American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
(Courtesy Mikkeller)
Craft beer labels have become an essential part of the craft beer biz, serving not just as a means of identification, but as an expression of the brewery itself, its culture, and story behind each brew.
The best craft beer labels do more than catch the eye—they convey a narrative, evoke a sense of place, and often become collectors’ items in their own right.
Here are five craft breweries with interesting histories, that in addition to brewing serious beer, have mastered the art of the beer label.
Mikkeller Beer (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Few international craft brewers are as deft with their beer artwork as Mikkeller Beer.
Mikkeller, a Danish brewery, is known for its minimalist yet vibrant and often quirky labels. The artwork often features playful, hand-drawn characters created by Danish artist Keith Shore. Each label tells a unique story, reflecting the experimental and avant-garde nature of Mikkeller’s beers.
Founded in 2006 in Copenhagen, Denmark Mikkeller began as a “gypsy brewer” the company currently contract brews 90 percent of its beer, mainly at De Proef Brouwerij in Belgium, and operates 48 bars and restaurants in 18 different countries around the world.
(Courtesy Sierra Nevada Brewing)
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Chico, CA)
Sierra Nevada Brewing was founded in 1979, by Ken Grossman, who along with his homebrewing buddy Paul Camusi, opened a brewery in Chico, California, which is now the third biggest craft brewery in the nation.
The brewery has generated an enormous body of serious beer artwork over its many years of brewing that showcase its ethos handily. But none as iconic as Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale label which captures the brewery’s classic, rustic feel of this pioneering American brewery.
(Courtesy Omnipollo)
The label’s design is reminiscent of the Sierra Nevada mountain range where Grossman still hikes, with its lush greenery and a traditional, almost vintage typeface that has remained largely unchanged since the beer’s debut.
Omnipollo (Stockholm, Sweden)
Omnipollo is renowned for its artistic and often surreal labels. In addition to its many collaborations with brewers, Omnipollo also works with various artists, resulting in a diverse range of beer artwork with visually stunning designs.
The labels are often abstract, using bright colors and bold shapes, making each bottle a work of art in its own right.
Similar to Mikkeller, Omnipollo also started as a “gypsy brewery,” but in 2020 Omnipollo opened its own brewery, located inside an old church in Stockholm, Sweden. The company currently operates bars in Stockholm, Hamburg and Tokyo.
Flying Dog Brewery (Utica, NY)
Few US breweries have as impressive a history of beer label art as Flying Dog Brewery.
Flying Dog’s labels are instantly recognizable thanks to the distinctive art of Ralph Steadman, the British illustrator famous for his work with Hunter S. Thompson. The labels are chaotic, vibrant, and full of energy, mirroring the bold flavors of the beers inside.
(Courtesy Flying Dog Brewery)
For decades Flying Dog was the largest craft brewery in Maryland, but in 2023 the brewery was acquired by the F.X. Matt Brewing Company and all of its beer production is now in Utica, NY.
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, DE)
Renowned for oft-centered approach to brewing, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery was founded by Sam and Mariah Calagione in 1995. Sam started brewing in his kitchen in New York City and his passion led to what would become one of the nation’s leading craft breweries. In 2019 Dogfish Head was acquired by the Boston Beer Company, but Sam and Mariah still oversee it beer operations and production in Delaware.
Dogfish Head’s labels are eclectic and artistic, often reflecting the adventurous and innovative spirit of the brewery. From intricate illustrations to more abstract designs, the labels nail the essence of the brewery’s sometimes quirky and humorous approach to brewing.
