Red Stripe’s “Jamaican” Promotion Triggers Lawsuit

News Americas, SAN DIEGO, CA, Mon. Aug. 3, 2015:  On the heels of a class action settlement that now will see Beck’s beer agreeing that it misled consumers into believing that Beck’s is German brewed, Red Stripe beer is facing a similar lawsuit.

Two individuals represented by the law firm of Robbins Arroyo have filed a suit in federal court against Diageo, the makers of Red Stripe, according to the San Diego Reader, claiming that the company has committed unfair and deceptive practices and has been unjustly enriched by marketing and selling beer in a way that misleads consumers into believing that the beer is made in Jamaica.

Red Stripe beer is not brewed in Jamaica but Diageo uses clever phrasing in its promotion calling Red Stripe a “Jamaican Style Lager” that contains the “taste of Jamaica.”

The bottle structure is short, squat, and brown — closely associated with Jamaican beer bottles, says the complaint.

Red Stripe is brewed in the USA by Red Stripe Beer Company of Latrobe, PA.

The plaintiffs contend that this disclaimer is in “obscure white text,” and the consumer can’t see those words until after he or she has purchased a six-pack or twelve-pack.

The suit was filed on July 29th.

It comes as the US Virgin Islands’ environmental agency is also planning to file a violation order against Cruzan Rum and Diageo USVI – a subsidiary of Diageo PLC, which produces Captain Morgan – following complaints from residents of various communities on St Croix.

Citizens of St Croix claim a “sooty-looking” fungus has been growing in their neighborhoods, including on water cisterns and fruit trees, due to the ethanol from the nearby rum facilities.

Residents believe the mould is “Baudoinia” and are pursuing a class action lawsuit requiring both companies to install technology to capture ethanol emissions and pay damages to homeowners.

Kentucky-based lawyer William McMurry is representing the St Croix citizens.