Spirits packaging innovation: Standout designs of 2024

PATRÓN Tequila

Super-premium tequila PATRÓN has launched PATRÓN CRISTALINO: a tequila that pairs time-honored, handcrafted production process with modern techniques to remaster the finest PATRÓN Añejo.

The Cristalino tequila category – known in Mexico for its smooth and refined taste with a modern style - is still relatively new to the U.S.

PATRÓN Tequila's iconic bottle - recognizable for its silhouette - is reimagined in a crystal clear glass bottle showcasing the clarity of the liquid within. The bottle is embellished with a piña pattern and accompanied by a metallic neck label and black wooden cork referencing the charcoal filtration used by the brand.

GREY GOOSE Vodka

GREY GOOSE Vodka has introduced its latest ultra premium innovation: GREY GOOSE Altius.

Drawing inspiration from the French Alps, the latest limited edition release from the quintessential French vodka is filtered at sub-freezing temperatures to capture the rare wonder of the mountains. 

The vodka was created with processes inspired by the extraordinary, natural effects of high-altitude crystallization that happens at glacial conditions to yield a smooth vodka using Alpine spring water and winter wheat from Picardie.  

Hand-bottled, individually numbered and with design elements at the punt of the bottle that mirror the windswept peaks of the great mountain range, the GREY GOOSE Altius bottle is designed to be a ‘testament to unmatched craftsmanship and the unfaltering power of nature’.   

The Butterfly Cannon tequila

The Butterfly Cannon tequila has launched a new ultra premium 100% agave Reposado expression – The Winged King – available in UK premium specialist retailers, drinks stores and independent outlets.

Part of the Biggar and Leith portfolio, Butterfly Cannon Reposado uses quality blue agave from the finest seven and eight year-old blue agave plants in Jalisco, Mexico.

Honouring its old world heritage and to command attention on fixture, The Winged King is presented in a handmade, heirloom quality, black gloss ceramic bottle, adorned with tactile embossing with silver accents.

It carries a solid chrome stopper featuring a life size monarch butterfly statuette. A matching branded black and white box features the name ‘The Winged King’ alongside subtle imagery of butterfly wings.  

The Butterfly Cannon brings a fresh approach to tequila, focused on mixability and approachability. And it also donates to the Monarch Butterfly Conservation Fund as more and more of the Monarch butterfly habitat in Mexico is being destroyed by intensive and often illegal farming.

Bandida Blanco

Bandida – an ultra-premium mezcal artesanal born in Mexico – taps into the clean drinking wave with an additive and preservative free mezcal.

The spirit is presented in handmade glass-glazed bottles painted to replicate the organic contours of an agave plant.

Translating to ‘bad girl’, Bandida embodies the spirit of adventure: designed to offer something new and innovative to the drinks industry while honoring tradition.

Bandida Blanco is designed to be sipped or kissed with a medium smokiness and citrusy undertones; whist shot lovers will favor Bandida Black with its notes of rich coffee, indulgent chocolate, and cinnamon.

818 Tequila

818 Tequila continues its global expansion: launching in new markets such as India this year and expanding further across the UK.

The brand was created in 2021 by Kendall Jenner, and the name comes from the area code of Calabasas in California, where Jenner spent much of her childhood.

Eight Reserve – a blend of Añejo aged up to 8 years in French and American barrels – is the brand’s most prestigious offer, with distinctive packaging to match. Key tasting notes are cooked agave, vanilla, cinnamon, dried berries and praline, with aromas of clove, toasted nuts, honey and orange peel on the nose with spiced accents.

The handmade ceramic decanter is produced by local artisans in Pachuca, Mexico, using a variety of raw and recycled materials. The bottle pays tribute to tequila’s native roots in Mexico and has been designed so it is not just a container, but a keepsake and a collectible.

Absolut and Andy Warhol

Absolut has launching a limited-edition bottle in collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts: inspired by the rediscovery of Warhol’s Absolut ‘blue’ painting.

In 1985, Andy Warhol became the first artist to create artwork based on the silhouette of Absolut’s apothecary-inspired bottle. A second painting attributed to Warhol was overlooked, until the work unexpectedly resurfaced in 2020. This second painting will be unveiled at Stockholm’s Spritmuseum in October as the centerpiece of a new exhibition on Warhol.

The limited-edition bottle has a visually artistic and layered aesthetic due to the multi-layered screen-printed design. It combines both internal and external design components, bringing Warhol’s rediscovered Absolut ‘blue’ painting from 1985 to life by the magnification of the Absolut Vodka within. Each shade of blue has been carefully extracted from the painting, delivering a striking likeness to the original and a stunning finish through the lens of the Absolut Vodka. The final details include an image of Warhol himself alongside his original signature.

Tequila Cayéya​

Tequila Cayéya has announced the expansion of its single-barrel tequila portfolio with the release of two limited-edition tequilas – “El Diablo’s Elixir” and “The Spirit of an Angel.” 

These tequilas are a part of the brand’s Devils vs. Angels themed release, with only 1,200 bottles of each expression available.

Both expressions of this limited-edition release are bottled at 40% ABV in 750 ML bottles, retailing for a suggested price of $150. These tequilas are crafted using single estate agave, deep well water, and traditional masonry brick ovens, ensuring an additive-free, small-batch production process.

The packaging design is a departure from the usual tequila styles, which tend to feature sleek bottles and transparent glass. The bottle is accompanied by a pewter label, glass topper, and a magnetic gift box. Zandra Gomez, Tequila Cayéya’s female master distiller, personally signs every label with a distinct barrel and batch number and her signature.

BSB: Glow in the dark

Spirits incubator WES Brands has joined forces once again with actor, musician, and entrepreneur Jamie Foxx for the exclusive release of BSB Whiskey, an ultra-smooth flavored whiskey.

Dedicating two years to the design and development of the new look and flavor, Brown Sugar Blend, dubbed “BSB,” has Foxx join in as brand owner and creative director. 

Embodying the essence of ‘bolder, stronger, and better’, BSB Whiskey’s 70-proof liquid blends the aromatic spice of cinnamon with the sweetness of brown sugar.  A sleek, matte black bottle has a “BSB” chenille letter patch that glows in the dark: ‘helping the bottle light up any social gathering’.