Craft Beer Conflict: WA breweries clash over ‘Big Juicy’ trademark
SEATTLE - A legal battle is brewing between two of Washington's most beloved beer brands over the rights to the name "Big Juicy."
Spokane-based No-Li Brewhouse is accusing Redhook Brewery of trademark infringement, claiming that Redhook’s "Big Juicy Ballard" is too similar to No-Li's most popular beer, the "Big Juicy" IPA. They contend that India Pale Ale was trademarked by their family owned business back in 2017.
No-Li founders John and Cindy Bryant expressed concerns that consumers might confuse the two products.
"They’re putting a ‘Big Juicy’ next to a ‘Big Juicy’ in stores in Washington," said John. "If you go into the time and the money and energies to invest in a trademark, then it should be protected."
The Bryant family asserts they reached out to Tilray, the company that owns Redhook, back in January and asked them to address the issue, but their requests were ignored. Adding fuel to the fire, No-Li's legal complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court, alleges that Redhook not only dismissed their concerns, but also promoted kegs of No-Li’s product alongside their own on Instagram, exacerbating the confusion.
During a visit to Redhook's Capitol Hill Brewlab, John Bryant claimed a staff member told him, "Yeah, we don’t carry that, but we carry a better tasting ‘Big Juicy,’ the one we make — Big Juicy Ballard."
Cindy Bryant emphasized the local roots of No-Li compared to the international scope of Tilray. "We’re a local Washington craft beer brewery. Tilray is an international cannabis company."
The lawsuit also mentions that Tilray’s CEO aims to eventually infuse THC and CBD into its beer, potentially leveraging their brewery acquisitions to sell cannabis-infused products. John Bryant worries about the implications, saying, "What we don’t want to see is Big Juicy THC and have somebody think it’s No-Li."
Despite the legal action, John Bryant remains hopeful for a resolution. He suggests that Tilray could cover No-Li's legal fees or agree not to distribute "Big Juicy Ballard" in Eastern Washington. If an agreement isn't reached, No-Li is prepared to take the case to court.
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FOX 13 News contacted Tilray for a response but we have not heard back.
