Trademark troubles: Bryn Mawr Brewing Co. changes name to Utepils Brewing

Fresh off completing a successful equity round of $1,225,000, Bryn Mawr Brewing announced it is changing its name to Utepils Brewing, the name of the holding company. The word “utepils” is Norwegian for the first beer enjoyed outdoors in the sunshine after a long, dark winter. The word “ute” means outside and “pils” means beer. The “utepils moment” is widely anticipated and celebrated every spring by Norwegian beer drinkers.

In announcing the change to investors, founder Dan Justesen said, “Two years ago, when we embarked on a journey to build a great European-style craft brewery, we christened ourselves Utepils Brewing. Then, after finding the perfect site to build our brewery near the Bryn Mawr neighborhood, we decided to adopt the Bryn Mawr name.”

However, a funny thing happened on the way to the trademark office. After researching the trademark for Bryn Mawr Brewing, Justesen and the ownership group discovered a winery of the same name in Oregon. Meanwhile, investors, fans and friends continued to use the Utepils name and hashtag in social media posts – often sporting the Utepils name from the back of t-shirts in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts.

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Justesen added, “Utepils quickly became the fan favorite on social media for the brewery. There is nothing more social than enjoying a great beer with friends — so we are following our fans’ lead and building Utepils as our core brand.”

Utepils Brewing is steeped in the traditions of European brew masters, but will soon be available close to home in Minneapolis, with plans to distribute regionally and nationally. Construction is now underway for the full-production brewery and taproom being built at the site of the former Glenwood bottling plant. Utepils Brewing is set to open in early 2016 and will specialize in classic European beer styles and also offer select, special edition seasonal brews.