Wisconsin Breweries Compete for Ope-themed Beer

Two Wisconsin breweries are locked in a battle over OPE-branded beers with Gov. Tim Walz’s face on the can.

There’s a lot to unpack in that sentence, but I can’t stress enough that someone has trademarked OPE brand beer and it’s not someone from Minnesota.

In Wisconsin, where our story takes place, Minocqua Brewing Co. launched its latest progressive-themed beverage a few weeks ago: a can featuring Democratic vice presidential candidate Walz’s smiling face beneath the words “OPE.” The beer is described as having “grandfather energy” and is in keeping with Minocqua’s left-leaning offerings.

But Wisconsin already has an Ope brewery — Ope Brewing Co. in West Allis. And Ope owns the Wisconsin trademark on Ope-based beverages (their application for a federal trademark is pending).

“After we released ‘OPE: A Lager with Big Dad Energy’ a few weeks ago, we got a call from a lawyer who represented Ope Brewing in West Allis, Wisconsin. They said we stole their trademark.” So Minocqua began posting his version of events on Facebook Wednesday. “We laughed a little bit and thought, ‘How can you trademark a word that most Midwesterners use to say ‘excuse me’?”

As the dispute escalated into heated exchanges on social media between fans of the two breweries, Ope explained that it owns the trademark and doesn’t go around naming its beers after Minocqua labels.

A lawsuit was filed. A judge then ordered a temporary ban on these Walz-inspired beer cans. And then the conflict seems to have reached the level of Audacity of Ope.

“Despite never having used the term ‘Ope’ prior to August 9, Minocqua Brewing has even adopted the tactic of filing a motion to extend the deadline to oppose our federal trademark – a truly underhanded move that appears to be retaliation for the lawsuit and temporary restraining order,” Ope Brewing posted Thursday.