Headwaters Brewery to become Bearwaters Brewery

Headwaters Brewing of Waynesville was sent a cease-and-desist order earlier this month on the Headwaters name. The dispute came from Victory Brewing Co. of Downington, Pa., makers of popular beers like HopDevil, Prima Pils, Golden Monkey and, you guessed it, Headwaters Pale Ale.

Who was using the name first? Headwaters owner Kevin Sandefur won the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce grant for promising new business with the company in 2010, but the grand opening of Headwaters to the public was in May of 2012. Victory released their Headwaters Pale Ale in bottles for the first time in-between those dates, in early 2011. However, Victory claims to have been developing the beer since 2010. No matter who used “headwaters” first, Victory was the first to pay the $2,500 required to copyright it. And that’s what matters.

“It’s a sign of the times,” said Headwaters owner Kevin Sandefur. “Breweries are growing quickly and the days of handshake agreements are starting to disappear.” 

Since they had been using the name in commerce, the company could have continued on as Headwaters Brewing — but only in the state of North Carolina. Rather than commit to in-state brewing for the life of the company, Sandefur decided to change the name. “We’re installing a bigger [15 barrel] system later this year … We didn’t want to be pigeonholed,” said Sandefur.

Thus the company finds itself in the process of officially becoming BearWaters Brewing. It’s only a two-letter change from the old name, and the logo and other branding will remain very much intact. “It allowed us consistency,” said Sandefur. “Our logo has had a very strong response.” The new name also plays well with their beer names, which include: Whitewater Hefeweizen, Ripcurrent Red, Angler’s Amber, Stiff Paddle IPA, and Skipping Stone Stout.

What are “bearwaters?” Sandefur said it’s a vague term, but one with the right spirit for the company. “We’re very much about the flavor and region of WNC,” said Sandefur. “The new name evokes the outdoors, whether it’s a bear grabbing a fish … or pristine [bare] water with no pollution.”

The change of two letters will cost the company plenty. They have to replace all their pub visuals, marketing materials and file all new paperwork across the board. Not to mention paying to copyright the new name. “It was an expensive lesson, but it’s all part of the learning curve,” said Sandefur. “We’re staying positive. And we’re happy with the support we received from local breweries and the Asheville Brewers Alliance.”

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.