A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a claim against AB InBev and Molson Coors Brewing for formal errors. In August 2017 Mountain Crest, owner of Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin, filed a claim against the two international brewing giants accusing them of having a secret agreement with the government-owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario from 2000 to 2015 that restricted imports and sales of products from other US breweries in the Canadian province. Mountain Crest said the arrangement violated in this respect the Sherman Antitrust Act and asked for compensation of lost revenues and $200,000 in punitive damages.
U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson now ruled that the claim can’t be heard in federal court. However, he did not totally close the door for Mountain Crest. He said the state claims can still be filed in state court.
