Behind the frosted glass at your local bottle store stands an unorthodox display of modern art. You’ve slugged back its muse for years, popped its logoed caps to get at what’s considered the star of the show: the beer inside. But chances are you’ve never turned your passion to the vast exhibition standing in neat, chilled rows: the cans and bottles themselves.
At their worst, craft beer labels can be confusing and thoughtlessly attention-grabbing, colorful collages splayed onto a bottle with amateur skill. But at their best, they’re thoughtful and thought-provoking, catchy and beautiful — eloquent and imaginative translations of the complex liquids inside the can or bottle. And as craft beer becomes more paradigm than upstart, beer labeling and design has morphed into one of the main sources of and venues for its inspiration and creativity.
Just like the craft beer business, labeling art and design have experienced massive changes in the past several years. “Everybody is trying so many things to differentiate themselves”, said Larry Bennett, who’s been Creative Services Directer at Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, New York for over 10 years. The increased competition within the craft beer market — there are now nearly 3,000 craft breweries in the US, with more than $14.3 billion up for grabs — has inspired brewers and marketers to put more thought (and money) into the look and feel of their beers’ packaging, rather than just the beer itself… CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY AT GEAR PATROL
