FARGO, N.D. (AP) - A North Dakota craft distillery has received approval from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its Glen Fargo American Malt Whiskey, after a challenge from Scottish distillers.
It took more than two years for Proof Artisan Distillers in downtown Fargo to trademark its single malt whiskey that's named for both the state's largest city and the valley where it sits.
The Scotch Whisky Association worried that Glen Fargo would be confusing to consumers as a Scottish product. Many distilleries in Scotland take their names from the valley - or glen - where they resided.
Proof's attorneys argued that glen is a glacially formed valley and Fargo sits in the heart of Lake Agassiz, one of the largest glacial lakes in North America.