TBJ – BrewDog, among others, have employed embossing techniques to promote a tactile approach to their bottles while hot foiling is also a way to elevate the bottle’s appearance. What techniques do you like to recommend or employ and are there any examples you respect?

CW: We’ve just started printing on foil, that’s an exciting one. We’ve been pushing for that for quite a while. The next brew – Defacer – will be a shiney one! We’ve done a couple of can designs, but for the most part those were just repurposed bottle designs. I’m really keen to do something different with cans and I can’t wait for the next one. The wax seal on Sadako was a lovely touch – the Beards thought of that one.

Siren have been producing some great designs – I have a soft spot for a clear label – they almost look etched into the glass and that’s such a sophisticated look. I’d love to do a special edition Beard in that way.

TBJ – Certain breweries have benefitted from branding ultimately elevating an average product to a level it wouldn’t have been at without it. The same can be applied to many sectors but in your eyes, how seriously do you see breweries taking product branding?

CW – It’s become a very competitive market, and small startup breweries are fighting for attention on the shelves. So it really benefits them to take some time and effort with their branding. You’ve spent months crafting this beautiful beer, you should show your audience you’re prepared to put that same level of detail into your brand.

JS – I think over the past few years, breweries have taken branding a lot more seriously. The market has gotten a lot more competitive and also the overall design quality has gotten higher. I doubt any brewery about to start hasn’t had a good look at both their brand and labels, as it’s becoming pretty important to get this right to then get a good foothold in the market. I still thing the best beer prevails, which gives me hope that this industry isn’t all just smoke and mirrors.