beverage Co. stated it "appreciates regional limitations" around the word Champagne.

" But we stay happy with Miller High Life, its label and its Milwaukee, Wisconsin provenance," the company said. "We invite our good friends in Europe to the U.S. any time to toast the High Life together.".

Belgian customizeds stated the destruction of the cans was spent for by the Comité Champagne. According to their joint declaration, it was carried out "with the utmost respect for environmental issues by guaranteeing that the whole batch, both contents and container, was recycled in an environmentally accountable manner.".

Mark D. Carlson contributed from Brussels.