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Logo for Moosehead Lager, a Canadian beer, at left, and Moose Wizz Root Beer, from Lake George Soda Co. (Adirondack Pub & Brewery), at right.

(provided images)

The Canadian beer with the moose head on the label is taking its legal fight against an Upstate New York root beer with a moose head on its label to federal court in Syracuse this week.

Owner/brewer John Carr pull a pint at the Adirondack Pub & Brewery in Lake George.

It's a trademark infringement case that pits Moosehead Breweries of Saint John, New Brunswick against the Adirondack Pub & Brewery of Lake George, maker of Moose Wizz Root Beer. The trial starts with jury selection in U.S. District Court in Syracuse Wednesday.

The Canadian brewer is best known for its Moosehead Lager, which debuted its name and logo in 1931. It's sold across Canada and the United States. Adirondack Pub & Brewery began selling its Moose Wizz Root Beer, a non-alcoholic soda, about six years ago. It's available in 40 New York counties and online.

The Canadian company's logo uses a more-or-less life-like looking moose. Moose Wizz uses a cartoonish looking moose.

In its claim, Moosehead states: "Moose Wizz root beer products are so similar to Moosehead's beer sold under the Moosehead Registered Marks as to create a likelihood of confusion." The Canadian company is seeking damages, including the pulling of all Moose Wizz out of the market and the profits that Adirondack has made on the soda.

Adirondack owner John Carr says no one would confuse Moosehead and Moose Wizz. He points out that one is a beer and the other is a soda, and argues that his cartoon logo does not resemble the brewer's trademark.

He also contends no one can trademark the word "moose."

"I mean, we're in the Adirondacks, guys," he told syracuse.com in a story about the case published in November 2015. "Do you mean we have to take 'moose' out of our vocabulary?"

"I don't like to be bullied,'' he said. "I say to them, 'You don't own the moose.' "

Adirondack Pub & Brewery opened as a brewpub at 33 Canada St. in Lake George in 1999, and opened a brewery to package beer for sale across the state in 2010. It also plans to open a distillery, High Peaks Distilling, this fall. It makes its root beer through a division called Lake George Soda Co.

The trial is expected to take about two days. Senior federal Judge Norman A. Mordue is presiding.

Don Cazentre writes about food, beverages, restaurants and bars for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact him by email, on Twitter, at Google+ or via Facebook.