The Brewers of Europe, a representative group of brewers' associations, has welcomed the decision by the European Commission to open an examination into obstacles relating to the use of tequila in flavoured beverages.
The examination follows a complaint that the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), the Mexican body that manages the spirit's designation of origin, restricted export certificates granted to Tequilas del Señor, a company producing and exporting tequila to Heineken for use in its Desperados beer.
'The complainant submits that the grounds for refusal is the claim from CRT that Heineken’s Desperados beer - a beer with an added ‘Tequila’ flavour - violates the Mexican technical standard applicable to the use of the Geographical Indication (GI) ‘Tequila’,' the European Commission said.