Beer: The Oldest Trademarks Have Been Brewing a Long Time

Trademarks may have begun with a brew-ha-ha. Humans began brewing beer around 6,000 B.C. Taking that long history into consideration, it’s not surprising that the first trademark may have been used in association with the sale of beer.  In Elba, Mesopotamia, in 4000 B.C., an advertisement depicting a voluptuous woman included the tagline: “Drink Elba, the beer with the heart of a lion.”  Another well-documented early trademark comes from Egypt, where, in 2000 B.C., a brewer began labeling its beer: “Joy Bringer, the Beautiful and Heavenly.” Beer’s significance continues throughout trademark history.

The world’s longest continuously used trademark goes to the Benedictine Abbey Weilhenstephan in Germany, which has been using the mark Weilhenstephaner to identify its beer since 1040 A.D. And when Britain enacted its trademark registration statute in 1876, beer was first and second in line: Bass’s Red Triangle became U.K. Reg. 1 for pale ale, and its Red Diamond for strong ale became U.K. Reg. 2.  Americans – and their trademarks – also have a storied relationship with beer. Legend has it that one of the reasons the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, instead of sailing further south, was so the crew would have enough beer for their return trip.  In 1614, the first non-native American born in what is now Manhattan, Jean Vigue, was delivered in America’s first brewery, Block & Christiansen, established in 1612.  And our founding father, George Washington, is part of the sudsy story.

In 1754, Washington recorded a recipe for beer, and in 1789 he championed a “buy American” policy urging consumption of domestic porter.  In our homage to beer and its trademark significance, it’s also fitting to recognize America’s oldest and largest breweries. Yuengling, Co., established in 1829, has been selling beer (branded Yuengling®) longer than any other company in America, and Anheuser Busch, Inc., which produces over 90 million barrels of beer per year, is the world's largest brewery.  So, trademark owners and professionals around the world, the next time you hoist a cold brew, take a moment to remember the important role beer has played in trademark history.