“Handcrafted” Jim Beam Bourbon Wins in CA Court

August 27, 2015 – A federal just in San Diego dismissed a suit against Jim Beam Bourbon for false advertising.

The plaintiff, Scott Welk, claimed in his suit filed earlier this year that the term “handcrafted” on the label led him to pay a premium price for a product which was produced on “a modern day assembly line involving little to no human supervision, assistance or involvement.”  Jim Beam Bourbon is one of the less expensive bourbon brands.

U.S. District Court Judge Larry Burns said that the term “handcrafted” would not be interpreted by a reasonable person to mean it was literally created by a hand process rather than a machine.

This dismissal follows a recent ruling by another California federal judge in a similar suit against Maker’s Mark.  Both brands are owned by Beam Suntory, which is now three for three in winning frivolous lawsuits.  A similar case in Florida was also ruled in their favor.