Confectionary giant Mars, Inc began legal proceedings in response to award-winning, Durham based brewery, S43 taking inspiration from one of their products, the Snickers bar.
Incorporating the flavours and ingredients found in chocolate and nut bars, S43 released a limited run of their Imperial Chocolate Fudge Stout, aptly naming it “You’re Not You When You’re Thirsty”. The stout sold out within 48 hours and received widespread praise from industry experts and drinkers-alike.
Unfortunately, the brewery – who aren’t in a position to take legal action – will be taking down the imagery and any reference to the drink on their website and social media, but they’re keen to ensure their fastest ever selling product isn’t forgotten in a hurry.
“It has been one of the fastest-selling brews in our history and we don’t want the hard work of the brewery team to be forgotten, which is why we’ll be referencing it as ‘The One We Can’t Talk About’ moving forward.
We of course completely respect the effort and time Mars has put into building their brand. The creation of this brew was simply to pay homage to one of the brewery’s favourite snacks.”
– Alex Clark, Marketing Manager (S43)
After a lot of internal discussions, the brewery has decided to re-release the limited run beer, with the new can design and slight tweak to the original recipe, this Friday (14th August).Â
For more information about S43’s range and information on how to get the re-released, re-named stout, check out their website and follow @S43Brewery on twitter.
craftandslice.com 
Oh how sad. A brewery that has stolen intellectual property are forced to stop using it. These people are a travesty and a disgrace to the craft beer industry.