From Beernews.org, we’ve learned that Brendan Moylan of Moylan’s Brewery has decided to change it’s award-winning Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale to another name, as yet undetermined. The brewery has used the beer name for 13 years.

(Lakespur, CA) – Owner, Brendan Moylan, confirmed last week that Moylan’s Scotch Ale will no longer carry the iconic “Kilt Lifter” name that it has for the past thirteen years. When asked why the brewery had to switch it, Moylan commented, “In the spirit of integrity in the beer business and mutual disdain for trademark lawyers, we choose to act within a gentlemanly manner and sell our product with an alias in limited distributable zones.”

Moylan went on to name off several breweries who carry the Kilt Lifter name on their beers:

Pike Brewing (January of 1997-trademarked in WA, OR, ID & Canada)
Four Peaks in Arizona (opened in 1997 but trademarked nationally).
Alley Kat Brewing (Canada) has a Kiltlifter Scotch Ale from Alberta
5 Seasons Brewing in GA (opened in 2001)
Lb. Brewing Co. from Hays, Kansas
Pug Ryans has a Scottish Ale formerly known as Kiltlifter

A RateBeer search also shows that there are another half dozen or so. To date, it has the most reviews for any beer with the name, “Kilt Lifter.”

We suspect as round two of the craft beer movement progresses, you’ll see a lot more of these overlapped names fall by the wayside. And, likely too, a lot more trademarks in beer names. If you remember, a similar issue happened locally last year with the issue of Pisgah Pale Ale, a name that had been used by Asheville Brewing Co., as well as Pisgah Brewing Co. Asheville Brewing Co. later changed their pale ale name to Old School. Pisgah now holds the trademark to Pisgah Pale Ale.