By Richard Thomas

Two of the three lawsuits against the controversial Iowa bottler Templeton Rye are headed for mediation according to The Des Moines Register.

Templeton Rye had been a subject of derision among diehard whiskey enthusiasts for years for claiming to make a Prohibition-style rye whiskey, when in fact they were bottling a modified version of MGP’s stock whiskey, but it was only when the story was picked up by the mainstream media last year that the bottling company responded. Following the negative coverage, Templeton Rye pledged to change their ways and make a full disclosure, but this was too late to forestall a handful of lawsuits.

Many legal experts have since commented that the lawsuits against Templeton Rye are the work of law firms creating their own paydays, far from the grass roots campaign that called attention to the Iowa bottler’s practices. None of the three lawsuits have been certified for class action status, and the move to mediation suggests that at least two of the parties concerned are prepared to settle.