Elucidating Trademark Class 33: Alcoholic Beverages

All alcoholic beverages and drinks are classified under this trademark class 33 except beer. Wines, ciders, spirits, liqueur, vodka, alcoholic fruit extracts, etc., are all covered under this class. If an entity is seeking trademark registration for its alcoholic beverage product, it must apply under trademark class 33.

Trademarks protect intellectual property, meaning the branding used on alcoholic beverage bottles, cans, cases, etc., can be trademarked. These branding elements may include colours, slogans, phrases, logos, packaging details, etc. These give a unique character to the products and help the customers identify them.

There are many different types of alcoholic beverages across countries and cultures, and variations exist even within the same type. As such, there are many alcoholic beverage offerings available in the market, with luxury options topping the price charts.

Read more: Trademark Class 32: Water and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Detailed Information of Goods Under Trademark Class 33

Below is a comprehensive list of goods under the scope of Trademark Class 33-

Goods List	Goods List
Absinthe	Aguardiente (sugarcane spirit)
Akvavit	Alcohol (Rice-based)
Alcoholic aperitif bitters	Alcoholic aperitifs
Alcoholic beverages	Alcoholic bitters
Alcoholic carbonated beverages, except beer	Alcoholic cocktail mixes
Alcoholic cocktails	Alcoholic coffee-based beverage
Alcoholic cordials	Alcoholic energy drinks
Alcoholic essences	Alcoholic fruit beverages
Alcoholic fruit cocktail drinks	Alcoholic fruit extracts
Alcoholic cocktails containing milk	Alcoholic jellies
Alcoholic preparations for making beverages	Alcoholic punches
Alcoholic tea-based beverage	Alcopops
Amontillado	Anise (liqueur)
Anisette	Aperitif wines
Aperitifs with a distilled alcoholic liquor base	Aquavit
Arak	Arrack
Beverages containing wine (spritzers)	Bitters
Black raspberry wine	Blackberry wine
Beverages (Alcoholic), except beer	Blackcurrant liqueur
Blended whisky	Brandy
Cachaca	Canadian whisky
Cherry brandy	Ciders
Cocktails	Coffee-based liqueurs
Cordials (alcoholic beverages)	Cream liqueurs
Curacao	Dessert wines
Digestifs [liqueurs and spirits]	Distilled beverages
Distilled rice spirits [awamori]	Distilled spirits
Distilled spirits of rice (awamori)	Dry cider
Fermented spirit	Flavored tonic liquors
Fortified wines	Fruit-based alcohols and alcoholic beverages
Fruit extracts, alcoholic	Fruit wine
Gin	Ginseng liquor
Grain-based distilled alcoholic beverages	Grape wine
Herb liqueurs	Hulless barley liquor
Hydromel [mead]	Japanese liquor containing herb extracts
Japanese liquor flavoured with Japanese plum extracts (Umeshu)	Japanese sweet rice-based mixed liquor (Shiro-take)
Japanese white liquor (shochu)	Kirsch
Korean distilled spirits (soju)	Korean traditional rice wine
Liqueurs	Liqueurs containing cream
Liquor-based aperitifs	Low alcoholic drinks
Low-alcoholic wine	Malt whisky
Mead	Mulled wines
Natural sparkling wines	Nira (sugarcane-based alcoholic beverage)
Peppermint liqueurs	Perry
Piquette	Potable spirits
Pre-mixed alcoholic beverages other than beer-based	Preparations for making alcoholic beverages
Prepared alcoholic cocktails	Prepared wine cocktails
Prepared shots of alcohol	Prepared drink mixes (containing alcohol)
Red ginseng liquor	Red wines
Rice alcohol	Rose wines
Rum	Rum-based beverages
Rum infused with vitamins	Rum punch
Rum-based ready-to-drink aerated beverages	Sake
Sake substitutes	Sangria
Schnapps	Shochu (spirits)
Sorghum-based Chinese spirits	Sparkling fruit wine
Sparkling grape wine	Sparkling red wines
Sparkling white wines	Sparkling wines
Spirits	Still wine
Strawberry wine	Sugar cane juice rum
Sugarcane-based alcoholic beverages	Sweet cider
Sweet wines	Table wines
Tonic liquor containing herb extracts (Homeishu)	Tonic liquor flavoured with Japanese plum extracts (umeshu)
Tonic liquor flavoured with pine needle extracts (Matsuba-Take)	Vodka
Vermouth	Whiskey
White wine	Wine
Wine-based aperitifs	Wine-based drinks
Wine-based aerated beverages	Wine punch
Yellow rice wine

Some Famous Class 33 Trademarks

Alcohol has been a massive industry since time immemorial. As such, there are a lot of players in the market coming up with their variations of alcoholic drinks, hoping to capture the most market share. Given below are some of the most famous trademarks in the class:

• Johnnie Walker: The Johnnie Walker brand is internationally acclaimed as one of the best scotch whiskey manufacturers. Its iconic walking man with a cane and hat logo is an instantly recognisable photo for any alcohol consumer.

• Hennessy: Hennessy is the world’s largest cognac producer. It has the most significant US market share of cognac sales and is famous for its iconic bottle design. The brand was founded in 1765, making it over 250 years old.

• Grey Goose: This vodka brand is famous for its high-quality and iconic frosted glass bottle. Its flying goose logo has become a mark of quality among vodka drinkers. Grey Goose has been in business since the 1990s.

