Two California residents have filed a lawsuit against the maker of a Hawaiian brewing company, claiming consumers are misled into paying more for beer they believe to have been made in the Aloha State.

Sara Cilloni and Simone Zimmer recently filed suit in U.S. District Court of California Northern District against Kona Brewing Co., the maker of popular beers such as Big Wave Golden Ale, Castaway IPA, Fire Rock Pale Ale and Longboard Island Lager. Cilloni and Zimmer say the company's use of hula dancers, surfers, the Kilauea volcano, Waikiki beach and other images associated with the Hawaiian Islands is deceptive.

Kona Brewing Co. does operate a flagship brew house in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, where it produces around 12,000 barrels of beer annually for distribution around the islands. Although nothing in the packaging indicates where the beer is actually brewed, Kona's website indicates it makes most of the beer sold in the upper 48 states in its facilities in New Hampshire, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington with hops, malt and proprietary yeast from the island state. The mineral levels of the water used are also reportedly adjusted to replicate the water used in Hawaii. The website also claims that a sample from each batch of beer is sent to the Kailua-Kona brewery for sensory evaluation.

The lawsuit is seeking class action status and unspecified damages for Kona purchasers.

—Source: boozeleague.com