The Battle for ‘Big Juicy’: Family-Owned Brewery Goes Head to Head With International Cannabis Company Over Craft Beer Trademark Dispute
No-Li’s cans of Big Juicy IPA (Photo: No-Li/Instagram)
Fox Seattle reported on Monday that two craft beer brands in Washington are in a legal battle over the rights to the name “Big Juicy.” No-Li Brewhouse claims that Redhook Brewery infringed upon the beer brand’s trademark “Big Juicy” IPA. The lawsuit filings allege that Redhook’s Big Juicy Ballard infringes upon No-Li’s “Big Juicy” IPA, which was trademarked in 2017.
Seattle-based Redhook Brewery is currently owned by the cannabis conglomerate, Tilray after the company purchased it in August according to Eater Seattle. No-Li Brewhouse is a Spokane-based brewery owned by John and Cindy Bryant, according to Fox.
“We’re a local Washington craft beer brewery. Tilray is an international cannabis company,” Cindy Bryant claimed according to the outlet.
Redhook’s Big Juicy Ballard (right) is what incited a trademark battle. (Photo: Redhook Brewery/Instagram)
Fox reported that according to the lawsuit, Tilray claimed it had ambitions of infusing THC and CBD into its beers, further confusing both brands.
“What we don’t want to see is Big Juicy THC and have somebody think it’s No-Li,” John Bryant told Fox.
The Bryants claimed that they contacted Tilray to fix the problem, but the company ignored their requests. In a legal complaint the Bryants filed with the district court, the duo allege Redhook promoted photos of kegs of Big Juicy Ballard alongside their “Big Juicy” IPA, adding insult to injury.
John Bryant attempted to do some digging of his own and visited Redhook’s taproom. When he asked about Big Juicy, an employee responded with the following statement:
“Yeah we don’t carry that. We carry a better tasting ‘Big Juicy,’ the one we make — Big Juicy Ballard.”
Fox reported if the issue isn’t resolved, the Bryants are fully prepared to take Redhook to court.
In November, another beer-soaked lawsuit made headlines. The conflict was between Brew Dog and a smaller brand, Jump Ship Brewing, over the name “Shore Leave.” Jump Ship claimed the nonalcoholic beer brand produced a beer with the name “Shore Leave” before Brewdog did, despite not trademarking the name. To escalate matters, Brew Dog advertised the brand’s “Shore Leave” beer with the slogan, “Jump Ship.”
Brew Dog attempted to settle the matter by removing the unfortunately named tagline, but it appeared Jump Ship’s founder, Sonja Mitchell, intended to take the brand to court.
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