Kona’s beers are sold at dozens of retailers and bars throughout southwest and west-central Ohio.
Sara Cilloni and Simone Zimmer claim that Craft Brew Alliance Inc. misleads consumers about the origin of its Kona Brewing beers, saying the fifth-largest U.S. craft brewer makes them in New Hampshire, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington state. The Portland, Oregon-based company also owns the Redhook and Widmer Brothers brands, among others.
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The two consumers said the alleged deception includes the use on labels of hula dancers, surfers, the Kilauea volcano, Waikiki beach, and other images and phrases associated with Hawaii, as well as beer names such as Big Wave Golden Ale, Castaway IPA, Fire Rock Pale Ale and Longboard Island Lager, the Reuters news service story said. Despite this, nothing on the packaging makes clear where the beer is actually brewed, the complaint said.
“Consumers purchase items, and are willing to pay more for items, because they are from Hawaii,” the lawsuit said. “Craft Brew is well aware of this.”
A spokeswoman for Craft Brew Alliance told Reuters that the brewery does not discuss pending litigation.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday, Feb. 28 in the federal court in San Jose, California, seeks class action status and unspecified damages for Kona purchasers in that state and nationwide over four years, Reuters.com said.
RELATED: Lawsuit against Walmart claims nothing crafty about its ‘craft’ beers
In the Ohio lawsuit, filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, a Cincinnati-area man filed his lawsuit against Walmart over what he says is the retail giant’s “fraudulent, unlawful, deceptive and unfair” marketing of craft beers that aren’t really craft beers.
Ragan Dickens, director of national media relations for Walmart’s corporate communications office, said after the lawsuit was filed that his company takes such claims seriously and would respond appropriately with the court.
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