Brewery’s Guns ‘N’ Rosé ale strikes a sour note with band Guns N’ Roses, suit says

A Colorado brewery’s cheeky Guns ‘N’ Rosé ale is no laughing matter, a court suit filed by the band Guns N’ Roses says.

The band filed suit against Oskar Blues Brewery on Thursday in Los Angeles on accusations of trademark infringement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Longmont brewery began selling the similarly named craft ale at least as far back as 2018 without the band’s approval, the suit says. It also sells T-shirts, glasses and other merchandise with the logo.

The band’s particularly upset by the brewery’s sale of bandannas, which the suit says “are uniquely associated with GNR and their lead singer and general partner Axl Rose.”

In August, Oskar Blues Brewery filed to trademark Guns ‘N’ Rosé ale, but dropped the filing after the band objected, the suit says.

Guns N’ Roses also sent the brewery a letter demanding that it stop selling the ale and related merchandise, according to the lawsuit.

In a letter, the brewery argued that its Guns ‘N’ Rosé ale did not infringe on the band’s trademark because the rockers do not sell beer or other beverages, the lawsuit says.

Sales of the ale continue, including sales through BevMo and other outlets, according to the suit.

Along with harming the band’s “trademarks, trade name, business reputation, and goodwill,” the craft ale name creates confusion and wrongly suggests the band endorses the brew, the suit says.

“Defendant should not be entitled to continue to sell infringing products and intentionally trade on the GNR’s goodwill, prestige, and fame without GNR’s approval, license, or consent,” the suit says.

Oskar Blues Brewery, which also does business as Canarchy Craft Brewing Collective, did not respond to requests from comment on the suit from CNN, the network reported.

A November 2018 post on the brewery’s Twitter account describes Guns ‘N’ Rosé ale as having a ”sticky prickly pear and floral hibiscus with a subtle hop profile.”

Guns N’ Roses, which formed in 1984 in Los Angeles, has such hits as “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City,” and “November Rain,” according to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The band was inducted in 2012.

This story was originally published May 12, 2019 at 8:54 AM with the headline "Brewery’s Guns ‘N’ Rosé ale strikes a sour note with band Guns N’ Roses, suit says."