Two weeks after being awarded $56 million by a federal court jury in its trademark-infringement case against Molson Coors related to the conglomerate’s rebranding of its Keystone products, Escondido-based Stone Brewing now finds itself on the other end of such a suit. On Thursday, April 7, a summons was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina by Sycamore Brewing. That Charlotte-based brewing interest is suing Stone for using the tagline “Keep It Juicy”.
According to public records, Sycamore Brewing filed for registration of the “Keep It Juicy” mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in May of 2020, and the trademark was officially registered on August 24, 2021. The company uses the phrase on packaging and advertising for its hazy Juiciness IPA.
Stone Brewing’s use of the phrase has also been associated with and limited to its Stone Hazy IPA, which launched on August 26 of last year. Taglines and messaging for the beer have varied over the past eight months.
When reached for comment, Stone Brewing General Counsel Josh Weiss responded: “Sycamore’s complaint was the first time we had heard of this issue, We disagree with the allegations but will investigate the matter and take action if appropriate and in keeping with our consistent policy of respect for brand rights.”
Established in 2014, Sycamore Brewing is one of North Carolina’s largest craft brewing companies. It’s beers are distributed by 24 distributors to eight states.