Vodka vs. Vodka: Surfside Sues Anheuser-Busch Over ‘Copycat’ Hard Lemonade

(Photos: Surfside, AB InBev)

On Tuesday, the makers of Surfside canned cocktails filed a lawsuit against brewing giant Anheuser-Busch, alleging that the company’s recently launched Skimmers Vodka Iced Tea is a “reckless” copycat.

Surfside is one of the fastest-rising pre-mixed cocktails in the United States, reportedly witnessing revenue growth of over 360% in 2024 alone. The beverage, produced by Stateside Brands in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is currently available in a variety of vodka-based flavors including Lemonade, Iced Tea and Green Tea. The drink’s popularity can be partly credited to savvy partnerships in the baseball world, including a handful of limited-edition cans launched in collaboration with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants.

In April, Anheuser-Busch launched a competing spirits-based drink called Skimmers. Much like Surfside, Skimmers sells products in non-carbonated Vodka Lemonade and Vodka Iced Tea varieties. Stateside Brands, however, believes that the similarities don’t end there.

In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Stateside argued that Skimmers copied three distinctive features of Surfside: A stylized gradient design on the bottom of the can, a white background overlayed with a sun logo and a colored rim that matches that color scheme from the bottom.

“Anheuser-Busch could have selected from a vast universe of design elements to create a can that stood on its own,” the filing reads. “Instead, it opted to mimic Stateside and freeride off its popular and successful Surfside design, product, reputation, and goodwill to gain an unfair marketplace boost—at the expense of both Stateside and consumers alike.”

Should Anheuser-Busch be found in violation of trademark laws, Stateside has requested damages of at least $75,000.

Though Stateside may be one of the fastest-growing names in the alcohol industry, the difference in scale between it and Anheuser-Busch is vast. Stateside was founded in 2015 by Matt Quigley, Bryan Quigley, Clement Pappas and Zach Pappas, two sets of brothers who set out to create a “better-for-you” alternative to competitors like Mike’s Hard Lemonade. In addition to Surfside, the distillery also offers stand-alone vodka and bourbon offerings.

Anheuser-Busch, meanwhile, is the largest brewer in the world, responsible for myriad best-sellers including Michelob Ultra, Bud Light, Stella Artois and Busch Light. An Anheuser-Busch representative told the Philadelphia Business Journal that the Surfside lawsuit is “without merit,” and that the company will “vigorously defend against it.”