The 'Queen of Beer' is going head to head with the 'King of Beers,' the St. Louise Post reports. California-based craft brewer She Beverage Co. registered the tag line with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in December 2014. The 'King of Beers,' however, is not very happy with it.
Anheuser-Busch, the country's largest brewer which owns brands like Budweiser, filed a notice of opposition on Wednesday in the same office to block the application. They argue that She Beverage Co.'s tagline is way too similar to their own and consumers might mistakenly associate the 'Queen' with A-B, according to the complainants.
The 'Queen of Beer' is clearly targeting female drinkers. They offer ales and lagers with a feminine touch, such as Dirty Blonde Cali Citrus Amber and Brunette German Dopple Bock. 'Queen of Beer' is also used in its various marketing campaigns including its website and social media accounts.
She Beer is capitalizing on the fact that a good percentage of women consider beer as their drink of choice. In 2012, 26% of women named beer as their favorite. By 2013, this number had jumped to 28%.
The numbers may seem low compared to the 70+% of men who prefer beer. But that number counts for a lot of business to the right brewer. The positive and increasing response to craft beer in past years has also helped propel this statistic into a solid subset of beer drinkers.
A-B knows this to be true. In an email, David McKenzie, A-B spokesman said, "It's routine for us to oppose trademark filings to protect our intellectual property and prevent confusion among consumers."
But according to Lupe Rose, co-founder of She Beverage Co., "There is no 'Queen of Beer,' and we're a female-owned company." She adds, "I didn't anticipate Budweiser getting their panties in a bunch."
