Beverage company Liquid Death has become locked in a social media battle with late golfer Arnold Palmer's estate and the Arizona Beverage Company over the name of its half-iced tea, half-lemonade drink that it had originally dubbed an "Armless Palmer" before being forced to change the name when threatened with legal action. When Liquid Death released its version of the "Arnold Palmer" drink earlier this year, the name it chose was an obvious nod to the late golf legend who is credited with popularizing the drink and partnering with Arizona Beverage Company to mass produce it. But the ploy by Liquid Death did not sit well with Palmer's estate. Both Arnold Palmer Enterprises and the Arizona Beverage Company sent Liquid Death a letter threatening litigation over their use of the word "Palmer" in their name, as the trademark for the drink is owned by Arnold Palmer Enterprises. In response, Liquid Death continued to make the exact same "Armless Palmer" product but changed the drink's name to "Dead Billionaire." Liquid Death unveiled the new name and can in an Instagram post over the weekend, writing in part that the drink with the new name was the "exact same thing" it had previously been selling, but now it will not have to go through "a senseless legal battle with a large enterprise ... [with] far more $$$ to burn on legal fees that we do." Liquid Death added the new cans with the new name are already for sale on Amazon and "will begin hitting retail shelves in the spring" (SBJ).
