Naming Standards

Untappd supports a wide range of drinks across categories such as beer, cider, mead, wine, sake, spirits, ready‑to‑drink (RTD) cocktails, kombucha, non‑alcoholic variants, and more. Before creating a drink, confirm it is supported in our Drink Guidelines and follow these naming standards.

These patterns align with common conventions used by leading catalog and marketplace sites for wine and spirits, including explicit vintage notation such as (YYYY) or (NV) when applicable, and common spirits naming structures. They are also consistent with how major consumer platforms present product titles and vintages for discovery and search.

In practice, these patterns mirror how major consumer databases and apps present names for wine and spirits, including Vivino, Distiller, and Flaviar.

Notes on producer naming

• Including the brand or producer in front of a name is optional. Untappd accepts both “Producer First” and “Product First” formats, and relies on claimed brands to set and maintain their preferred convention on Untappd.

Creation access may be revoked for repeated policy violations.

General standards (apply to all drinks)

1. Create only real, packaged products. Do not create parody items or items based on current events. If the product does not exist, do not create it.
2. Do not include the brand name in the drink title unless it is part of the consumer‑facing product name or brand line. Example: “Brand X Classic Lager” is acceptable if the can/bottle uses that full name; otherwise use “Classic Lager.”
3. Use proper case and correct spelling. Capitalize branded words as shown on the label.
4. Style terms belong in the style field, not the title, unless they are part of the branding. Example: “Stone IPA” includes IPA as branding, but “Oberon” should not be “Oberon Wheat Ale.”
5. One product, one listing. Minor serving variants such as nitro, cask, on draft, or cocktail garnish should be captured in check‑in notes, not separate titles, unless the producer packages distinct SKUs clearly branded as different products.
6. Chains and groups: Use the master brand for core items sold across locations. Create distinct listings only for location‑specific products, optionally indicating the location in parentheses.
7. Home‑produced items are allowed. Create a dedicated brand for the maker and use original names. Do not create “clones” that infringe on trademarks.
8. Blends assembled after packaging or at service are not separate products and should not be created as new listings.
9. Naming across languages and regions
   • Use the official English name when one exists and is commonly used by the producer or in commerce.
   • If no official English name exists, provide a transliteration to Latin characters. You may also include the original script.
   • When an English equivalent does not exist or is not commonly used, regional or non‑English names are acceptable as the primary title. Include a transliteration or English gloss in parentheses when helpful for discovery.
   • Original script may appear in parentheses after the primary title, or as the primary title with a transliteration in parentheses, depending on producer preference and regional norms.
   • Claimed brands can set their preferred naming convention (Producer‑first vs Product‑first, language order). Untappd supports both and will maintain search aliases for reasonable variants.
   • Examples:
     • Kagua Rouge (馨和)
     • Hamovniki Pilzenskoe (Хамовники Пильзенское)
     • Nihonshu example: Dassai 23 Daiginjo (獺祭 二割三分) or 獺祭 二割三分 (Dassai 23 Daiginjo)

Wine naming

• Core pattern: Brand Line or Producer + Product Name + Optional grape(s) or style + Appellation/region + (Vintage).
• Include vintage only when it appears on the label, and place it at the end of the title in parentheses: (YYYY). For officially declared multi‑year vintage spans, use a range at the end: (YYYY–YYYY). Do not add NV to titles.
• Appellations and protected terms (AOC/DOC/DOCG/AVA, etc.) should mirror the label. Example: “Produttore Barbaresco (2019)” or “Brand Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (2021).”
• Rosé, orange, sparkling terms appear only if on the label. Sparkling may include method if branded, e.g., “Traditional Method” if printed.

Sake and rice ferments

• Include style terms such as junmai, ginjo, daiginjo, nigori, nama only when on the label. Example: “Brand Junmai Ginjo.”
• Pasteurization or polish details belong in description unless clearly part of the product name.

Spirits naming (including non‑alcoholic spirit alternatives)

• Core pattern: Brand + Category/Type + Age or Proof/ABV + Finish if branded.
• Age statements appear if on the label, e.g., “12 Year.” If no age statement, omit.
• Cask strength or proof can be included if part of the official product name, e.g., “Cask Strength.” Exact proof goes in properties, not title, unless the product is named by proof.
• Barrel finishes appear only if branded, e.g., “Port Cask Finish.”
• For non‑alcoholic spirit alternatives, include the brand name and line as printed. Do not add “Zero” or “NA” unless the label uses it.

RTD (Ready-To-Drink)

• Use the brand’s consumer‑facing name. Include classic cocktail names if they are the branded product, e.g., “Brand Classic Margarita.”
• Do not add garnish or serving instructions to the title.
• If the line name is primary branding, include it, e.g., “Brand Spritz – Blood Orange.”

Cider and perry

• Include fruit or varietal only if it is part of the branded product name. Region/orchard may be added when printed on label.
• Include vintage only when it appears on the label, and format it in parentheses: (YYYY).

Mead

• Fruit, spice, or varietal honey descriptors belong in the name only if branded. Otherwise, describe them in the product description.

Kombucha and tea ferments

• Include “Hard” or “Non‑Alcoholic” only if branded. Flavor names that are primary branding may be included, e.g., “Brand Ginger Lemon.”

Non‑alcoholic variants

• Use the official product name as printed. Include “Non‑Alcoholic,” “Alcohol‑Free,” “0.0,” or similar only if on the label.

Cannabis/THC Drinks

• Follow the printed product name. Do not add cannabinoid content to the title unless there are two drinks with the same name and differing dosages. Potency and ingredients belong in properties or description in most other circumstances.
• Where applicable, Delta 8 or Delta 9 can be added to the name to conform to local laws.

Vintages, batches, and releases

• Create a separate listing when the producer changes the branded product name or clearly publishes distinct vintage‑labeled SKUs (common for wine).
• Do not create separate listings for batch codes or date stamps unless the producer uses them as the product’s public name.

Ownership and licensing

• If a brand owns another brand with a physical production identity, list under the consumer‑facing brand shown on the product. Do not move products to parent corporations unless the product is explicitly branded that way.
• Contract or licensed production should remain under the consumer‑facing brand printed on the label.

Prohibited and discouraged in titles

• Distributor, importer, or retailer names
• Hashtags, emojis, marketing slogans, or all‑caps styles not on label
• Serving format or packaging size unless it is the product’s name (e.g., “Mini” if printed)

Examples (illustrative)

• Wine: “Brand Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (2021)”
• Sake: “Brand Junmai Ginjo”
• Spirit: “Brand Rye Whiskey 6 Year Port Cask Finish” or “Brand Cask Strength Bourbon”
• RTD: “Brand Paloma” or “Brand Spritz – Blood Orange”
• Cider: “Brand Single‑Varietal Gravenstein (2022)”
• NA Spirit Alt: “Brand Aperitif Alternative”

These standards will evolve over time based on industry usage and feedback from our global moderators and community. Suggestions can be submitted via Support for review.