Elixir Brew Co ‘saved’ after social media campaign

Some of Elixir's beers. Picture: Kate Chandler

Elixir Brew Co, a one-man brewing operation based at the Alechemy brewery in Livingston, was threatened with legal action by Everards, which owns 170 pubs across the East Midlands.

After the dispute was detailed on a prominent beer blog, a major social media campaign was launched under the hashtag #saveelixirbrewco, with messages of support coming from as far afield as Canada and Australia.

Everards have since stated that they have removed their opposition to Elixir’s attempt to trademark their brewery name.

‘Global response’

Elixir’s Ben Bullen told The Scotsman: “It was a global response to the news, the story really touched a nerve with people.

“I was amazed at the sheer volume of the response - my phone hasn’t stopped.

“I think Everards expected an easy win, but the response from other brewers and across the internet was pretty impressive.”

“I’m happy I can continue trading as Elixir - I have been trading as Elixir Brew. Co for 18 months, and I hope to continue to do so.”

Dispute

Everards hold a trademark on the word Elixir after producing a seasonal beer with the name in 2012, and had contacted Elixir’s Ben Bullen ordering him to remove his trademark application for his brewery.

The letter also called on Bullen to also cease and desist from use of the word ‘Elixir’, and to remove all of Elixir Brew Co’s beer from sale by the end of the week.

In a statement on their Facebook page, Everards said: “Like many breweries we trademark our beers to ensure that customers can buy our beers with confidence, knowing they are the genuine article and to avoid any confusion.

“Trademarking is a standard business practice that we will continue to use, however the team at Everards have reflected on this particular case. We have decided that, as the name refers to the company rather than the beer, we will not pursue this any further.”