Trademark Classes · Class 33
Trademark Class 33: Alcoholic Beverages (Except Beers)
Class 33 covers alcoholic beverages except beers, including wines, spirits, and liqueurs. Here is what it includes, what it excludes, and how to word it.
What is Trademark Class 33?
Class 33 is a goods class covering alcoholic beverages except beers, including wines, spirits, liqueurs, and alcoholic preparations for making beverages. It is the class for wine, spirits, and other alcoholic drinks.
The theme is alcoholic drinks other than beer. The one point everyone must remember: beer is in Class 32, not Class 33, so a business making both beer and spirits needs both classes. This page is part of our full guide to all 45 trademark classes, and to how protection works across jurisdictions in our overview of trademark law and protection.
Is Class 33 actually your class?
Work out whether your product or service genuinely sits in Class 33 before you file, because a wrong class protects the wrong thing.
Class 33 is likely your class if you make wine, spirits, or liqueurs
Wineries, distilleries, and spirit brands, liqueur makers, and producers of alcoholic beverages other than beer. If your product is wine, a spirit, or another alcoholic drink (not beer), Class 33 is very likely your class. Our trademark class search helps you check which classes fit before you file.
What Class 33 does NOT cover.
The most common Class 33 mistakes come from classifying by the wrong feature. These closely related items sit elsewhere:
Beer is Class 32
Beer is classified in Class 32, not Class 33. Class 33 is all other alcoholic drinks.
Non-alcoholic drinks are Class 32
Soft drinks, water, and juices are Class 32; alcoholic drinks (except beer) are Class 33.
Examples of properly-worded Class 33 goods and services.
The Registry expects specific, standardised descriptions, not vague terms. Here are examples of clear, acceptable Class 33 wording:
| Instead of (vague) | Use (standardised) |
|---|---|
| “Wine” | “Wines” · “Sparkling wines” |
| “Spirits” | “Spirits [beverages]” · “Distilled spirits” |
| “Liqueur” | “Liqueurs” |
Each entry is specific and standardised. These are illustrative examples of acceptable phrasing, not legal advice for your filing; your exact wording should be drawn from the current NICE Classification and tailored to what your business actually does. Wording is a common cause of objections whether you file in India, the United States, Argentina, or elsewhere. For filing across several countries at once, see our global registration guide.
Frequently asked questions
What does trademark Class 33 cover?
Class 33 covers alcoholic beverages except beers, including wines, spirits, liqueurs, and alcoholic preparations for making beverages. It is the class for wine, spirits, and similar alcoholic drinks. Beer, notably, is classified in Class 32 rather than Class 33, along with non-alcoholic beverages.
Who should register a trademark in Class 33?
Wineries, distilleries, and spirit brands, liqueur makers, and producers of alcoholic beverages other than beer. If your product is wine, a spirit, or another alcoholic drink that is not beer, Class 33 is likely your class. A producer of both beer and spirits needs Class 32 and Class 33.
Is beer in Class 33?
No. Beer is classified in Class 32, together with non-alcoholic beverages, while Class 33 covers all other alcoholic beverages such as wine, spirits, and liqueurs. This split is a well-known quirk of the classification, so a brewery expanding into spirits must remember it needs both classes.
What is the difference between Class 32 and Class 33?
Class 32 covers beers and non-alcoholic beverages such as water, soft drinks, and juices. Class 33 covers alcoholic beverages except beer, including wine, spirits, and liqueurs. So the dividing line runs between beer plus soft drinks (Class 32) and all other alcoholic drinks (Class 33).
How should I word my Class 33 goods?
Use specific, standardised terms such as wines, spirits as beverages, or liqueurs, rather than the bare word alcohol or drinks. Draw wording from the current NICE Classification and tailor it to your products to reduce objection risk.
File Class 33 in the right country, worded right.
Whether you are protecting your brand in one market or several, we identify the classes you need and handle registration worldwide, worded to avoid an avoidable objection.
