Surfside Owner Drops Lawsuit Against Anheuser-Busch

Stateside Brands, the producer of the popular Surfside hard iced tea, has voluntarily dismissed a lawsuit it filed last year against Anheuser-Busch. The complaint accused the beverage giant of copying Surfside's packaging design for its own product, Skimmers.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted a motion to dismiss the case with prejudice, effectively ending all claims against Anheuser-Busch. Both companies will bear their own legal costs and attorneys' fees, and all rights to appeal have been waived.

Legal experts suggest the dismissal indicates a confidential settlement agreement was reached between Stateside and Anheuser-Busch. Such agreements are common in intellectual property disputes and typically keep the terms private, meaning the specifics of the resolution may not become public.

Stateside's original filing highlighted similarities between the Skimmers and Surfside products, both of which are iced-tea-based ready-to-drink cocktails. The alleged similarities included striped can designs and sun logos. Stateside, launched in 2022, had experienced rapid growth, becoming one of the fastest-growing alcohol brands in the U.S.