Beloved Long Island LIV Vodka Distillery Files Suit To Halt LIV Golf's Misappropriation and Infringement of LIV Trademarks

BAITING HOLLOW, N.Y., March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Long Island Spirits, d/b/a "LIV", the award-winning distillery on the North Fork of Long Island, has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit to protect its long-cultivated LIV vodka and spirits brand against LIV Golf. The suit seeks compensatory and injunctive relief to halt LIV Golf and related parties from using the LIV mark in connection with the sale and marketing of alcohol and apparel.

For two decades, Long Island Spirits built the LIV brand's reputation based on world-class vodka and other bespoke spirits produced with local ingredients, including Long Island potatoes, corn, and rye. Since 2007, Long Island Spirits has owned federally registered trademarks for the "LIV" brand in connection with alcohol and spirits, and it also owns common law trademarks for the "LIV" brand in connection with apparel and live events. These LIV-branded products are Long Island Spirits' largest and most important brands.

The lawsuit alleges that LIV Golf has begun infringing on these marks, including by marketing and selling "LIV" branded cocktails with names like the "LIV Clubhouse Cooler" and the "LIV It Up Bloody Mary." The suit also alleges that LIV Golf has sold "LIV" branded apparel throughout the Tri-State area. LIV Golf's use of these marks has caused significant consumer confusion and swamped the LIV brand's reputation, resulting in an erosion of the brand's goodwill and authentic ties to the Long Island community. 

Long Island Spirits' founder, Rich Stabile, commented that "LIV Golf's aggressive use of our 'LIV' brand isn't just causing market confusion; it is a direct attempt to hijack the exact spirits and lifestyle categories we invested decades in building. This case is about protecting our consumers from confusion and making clear that our decades of investment in the LIV brand is not usurped by a large company who happens to like the brand."

Long Island Spirits' trial counsel, Chris Rice, of powerhouse litigation boutique BraunHagey & Borden LLP, noted "LIV Golf's effort to swamp our client's brand is precisely what the trademark and unfair competition laws were designed to prevent. We hope LIV Golf recognizes the impact its conduct is having on Long Island Spirits' LIV brand and products and does the right thing by remedying that harm."

For media inquiries, please contact Chris Rice at [email protected].

Long Island Spirits is a craft distillery that has produced award-winning, nationally distributed vodka, RTDs, and other spirits on the North Fork of Long Island since 2007.

BraunHagey & Borden LLP is the nation's leading bi-coastal litigation boutique with offices in San Francisco and New York City, representing innovative businesses, entrepreneurs, and investors in bet-the-company disputes and complex commercial litigation across the country. www.braunhagey.com

SOURCE BraunHagey & Borden LLP