Pitbull is suing E. & J. Winery & New Amsterdam Spirits Company for branding a vodka
recipe the 'Pit Bull,' according to TMZ. The Florida rapper, whose name has been trademarked
since 2000, alleges that the alcohol distributor has been using his trademark to sell the
drink made up of two parts New Amsterdam vodka, 1/2 part lime juice, 1/2 part grapefruit
juice, and parts lemon/lime soda. Pitbull has endorsed competing liquor brands, including
Voli vodka (featured in the video for "Give Me Everything" and the lyrics to "Rain Over Me").
"[Voli] gave me a great opportunity to be an owner of a brand that I really believed in," Pitbull
told the Los Angeles Times a few years ago. "That's why I got involved with Voli. It's in a
market where it's needed and everybody wants it."
Pitbull is demanding compensation for profits made off the "Pit Bull" cocktail, as well as
removal of the name. In March, Pitbull's Voli brand, a low-calorie fruit-flavored vodka line,
was the target of a lawsuit over the death of a young man at the scene of a Voli promotional
event. When a boat branded with the company's logo ran aground, the captain solicited
help from the attendees, one of whom was killed when he got too close to the boat's engine.
Source: Billboard