Shaken and stirred

New packaging shakes up the alcohol segment and causes quite a stir.

In the crowded aisles of grocery and liquor stores, brands can struggle to stand out. Thanks to unique and eye-catching packaging, brands have a chance to make an impact. Classic Scotch whisky brand, Dewar’s, has refreshed their packaging and brand design to reflect the brand’s heritage and capture their story. Dewar’s new design features distinct shapes for each bottle along with bold colors, stoppers and seals with presentation boxes, labeling and bespoke typefaces. Tying the new design together is the trefoil Celtic truth knot embossed onto the glass of every bottle. The three Ds in the design represent the three men who created the line, John, John Alexander and Tommy Dewar.

Where classic brands get a boost from new designs, new brands have the opportunity to make a splash with innovative packaging. American Born Moonshine worked with Saxco International, LLC (saxco.com) to create their package. Saxco designed a glass mason jar package made by Piramal Glass with the brand’s name embossed on the shoulder. Saxco used a custom food-grade thermoplastic silver colored lid from C & N Packaging. Inserted into the center of the lid is a tee-top cork pour spot from Paulson Supply, Inc. topping off the package’s classic yet unique look.

Wine packs think outside the bottle

Naked Grape Wine launched a new 3-liter box in addition to their traditional glass packaging. The box delivers the same product as the glass bottles with the added benefit of compact, convenient packaging. To improve the sustainability of the package, Naked Grape has partnered with TerraCycle, a company which recycles and upcycles packaging, to allow consumers to send empty packages in for a second life.

Nuvino, a new wine brand, offers wine in a single-serve pouch. The 187mL pouch holds a single portion allowing consumers to indulge without opening a full bottle. The lightweight packaging is convenient and portable for consumers on the go. The pouch is easy to use and allows consumers to drink from the spout, making it ideal for use in the hospitality and travel industries as well as entertainment venues.

Stack Wine’s package of four pre-portioned, ready-to-drink wine glasses debuts a new, entirely see-through outer sleeve. The sleeve allows consumers to see the pre-portioned cups and the wine they contain. To give the package a unique feel, illustrated twine appears to hold the cups together while a tag illustration informs consumers of the benefits of the product and package.

Vignerons Catalans already offers their wine, Villa Soleil, in a bottle and in Bag-in-Box packaging from Smurfit Kappa (smurfitkappa.fr) and will expand the wine into Pouch-Up packaging, also from Smurfit Kappa. The 1.5 liter pouch features the Vitop Original tap for easy pouring and a high oxygen barrier for improved freshness.

Blending the ready-made cocktail market and the trend toward at-home bartending, Tails cocktails come in a package designed to look and function just like a cocktail shaker. RPC Market Rasen (rpc-marketrasen.co.uk) provides the four-part injection molded lid, and RPC Blackburn (rpc-blackburn.co.uk) makes the PET base, which is decorated with a shrink sleeve and induction sealed after filling for tamper evidence and shelf life. Tails recently expanded the market for their shaker packages to include theaters where the visually striking packs can take center stage.

Many spirits brands want to appeal to an exclusive crowd by setting themselves apart in premium packaging. Eye-catching and innovative glass bottles can help attract the targeted high-end consumers. Smirnoff recently launched the new Smirnoff White line, which is available exclusively for travelers. Inspired by the crystalline formations of artic ice, the bottle features a clear cut-glass base that morphs into a smooth, white finish towards the neck of the bottle where the brand name is featured.

Earlier this year, Jameson Irish whiskey released a limited edition 1L bottle featuring embossing from Ardagh Group (ardaghgroup.com). The new design showcases three depths of embossing in the label panel of the bottle. Not only does the layered embossing offer a premium effect, but it also brings a tactile experience to the bottle. The design team at Ardagh worked to bring the bottles existing paper label details to the new glass version. Some of the original graphics were too thin so Ardagh’s team increased the size of some details to accommodate the glass form without compromising the overall design.

Beer brand’s “jarring” package offers new experience

Moonshine, like the American Born brand mentioned here, isn’t the only beverage taking advantage of the popularity of the mason jar style packaging. Grolsch, a Romanian beer brand, is launching “The Jar.” This new package looks like a classic mason jar. The re-useable package prominently features the name of the brand. According to a press release from Canadean (canadean.com), Catherine O’ Connor, senior analyst at Canadean, predicts the packaging will entice consumers to try the product and repeat the purchase. O’Connor says, “Grolsch’s ‘The Jar’ will boost brand loyalty long-term. Consumers feel more connected to brands that have a presence in their home, with novel branded glassware acting as a memory aid and thirst generator.”

Another mark of premium packaging is the addition of secondary packages such as rigid outer boxes. CosfibelPremium (cosfibelgroup.com) now offers three boxes that showcase the product inside allowing brands to benefit from the look of both the secondary and primary packaging. The Silhouette box offers a sneak peek of the contents through cut-out flaps by displaying the contours of a bottle without giving a direct view of the product. The Double Discovery box features two flaps held in place by magnets. The flaps open and can be folded back to showcase the product without taking up any more space than the closed box. The Ultralight display box offers a full visual of the product, which appears to levitate in the package because of transparent wedges that hold it in place.

Whether packaged in a bottle, displayed in a box or debuting in an innovative new design, spirits packaging has the ability to shake up tradition and stir up new consumer interest.