Brewhaha: Potential settlement on tap as Portland, Pabst negotiate over city sign trademark

Portland has reached a possible settlement in its trademark dispute with Pabst, the beer rejuvenated by the city's turn-of-the-century hipsters.

The disagreement stemmed from the brewer's use of an iconic downtown sign to promote a 2014 music festival. The towering neon sign boasts a stag and the words "Portland Oregon," and is considered one of the most recognizable features of the city's skyline.

The city had denied permission because it doesn't allow images of the sign to be used for products not available to people of all ages.

City attorneys say Pabst Brewing Co. then created a knockoff. In essence, it replaced the words "Portland Oregon" with "Project Pabst" and replaced the deer with a unicorn.

The City Council was to vote Wednesday on whether to sue Pabst. The item was pulled from the agenda because of what Mayor Charlie Hales described as a potential settlement.