Alcoholic Beverage Companies Are Sued

Several alcoholic beverage companies were named in a lawsuit that seeks to recover “unlawful profits” they made by allegedly marketing and advertising their products to underage drinkers.

The suit, filed in Superior Court in the District of Columbia by a law firm associated with star litigator David Boies, uses some strategies similar to those used to challenge tobacco industry marketing practices.

The defendants in the case include brewers Adolph Coors Co.’s Coors Brewing Co. and Heineken; alcohol distillers Bacardi, Brown-Forman Corp. and Diageo, as well as industry trade group the Beer Institute.

Bacardi executives weren’t immediately available for comment. A Coors spokeswoman declined to comment, citing a policy not to comment on pending litigation. A Diageo spokesman said the company planned to “vigorously defend itself.”