Brewery Ommegang Unveils 15th Anniversary Brew in Crown's Speciality Packaging

06 Mar 2013 --- To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Cooperstown, NY-based Brewery Ommegang partnered with CROWN Speciality Packaging North America, a business unit of Crown Holdings, Inc., to craft an elegant metal package to hold 750ml bottles of Ommegang XV Reserve Ale, a Belgian-Style Trappist Dark Ale.

The sleek, black cylindrical container mirrors the final design of the bottle’s labeling, stands out on store shelves and serves as a collector’s item, extending the brand’s exposure long after consumption of the beer itself. It was critical to Ommegang that the package communicated the exclusivity of the special ale, but also represented the quality of all the company’s products. To make sure this vision was delivered, Ommegang turned to Crown, the company’s existing provider of crown closures, for its expertise in packaging specialty products.

“While spirits and wines are commonly found in speciality packaging, it is the first time we tried something like this for a beer,” said Larry Bennett, PR and Creative Services, Brewery Ommegang. “The anniversary tins made sure that our brand stood out on the shelf with a clean and truly original look.”

With a short lead-time to bring the project to fruition, a strong partnership was essential. The two companies worked closely together from the outset to conceptualize and develop a simple but striking container that captured the elegance and quality of the Brewery Ommegang brand. Adding to the challenge was the fact that the metal package needed to reflect the branding and final artwork that had already been developed for the label on the bottle that would be housed inside the container. Crown first provided a series of samples, including tubular designs that demonstrated the different ways that Ommegang might approach the project. This enabled the brewer to make a selection that could incorporate the colors and finishes that best represented the brand’s image.