Standing Out From the Six-Pack: 11 of the Best Beer Can Designs Ever

beer can design

Over the course of the year, in shooting photography of hundreds of beers and considering thousands more, we kept track of our favorites. We present our choices in no particular order except for A Deal With The Devil by Anchorage Brewing and Rob Bowyer, which we name the best craft beer label of 2020. The type of label you choose for your beer will have a marked effect on what’s possible (and what’s limited) with design. In this article, we’ll discuss the design limitations of traditional beer can label options.

How to create your beer can label design

Time, money and energy were poured into each batch to craft the perfect flavor. The head brewer’s passion is matched by the label artist who brings the can to life with custom artwork. The same drive and commitment goes in the the beer label design. The craft beer scene is renowned for its artistic labels.

thoughts on “Beer Can Art: Turning Everyday Objects into Masterpieces”

Mixed Culture Sour Ales– We know this beer technically debuted in 2018, but it wasn’t until early 2019 that we had a chance to sample and enjoy these Our Mutual Friend creations. The beers themselves were stunning and the presentation in the clear glass bottles elevated the drinking experience. The labels, illustrated by Justin Pervorse, were playful with a tinge of nostalgia reminding me of old-school cartoons. The open spaces in the art allow the beer to shine through and create a dynamic and purely fun label. The core lineup of Austin Beerworks established its “A” logo, which has since expanded beyond the simple two-color cans, into an array of crazy designs. Other specialty beers now stray from the A logo, but beer fans know the Austin Beerworks art.

LIC Beer Project

The right font can evoke tradition, whimsy or seriousness. Legibility is key, but don’t be afraid to experiment with typefaces that reflect your beer’s character. The flavor may be mostly buried in the rest of the drink, but you're still after smoothness. In terms of ginger, go with a proper ginger beer instead of ginger ale. If you're really feeling intrepid, do as Death & Co. does below and make your own ginger syrup to couple with club soda. You'll be amazed at how much more pronounced the ginger qualities are when going this route.

Then we’ll explore exciting possibilities that pressure-sensitive beer can labels can provide for your soon-to-be standout design. Ensure that your beer can design aligns with your brewery’s branding across all touch points – from your website to your taproom decor. A cohesive brand identity builds trust and recognition. Lager– Another revelation this year was Asheville’s Archetype Brewing. The relatively new brewery won us over with solid beers and lovely can designs, which feature a haiku on every label.

Nendo designs beer can with two pull tabs to "create an ideal foam" - Dezeen

Nendo designs beer can with two pull tabs to "create an ideal foam".

Posted: Thu, 04 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Not to mention the added touch of gold foil for a textured label and the matching gold wax. Creating art​ that is both representative of⁢ the beer and engaging for the consumer is a considerable ⁢challenge – but these artists rise to the occasion. For them, it’s definitely not ‌just about aesthetic appeal.

The shelf before ‍you holds a multitude⁣ of artistic styles, each beer can telling its own story, ⁤projecting its own‌ personality. ‌For the⁣ artists behind these designs, transforming‌ these metallic surfaces into striking ⁣works of ‌art would⁣ have been quite​ the interesting journey. When it comes to craft beer, the‍ focus often⁣ falls upon what’s inside the can – the tantalizing flavors, the innovative brewing ‍techniques,‍ and the deep passion of the brewer.

beer can design

You’ll need to make considerations for reducing shrink distortion to prevent a warped design. And finally, depending on the size of your run, it may not be a cost-effective solution for your brewery. It’s the 9th installment of Brand Strategy and Design! We hope you are enjoying this step-by-step journey to create a successful brand.

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New England IPA– One of the classiest can designs we’ve come across is Project Baccarat, a beer brewed exclusively for Boston’s Encore Casino. Pittsburgh design agency Top Hat handled the branding and delivered a label with casino-worth touches included a slots element for the style and a backdrop inspired by Encore’s actual carpeting. Gose– One of my personal favorite beers of the year, Hemingway was like a key lime pie in a can. And, as per usual, Commonwealth’s can designs helped lead into the drinking experience. When chatting with Commonwealth founder Jeramy Biggie, he shared that he wanted a can label that visualized the taste of the beer.

She wanted to know more about how the cans came to be. Today’s hottest breweries are ditching the glass and turning to the convenience and portability of the can. While we’ve mentioned a few can designs we’ve loved in the past, today there are more stunning examples than ever before. If you want a great beer in a great package, here are the breweries doing it right. If you want an amazing beer can label that stands out from the competition, work with a professional designer. Find and hire a designer to make your vision come to life, or host a design contest and get ideas from designers around the world.

beer can design

The old Troegs labels, while incredible in the same vintage sort of way as your dad’s party sweater from college, is good as a novelty. The new labels not only give the brand new life, but also rank right up there as some of the coolest in the industry. With each product, Untitled Art promises a clean, flavorful, and lighthearted experience. Notice the border around “CBD Sparkling Water” — the frame takes a teardrop shape, suggesting a juicy, thirst-quenching liquid even before the product touches your lips.

Featuring the unmistakable style of artist Maryssa Pickett, the Out to Pasture design was both charming and haunting. Resident Culture has some of the best can designs in the industry and this was up there as one of our favorites. If you’ve ever seen a Brouwerij West label, you know any of their products would’ve made a worthy inclusion to this list. The brewery uses a special application process to turn their cans into works of art.

Another of Eleanor’s designs was in the running for this list, but we went with Anna Fantastic because it paired so well with Good Word’s beer. Anna Fantastic is a tribute to Anna Garcia, one of Prince’s former lovers and the inspiration behind several of Prince’s songs. Pastry Stout– This was the pastry stout to rule all pastry stouts.

Brew Wrap allows for specialty label design customizations like foil stamping. Metalized embellishments like these have been shown to both attract customers and add to the perception of a higher quality product. You can add a shimmer in any color to catch attention and communicate the craft you put into your brew. Traditional beer can design options have limited color options to one level of brightness and gloss. But Brew Wrap lets you create combination matte-gloss finishes.

There are many tools available, from sophisticated design software to online beer can design templates. The key is to capture the essence of the beer and the spirit of the brand. These designs speak to the audience, conveying a brewery’s identity, ethos, and sometimes, sense of humor.

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