Pusser’s Rum May Need a Drink to Quell PR Pain

Pusser’s Rum may have won its trademark battle, but it seems to be losing the war when it comes to public opinion – especially among bartenders.

According to The Lo-Down, the British Virgin Islands-based rum brand recently sued New York’s up-and-coming Painkiller Tiki Bar, saying that the name violated the company’s trademarks on the Painkiller cocktail, including a Painkiller cocktail mix in the works.

The case was settled in Pusser’s favour, and the bar is changing its name to PKNY, has agreed not to serve Painkillers unless they contain Pusser’s, and is relinquishing its www.painkillernyc.com domain name.

However, the lawsuit (and more broadly, the trademarking of cocktail names) does not sit well with the bartending community, which has organized a social media-driven boycott of the brand, including the Facebook site Bartenders and Cocktailians Against Pusser’s Rum (700 likes) and 100,000 Bartenders Who Won't Buy Pusser's Rum Again (450 likes).Continue reading...