Yoko Ono 'John Lemon' dispute turns to marketing gold for Breton craft brewer

French brewer Aurelien Picard holds a bottle of a beer named 'John Lemon', a play on words in reference to British musician John Lennon at the brewery 'Brasserie de l'imprimerie' in Bannalec, western France on 5 May 2026. AFP - FRED TANNEAU

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.