Templeton Rye Accused of Misleading Customers

Terms like “original recipe” might not always mean what they seem, at least according to the Chicago law firm that’s in the process of suing Templeton Rye.

The class-action lawsuit, Consumerist recounts, filed for “all individuals in the United States who’ve purchased a bottle of Templeton Rye,” states that Templeton intentionally misled customers to believe that the spirit was being bottled in Templeton, Iowa, using a Prohibition Era formula originally perfected in the town. The brand, however, is actually prohibited by law to use said formula, and distills its product not just outside of Templeton, but outside of Iowa altogether ,in nearby Indiana.

A favorite of the alleged questionable marketing practices: a promotional t-shirt that quite plainly reads, “Templeton Rye: Made in Iowa.” Trying talking yourselves out of that one, guys. [Consumerist] [Photo:Flickr/Towle N]