Peddler Brewing Company Changes Beer’s Name Due to Trademark Concern

Peddler Brewing Company in Ballard recently changed the name of one of their most popular brews after Lost Coast, a California-based brewer, told them it was a violation of their trademark. Per Komo News, the Tangerine Wheat is now Tangerine Hefeweizen following a "cease-and-desist" letter in which Lost Coast argued that the name is "a well-recognized mark in (the) brewery's production, sales, and related services," which is "threatened by [Peddler’s] unauthorized use of [it]."

Dave Keller, co-owner of Peddler Brewing, told Komo, "The name tangerine wheat to us describes exactly what the beer is. It's a wheat, brewed with tangerine. We never even thought that could possibly be trademarked."

Still, he submitted to the request, and even saw it as a type of compliment.

"’It was almost a little bit of validation to what we were doing that this large brewery from down in California decided we were threatening in some way and needed to send us this letter," Keller said of his two-year-old, three-man brewery. "They shouldn't have been granted that trademark, I don't think, but they were and it's within their right to do that. I'm not bitter about it.’"