Jacques Torres Giving Away Free Champagne Kisses Today

Dumbo chocolatier Jacques Torres launched an online campaign yesterday to “save Jacques’ Champagne Kiss”. According to NYMag’s Grub Street blog, Torres received a letter from a lawyer for Hershey’s Chocolate telling him that the “Champagne kiss” he’s been serving for two years (a $1.50 bonbon made with pink Champagne) is an infringement of the Hershey’s Kiss copyright. Per Grub Street:

“I don’t call it kisses — I call it kiss,” Torres continues. “And I put the word Champagne in front so there’s no misunderstanding.” Torres says he respects what Hershey’s does (“those companies do something right, because they’re worth billions and my company isn’t”), but he in no way intended to be associated with Hershey’s (“That’s not what I do!”). “They are the biggest company in America regarding chocolate and they go after the little guy,” he says. “They don’t own the world! No way am I going to give up on [the kiss] — it’s completely unfair!” Torres’s lawyer (who is prepared to defend the matter in court) has already shot back a response telling Hershey’s to kiss off.

To show how different the Champagne Kisses are, Torres is giving away 10,000 free Champagne Kiss chocolates at his three NYC locations (hurry, from noon to 3pm!). If you’re in Dumbo, stop by his store and let him know why you think Jacques should be allowed to continue using the name Champagne Kiss (or why he shouldn’t).

Jacques Torres Chocolate
66 Water Street (Between the Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges)
Brooklyn, New York 11201
718.875.9772 phone

{The bubble keeps growing: Savejacqueskiss.com, TONY}
{‘STOLEN’ KISS RILES HERSHEY, NY Post}
{Hershey’s Tells Jacques Torres to ‘Kiss’ His Champagne Bonbons Good-bye, NYMag}

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