The Society of Beer Advocates (Soba) has filed about 50 statutory declarations with the Intellectual Property Office (Iponz) in a bid to win back from DB Breweries the right of Green Man and others to call their shandy radler.
DB says it is completing evidence to support its ownership of the name pending a hearing by Iponz.
DB produced Monteith's Radler (5%), flavoured with lemon and lime, late in 2002 and gained a trademark for the name in 2003, effectively preventing any other brewer selling a radler beer in this country.
Green Man produced its radler - a 5%-strength lager diluted to 2.4% with sugar-free lemonade concentrate - late in 2008, but a few months later was forced to stick "cyclist" labels over the word "Radler" on bottles after DB reminded the brewery that it owned the name.
The society is a group of about 150 small commercial and home brewers.
Its argument is that radler is a generic name, worldwide, for a shandy-style beer and cannot therefore be claimed as a brand name.
Radler is German for cyclist.
The name originated in Bavaria in the 1920s when the owner of an alpine guesthouse, rapidly running out of beer for thirsty cyclists and hikers, added lemon and lime soft drink to eke out his stock.
Production subsequently spread across Germany and Europe.
Around the world, other versions exist.
They are generally lower-strength drinks, with the added flavour diluting an otherwise full-strength beer.
In Ireland, orange and lemon soft drink is added; in South Africa, soda, lemonade and bitters.
United States brewing giants produce beers with lime and salt added.
They are called chelada (Mexican for iced) style, rather than radler.
Miller Chill (4.2%), available here, is an example.
Soba member and beer writer and judge Geoff Griggs says in a declaration that he is unaware of any other brewer in the world registering the name for exclusive use.
He says DB, by saying there are six beer styles in the Monteith's Classics range, admits its Radler is a beer style.
It also admits the name radler originated in Bavaria.
That being so, the brewery cannot claim it as its own brand, he says.
Green beer
Brewers around the world are increasingly climbing on the green wagon, claiming to produce carbon-neutral brews.
Lion Nathan in Australia has the carbon-neutral Barefoot Radler (with lemon/lime flavour).
Its New Zealand subsidiary, Lion Breweries, is unlikely to bring it across the Tasman or reproduce it here, because of rival DB's ownership of radler.
Foster's has bought carbon credits to offset the greenhouse emissions from production, use and disposal of Cascade Green.
Among the first to go green was British brewer Adnams, with its East Green produced in a new brewery which recycles all the steam used for heating.
