The Friday Mash
Here are some stories that attracted our attention this past week:
Two members of Washington State’s brewing community have passed away: Dick Young, the founder of the eponymous Dick’s Brewing Company, and Brian Sollenberger, the co-founder of Diamond Knot Brewery….Toronado, the famous beer bar in San Francisco, has opened a second location in San Diego….If you live in the Bay Area, check out Beer by BART, a listing of bars and brewpubs within walking distance of a BART station. Now if only the trains would run past midnight….The Kalmanovitz Charitable Foundation is putting Pabst Brewing up for sale. If you’ve got $300 million lying around, you could be the proud new owner.
Follow-ups on a couple of stories we’ve blogged:
Now that Rock Art has settled its trademark dispute, it has released its winter ale. And Volo, a Toronto beer bar, has announced the winners of its Cask Days festival.
Energy Drink Maker Challenges Vermont Micro's Use of "Monster"
Rock Art Brewery, a micro located in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, is facing a trademark suit over its use of “Vermonster” for one of its beers. Hansen Beverage Company, the maker of Monster energy drinks, contends that “Vermonster” would dilute the “Monster” trademark and has demanded that Rock Art stop using the name.
Rock Art isn’t the first brewery to be on the receiving end of a cease-and-desist letter over the use of a beer name. Some years ago Bell’s Brewery, Inc., changed “Solsun” to “Oberon” after the Mexican brewer of “Sol” beer threatened to take Bell’s to court.