A small craft brewery in western France has found an unexpected silver lining after a legal clash over its tongue-in-cheek beer name – turning a potential setback into a sell-out success.
Based in Brittany, the Brasserie de l’Imprimerie was asked by Yoko Ono to stop producing its “John Lemon” beer – a playful nod to her late husband, John Lennon.
The request, which arrived via lawyers in late March, initially left owner Aurélien Picard facing a daunting choice: comply immediately or risk steep financial penalties.
According to Picard, the legal notice included figures that would give any small business pause for thought – around €100,000 in potential costs, alongside daily fines ranging from €150 to €1,000 if the brewery failed to act.
“They demanded we recall all our product and immediately stop using the brand,” he said.
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A legal squeeze
After some negotiation, a compromise was reached.
The brewery was granted permission to continue selling its remaining stock of around 5,000 bottles until 1 July, after which production under the “John Lemon” name must cease.
For a modest operation like Picard’s, which employs just two people and produces between 50,000 and 80,000 bottles annually, the stakes were significant.
The brewery mainly supplies local shops and restaurants within a 40-kilometre radius of its base in Bannalec, making any disruption to its product line particularly challenging.
The beer itself, a blonde variety with a citrus twist, had been launched five years ago simply because the name felt “cool”, Picard explained.
It was part of a broader tradition at the brewery of giving its beers playful, celebrity-inspired names.
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Powerful ingredient
But what could have been a blow quickly turned into a marketing windfall. News of the dispute spread rapidly, drawing attention far beyond the brewery’s usual local customer base. Within days, demand surged.
“It was crazy. I have less than 1,000 left,” Picard said, describing the rush to buy what has effectively become a limited edition product.
He added with a hint of amusement: “It was kind of funny, amid our misfortune.”
Now, as the final bottles disappear from shelves, Picard is turning his attention to the future – namely, finding a new name for the popular brew.
One idea, “Jaune Lemon” – a play on the French word for yellow – has been floated, although it failed to win approval from Ono’s legal team.
Even so, the episode has given the small brewery a visibility money couldn't buy. As they say, "when life gives you lemons...".
(with newswires)
