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A beer label’s look is important. It’s doorway into the drinking experience that’s both a reflection on and an invitation to the brewer’s art. And here are some of our favorite craft beer label’s from 2016.
21st Amendment Live Free or Die
Most fans of smart packaging are familiar with the great work that California’s 21st Amendment has consistently done – so much so that picking a favorite is almost a moot point. But given this (and last year’s volatile political climate, Brew Free or Die seemed the obvious choice. Most of their original can designs came from TBD Advertising team in Bend, Oregon and all have whimsical (and very American) sense of humor.
Gigantic High Voltage Winter IPA
We love Gigantic Brewing for so many reasons. They’re great people…they brew great beer…and they’re serious about the art that images their beer. They regularly showcase the label artists that they’re currently working with on their site and write about them in their digital mag. Ben Venom (love the name!) is the Bay area artist who designed the High Voltage label and it’s actually comes from a quilt that he fashioned from the brewery’s tee shirts!
Half Acre Chub Step Porter
Chicago-based Half Acre Beer is no slouch when it comes to their beer labels either. And for whatever reason their labels regularly feature dogs and cats in surreal and sometimes explosive settings. The label that graced the 2016 Chub Step Porter opted out of manic and cashed in on for regal last year, with awesome results.
Beavertown Gamma Ray American Pale Ale
One of London’s most innovative and fun craft breweries also has a creative genius Nick Dwyer working in-house for them and his brilliant label artwork perfectly captures the brewery’s rebellious post-modern vibe. Dwyer’s LSD meets B-movie alien invasion meets Knights of the Templar vibe is among his best! The beer’s killer as well.
Jolly Pumpkin Cucurbitophobia
Jolly Pumpkin’s ironically named Cucurbitophobia refers to a fear of pumpkins (!). It was the first collaboration that the Michigan brewery ever did, in this case with Monkish Brewing Company out of Los Angeles. The artist who designed its label is Adam Foreman, also an LA resident, who works in Hollywood as an art director. He’s responsible for most of the brewery’s striking labels that take their inspiration from vintage Art Nouveau poster designs. All his artwork for the brewery is pretty impressive, but his work on this collaborative sour is in a league of its own.