• Absolut: Absolut is another famous vodka brand, quite popular for its various flavours. Its bottle is instantly recognisable, and its iconic, blue-blocked logo is another renowned brand element. Absolut has been serving its vodka since 1879.

• Havana Club: Havana Club is a Cuban rum famous for its Cuban heritage. The brand was created in 1934 and is quite renowned for preserving cultural values and instilling a deep flavour in its product.

Goods Not Included in Trademark Class 33

The main exception to trademark class 33 is beer. Even though beer is an alcoholic drink, it has been placed in Class 32, which consists of non-alcoholic beverages, mixers, syrups for preparing beverages, aerated drinks, fruit drinks, etc.

The exceptions are summarised below:

·  Beer and Brewery Products:

Beer and other brewed and aerated drinks fall under the purview of Class 32. This class also contains all other forms of beverages except alcoholic beverages.

·  Cooking Wine and Alcohol for Cooking:

Wine and other alcohols for cooking, such as ciders, reductions, etc., are not included in Trademark Class 33 but are part of Class 30 (Foodstuffs of Plant Origins).

·  Medicinal Beverages:

Medicinal drinks, syrups, etc., are part of Class 5 (Pharmaceuticals), which includes medicines, medicinal food, dietary supplements, meal replacements, and medicinal beverages.

·  Non-Alcoholic and De-Alcoholised Beverages:

These are a part of Class 32. Fruit drinks, aerated beverages, syrups for making beverages, etc., are a part of this class. However, milk-based beverages are part of Class 29 and not Class 33.

Corresponding Classes of Trademark Class 33

Corresponding classes are the classes whose goods are similar to those of the concerned class, which in this case is Trademark Class 33.

Given below are the classes that correspond to Trademark Class 33:

·  Class 5 (Pharmaceuticals):

This class contains medicinal beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. A lot of alcohol bases are used in syrups and different alternative medicine practices. Those are all included here.

·  Class 29 (Animal Origin Foodstuffs):

This class contains dairy and milk-based beverages. Other than that, the class focuses on animal-origin foodstuffs such as meat, poultry, dairy, fats, etc. Preserved fruits and vegetables are also a part of Class 29.

·  Class 30 (Plant-Origin Foodstuffs):

Non-alcoholic extracts and essences are a part of Class 30. Many ingredients used in making beverages, such as sugar, natural flavouring substances, etc., are also a part of this class.

·  Class 32 (Non-Alcoholic Beverages):

This class is most directly related to Trademark Class 33. It contains non-alcoholic beverages, aerated drinks, fruit drinks, syrups for beverages, etc. Beer is the only alcoholic beverage included in this class. Non-alcoholic ciders and other brewery products are also included in this class.

Read more: All about Trademark Class 34: Tobacco and Smoking Products

Benefits of Trademarking Your Goods and Services

There are numerous benefits to getting your brand’s tagline, logo, symbols, colours, or other intellectual property trademarked. The first and foremost benefit is that it gives you the exclusive legal right to use that trademarked material. No one else, without your legal permission, can use intellectual property. This prevents competitors from stealing your ideas or trying to mimic your service. WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) by the United Nations exists to uphold the integrity of trademarks and ensure that intellectual property worldwide is given the proper legal and commercial respect.

The main benefits of trademarking your product or service are:

• Brand Identity: Brand identity refers to the unique positioning of your product or service in the customer’s mind. Aesthetic and design choices, along with other branding decisions, determine the acceptability and rememberability of your product by the customer. Trademarking your brand’s intellectual property ensures that your brand identity is unique and that your product and its position in the market cannot be copied. Protecting your brand identity means survivability in the long term.

• Legal Protection: The most crucial benefit of acquiring a trademark registration for your product or brand is the exclusive legal right to use the trademarked intellectual property. This means that no competitor can use the trademarked intellectual property to replicate or mimic your product or service, preventing instances where competitors want to steal your success and your reputation. Trademark infringement lawsuits can result in jail time, fines, or both for the accused.

• Licensing Opportunities: No one can use your trademarked intellectual property without legal permission. However, with proper legal permission from the trademark holder, the trademark can be used. This means that if you are a trademark holder, you can allow entities interested in using your trademark to use it in return for compensation. This is known as trademark licensing. Trademark licensing is an excellent way of increasing your revenue by opening a new revenue stream.

• Marketing Tool: Trademarks have historically been significant elements of marketing campaigns. From the shape of the iconic Coca-Cola bottle to the famous bitten Apple logo, trademarks are a core component of marketing efforts and, when harnessed correctly, are remembered through the ages. It is essential to protect such iconic elements lest their significance and market presence be destroyed by plagiarism coupled with stiff competition. Trademarks are a core unit of a product, be it through design, packaging, colours, etc. These attributes are crucial in making a creative marketing campaign.

In the Nutshell

Alcohol is a significant part of the diet of many countries. Studies have shown that alcohol intake, when appropriately regulated, can also be beneficial. However, one must keep in mind the extensive dangers to physical health, mental health, and other detriments that come with alcohol abuse. Scientifically, Alcohol is an addictive substance that shouldn’t be consumed in large quantities.

Trademarks protect the intellectual property rights of the trademark holder. The intellectual property associated with alcohol is generally the shape of the bottle, the colours and the logos on the bottles. These helps build the brand’s reputation and give the customers something to return to.

Hence, we can see how important it is to establish a brand presence and maintain control of intellectual property assets. Trademark registration can be the right step for your business to flourish.

Register a trademark within Trademark Class 33 to ensure your reputation and guarantee your company’s success. For expert support, visit the trademark search. 

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