4 May 2015

Cool Beer Labels





I love looking at cool beer labels just as much as I love drinking the stuff inside. "Cool" being the operative word - one person's cool is another person's meh - just like the taste. If it looks cool to me it will catch my attention; I get distracted with my eyes first, then I read the labels to try to decipher if I'll like it or not. It's a 50/50 gamble. Sometimes I'll love it, and sometimes I'll be left thinking, "Mannnn, I just spent £2.50 on that pap?!". That's all a part of the fun for me.

Cool Beer Labels: The Best Art + Design from Breweries Around the World by Daniel Bellon + Steven Speeg landed on my coffee table last Christmas, and it's been regularly thumbed ever since. It's packed full of interestingly designed labels, graphic design tales, branding projects, notes on what they think makes a great, eye-catching design and back stories on brewers from across the world.

The prelude by Daniel Bellon is a pretty funny one too. He shares his first encounter with beer as a teenager, why his "All American" father was so obsessed with imports, how he hated the taste for years but fell in love with Belgian beers when he was touring with his band in Europe, why it doesn't need to be looked at as a pretentious "hobby", and what makes for a memorable design. 

Simply put, it's a wonderfully visual book by two people with backgrounds in graphic design, who have crazy-levels passion for beer + packaging.

Further resources - A blog dedicated to beer bottle design, Oh Beautiful Beer. For affordable help with graphic design + branding, 99designs.co.uk. Cool Beer Labels is available in the UK here, and US here.

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29 comments:

  1. Such a cool book...the beer labels are so creative!

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  2. I've always love the thought of how much effort is put into making labels. they really matter and sure makes a difference. and 'fake beer'?? that's a good one.

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  3. What a great idea for a book. Honestly, I could buy all the books about logo design, labels, and fonts, but I would be bankrupt! Instead, I just admire them from afar :(

    Rae | Love from Berlin

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  4. Woo I love books about specific labels and visuals like that - Beer packaging is so fun, if only it were possible to specialize in beer label design ;) Haha

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  5. right up your alley! love these designs and seems like a neat book

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  6. thestylecrusader20:44

    Ah! This book looks like a visual delight. So many incredible beer labels just from the pictures you've shown. I absolutely love this. Great find. xx


    http://thestylecrusader.com

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  7. Couldn't be more up my alley!

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  8. These are cool - especially love the BoB.

    Mr Essentialist

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  9. So cool! I'll have to show this to my fiancé, combines two of his favorite things!


    Christine | DimesandDonuts.com

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  10. it's good to ponder, sounds like we have a similar mindset hey! Get a tin, treat yourself.

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  11. It's a right treat! I love just flicking through it, reading the little captions. Really love it.

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  12. Well, this book is SO specific, it's right up your street. Beer packaging is ace, some put so much time into the designs, they just have to be bought and appreciated!

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  13. They really are. Do you ever spot any?

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  14. there's so much effort poured into this little labels. i guess they have to fight with a lot of competition on the shelves.

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  15. I always find packaging so interesting, and often food labels get overlooked. There are quite a few pieces of really fine graphic design examples here! I'd love to check out the book.

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  16. totally right, when i visit a supermarket in another counrty i'm like a kid in a candy shop!

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  17. Maria Fallon12:52

    I wish I drank/liked beer as it always seems to have the best packaging. This is really cool and has given me some inspiration for a birthday present so thanks!

    Maria xxx

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  18. The book would be a nice bday present as it's very visual, so would be POW out of the rapper!

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  19. Albert Wijaya21:28

    I always love a nice label/packaging too! Nice book about beer label. Great share! :)

    Best, Albert | Palming Pebbles

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  20. This look so fun to read/look at!

    Katrina Sophia

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  21. This book looks amazing.

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  22. You are very right!

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  23. It was a very cool present.

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  24. It's a great book for anything into beer or graphic design

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  25. Some of these designs are awesome. You should check out Danish brewery, Mikkeller if you haven't already. Some of my favourite designed labels ever. They've just started doing craft cans too which are amazing.

    www.kegtodiffer.com

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  26. I'm a big fan of cans right now, so i'll check those out. Thanks Shaun.

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  27. mohammad azhar14:33

    I really enjoy reading and also appreciate your work. Thank you a lot! and if you need Graphic Design Company then contact us!

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  28. Jalal Niazi15:03

    Great post with amazing pictures, I always find packaging so interesting, and often food labels get overlooked. There are quite a few pieces of really fine graphic design examples here! I'd love to check out the book. I work in a software house in Karachi and will definitely share this post to my colleagues.

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  29. Luca Lee11:56

    Greatly defined and great work Mathew!
    I'm an architect and provide kitchen remodeling services in Cedar Falls area.

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