Is Blue Moon craft or crafty?

Where do Americans find attorneys prepared to take on such a naff case? The long-standing debate over what is a craft beer has moved from the bar-room to the courtroom, thanks to a legal challenge against the second-largest brewer in the U.S., MillerCoors, the maker of Blue Moon.

In April 2015 a San Diego consumer by the name of Evan Parent filed a lawsuit, arguing that the brewing giant fraudulently promotes Blue Moon as a craft beer and confuses customers by never showing the name “MillerCoors” on labels and packaging. “People are deceived into thinking that Blue Moon is the product of a craft brewery,” Mr Parent's attorney, James Treglio, was quoted as saying.

This lawsuit has since made huge waves in U.S. media.

The lawyer is seeking class-action status for the suit, hoping to persuade thousands, even millions of Californian beer drinkers to join Mr Parent as plaintiffs in the case.

Blue Moon Belgian White was launched 20 years ago as a small-batch ale in Coors’ Sandlot brewery in Denver. Now it’s a big national brand and brewed at two MillerCoors’ breweries.

MillerCoors spokesman Jonathan Stern called the lawsuit “without merit.”

“Blue Moon is the gateway beer into craft for many drinkers and is the most popular craft beer in America,” he said. “There are countless definitions of 'craft,' none of which are legal definitions.”

The Brewers Association, which represents U.S. craft brewers, defines a craft brewery as having annual production of less than 7 million hl beer and having less than 25 percent ownership by a non-craft brewer.

Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association, said that the BA has no position specifically on the lawsuit. “Win or lose, the fight is likely to be expensive to MillerCoors”, he added