Tabasco's Lawsuit Against Stoli
On December 16, vodka company Stoli launched their jalapeño pepper vodka. A mere 24 hours later, they received a cease and desist letter from Louisiana-owned hot sauce company Tabasco.
Tabasco alleged that Stoli's packaging for this product is "confusingly similar" to theirs. On January 28, Tabasco and Absolut released their chili pepper-flavored vodka as a collaboration. In their lawsuit, Tabasco claims that they met with Stoli about a vodka hot sauce collaboration in 2024, which Tabasco's parent company, Mcllhenny, terminated before an agreement was reached.
Louisiana Grown
In 1868, Edmund McIlhenny developed the original recipe for Tabasco hot sauce on Avery Island, a small, scarcely populated island in Iberia Parish. That recipe has been passed down through generations, with production remaining on the Island. Tabasco is a uniquely Louisiana brand, staying true to its roots and consistently giving back to the land that provides it with its famous hot sauce.
Tabasco's Iconic Branding
Tabasco has undeniably recognizable packaging. Their green, white, and red color scheme, along with their logo, have been trademarked since 2005. Tabasco has done many collaborations, including with Heinz, Bugles, and Slim Jims. The hot sauce was featured in iconic movies such as The Princess and the Frog and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. All of their collaborations include their branding, showing us that no matter what product it is on, their logo and colors are associated with Tabasco.
Copycat or Coincidence?
Stoli's new vodka features a red bottle with a white label and green font. In the lawsuit, Tabasco accuses Stoli of copyright infringement and says that Stoli's use of packaging similar to theirs will drive sales away from their Absolut collaboration because it will dilute their iconic branding and confuse customers.
Under the U.S. Lanham Trademark Act of 1946, packaging copyright is infringed when the overall look and feel of the packaging is similar. Tabasco argues that Stoli's new vodka design is undeniably similar to theirs. Stoli, in response, rejected these claims and refused to halt the production of the product as of right now.
