Liquid Death's Deathuccino Debacle: Trademark Tussle Brews with Death Wish Coffee

Liquid Death BioSnap a weekly updated Biography. Liquid Death just made waves in the business world with the appointment of Ricky Khetarpaul, a former PepsiCo and Health Ade exec, as its new CFO. Khetarpaul comes on board as the company gears up for a 2026 launch into the $23 billion US energy drink market, and CEO Mike Cessario made it clear that the hire marks a new era of scale and aggressive category expansion. This comes as Liquid Death’s recent growth has been nothing short of remarkable—becoming the fastest-growing ready-to-drink tea brand among the top ten, outpacing the competition twenty-fold, and pulling in $333 million in retail sales last year according to CNBC. But not all is smooth sailing. In October, Death Wish Coffee filed a federal lawsuit against Liquid Death in California, arguing that Liquid Death’s rumored foray into coffee—based on trademark filings like “Deathuccino”—will create market confusion and infringe Death Wish’s longstanding marks. Death Wish claims that Liquid Death’s playbook is to file mid-year trademarks and launch the products the following January, pointing to a potential early 2026 coffee debut as a threat to its brand identity. The lawsuit is already sparking lively debate across the beverage and branding worlds, as legal analysts note that the explosive crossover of brand names between categories can be a minefield for established and upstart players alike. While Death Wish is painting this as a ‘dead to rights’ case of trademark infringement, Liquid Death struck a characteristically playful tone on Instagram, quipping that they have no real plans to launch coffee—implying the lawsuit is fueled by paranoia and suggesting, tongue-in-cheek, that Death Wish’s new CEO should try their upcoming “better-for-you” energy drink instead. Still, they admit “as a multi-category brand, we are always thinking about future innovation,” leaving the door to speculation wide open. Meanwhile, Liquid Death has announced a second national ad spot for Super Bowl 60 in February 2026, cementing its status as a major marketing force. The details of the new ad remain under wraps, but the move follows last year’s irreverent ‘Safe For Work’ campaign and signals the company’s intent to own cultural moments as much as shelf space. On the social front, Liquid Death’s signature weirdness remains part of its brand strategy, with recent viral stunts—including turning negative social feedback into music albums—earning engagement and media coverage as reported by Shopify’s brand trends analysis. Their new “Cereal Criminal” flavor, a collab with Fruity Pebbles, has also set sales records, and a just-inked deal with distribution giant Big Geyser positions them for even deeper penetration in the critical New York market. Across industry headlines, the consensus is that Liquid Death’s “entertainment-first marketing strategy” and relentless push into adjacent categories are reshaping beverage retail, but it’s the trademark battle with Death This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.