Brandy moves from glass into PET

A 116-year-old brand of brandy has made a transition from glass to plastic that preserves key elements of the package identity. Korbel Champagne Cellars has bottled Korbel Classic Brandy in glass since 1889. The company first used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles about five years ago for miniatures, then put out PET bottles in 200, 375 and 500 milliliters. The latest incarnation is a 1.5 liter PET bottle from Amcor PET Packaging. .

A 116-year-old brand of brandy has made a transition from glass to plastic that preserves key elements of the package identity. Korbel Champagne Cellars has bottled Korbel Classic Brandy in glass since 1889. The company first used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles about five years ago for miniatures, then put out PET bottles in 200, 375 and 500 milliliters. The latest incarnation is a 1.5 liter PET bottle from Amcor PET Packaging. The bottle uses a 92-gram preform with a 33-millimeter finish, sloped shoulders and a pedestal base. Korbel wanted to use the same label as for the glass version, so the bottle was designed with a contour area to protect the label. A heat-shrink capsule is used over the polypropylene screw cap and neck, eliminating the need for a tamper-evident closure.