Flora and fauna galore on US brewer River Mile 38’s beer can redesign

08 Apr 2020 --- US beer brewer River Mile 38 brings forest views within the reach of consumers through the redesign of its beverage can labels for five of its unfiltered beers. Nearly a year in the making, the redesign portrays natural scenery, native to Washington State – which is home to River Mile 38 – across all five cans. It also numbers the five brews, resonating with the heart of the collector and allowing for easy distinguishing between each beer. The company’s commissioned designer tells PackagingInsights how he used minimalist illustrations to provide the local beer brand with a polished, upgraded look.

“I went for a minimal approach and a sophisticated and readable design. [River Mile 38] asked for a natural, botanical theme, which is why they reached out to me as they liked my previous work with other brands,” Graphic Artist, Allan Jorge Batican explains.

Batican took inspiration from flora and fauna located specifically in the Pacific Northwest region of the US. “They helped me narrow the types of flora and faunas in their area that would resonate better with the brand and customers.”

The floral frame reaches from the back to the front of the can, depicting Pacific Northwest ferns, Western red cedar branches, bluebirds, hellebore and eucalyptus twigs. Notably, this aesthetic distances itself from the brewing company’s traditional mermaid logo.

Taking up more label space than the beers’ names or logo itself, the prominent black numbers serve to demarcate the brew recipes in the order in which they were created. The numbers and colors combined help individualize each brew, Batican notes.

River Mile 38 beers.Distinguished by design
River Mile 38 reportedly asked for a furbished look for the back of the can as well. The additional information is divided into three sections: flavor profile, company contact information and government warning. The top flavor profile scales bitterness with a one to ten dot system and the color of each beer can be quickly assessed by a light-to-dark color grade.

“As for the company contact information, I wanted it to be detailed so people will know onwhich social media platforms River Mile 38 is available. Moreover, the government warning is mandatory and legally required to be on the label,” he highlights.

Finally, the words “Handcrafted in Cathlamet, Washington” crown the beers at the top of each can. “That’s where River Mile 38 is from and they take pride in it,” Batican concludes.

In other beer redesigns, Britain’s oldest brewer Shepherd Neame rebranded its iconic Spitfire beer to polish up its heritage-rich image. More recently, Mexican beer brand Sol parted with its previous “gritty, rebellious identity” in a recent handcrafted label redesign.

By Anni Schleicher

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