Valencian’s UK Brew Has Caught The Attention Of Mercedes

AN expatriate Spaniard living in the UK has launched a boutique brewery in Sunderland but the big boys from Mercedes aren’t too happy about it.

A Sunderland-based micro-brewery has faced the wrath of automobile powerhouse, Mercedes-Benz. The car manufacturer has challenged the brewery, claiming their logo bears a resemblance to the iconic Mercedes emblem according to the Sunderland Echo.

‘Wear Beer’ is the brainchild of Valencian-born Julio Romero Johnson, 33. Julio went on to explain: ‘I registered the logo on [July 21]. I then got a two-month period where it’s public and anyone can oppose it if they wanted to. It was the last day of that period when the letter arrived (from Mercedes-Benz).

The communication was a ‘notice of threatened opposition’ from Mercedes-Benz’s legal team. The letter urged Johnson to reconsider the logo’s design, hinting at potential legal implications.

Logo’s Historical Spanish Link To UK

Julio explained the inspiration behind his logo, ‘It’s just the three-pointed star and it says Wear Beer with a great big worm, so I don’t think anyone will get confused between this and a Mercedes dealership.’

The design connection goes even deeper. ‘The actual design of the logo is from my uncle in Spain, he’s a graphic designer and he decided to help me out,’ Julio revealed.

The emblem depicts the Lambton Worm coiled around a red three-pointed star. The star design pays homage to the International Brigades symbol, who valiantly opposed fascism during the 1936 Spanish Civil War.

The logo serves as a bridge between Britain and Spain, reflecting the many Britons, including several from Sunderland, who fought in Spain. Julio commented: ‘It’s trying to link them, it’s just that link between my home country and my adopted country.’

A Battle Of Principles

Operating from a pub’s basement in Sunderland, Julio remains undeterred. ‘I was like “flipping heck that’s not what I was expecting.” I was thinking what do I do? I wanted to oppose it, but it was frightening. It’s a lot of money to fight them and then if you lose you have to pay them.’ Reportedly Mercedes-Benz has total assets of in excess of €26 billion.

Julio, who produces around eight or nine casks per batch, boasts four primary beers: a bitter, a pale ale, stout, and IPA. As a light-hearted aside, he mentioned, ‘I drive a Peugeot. If Mercedes offered me a free car every five years I’d be quite happy with that.’