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For decades, Patagonia has been the clothing company of choice for outdoor types and finance guys alike, and in addition to having some pretty solid threads, they’ve also been an absolute bro to the environment based on the number of initiatives they’ve pursued over the years.
You might have to pay a bit of a premium for their products, but for people who are concerned about sustainability and carbon footprints, it’s worth shelling out a little more money so you can feel good about your admittedly overpriced fleece vest.
Over the years, Patagonia has spawned plenty of imitators—a group that now includes Anheuser-Busch, which recently decided it would be a good idea to shamelessly attempt to ride the company’s coattails with a beer targeted at its key demographic.
According to TMZ, Patagonia recently filed a lawsuit for trademark infringement against the beer giant after the new brew came to their attention and is arguing the corporation is trying to mislead drinkers into buying the product.
As you probably know, “Patagonia” itself refers to a geographic area in South America so the clothing company doesn’t have exclusive rights to the name.
With that said, it seems pretty obvious that Anheuser-Busch is trying to take advantage of consumers in a few ways. In addition to ripping off the logo (which blatantly infringes upon Patagonia’s), it promises to plant a tree for every six-pack that’s purchased and apparently debuted the product in a number of mountain towns in Colorado.
Not a great look.
If you’re looking to get your hands on an actual Patagonia beer, the company teamed up with Oregon’s Hopworks Urban Brewery a few years ago to create the Long Root label (they currently produce a pale ale and a witbier).
Patagonia hopes to get the courts to cancel Anheuser-Busch’s trademark and is looking to get its hands on the money the conglomerate has made by selling the beer.
This should be fun.