Boudreau’s Bitters

September 16, 2013 | 1 Comment

Designed by David Cole Creative | Country: United States

“This project was another chance for me to work with Canon Seattle’s famous Jamie Boudreau – award winning bartender, restaurateur, curator of the world’s best drink selection (an actual award, 2013)  and great client. I was excited to have this opportunity to dress up his signature bitters with the premium label design they deserve. An embossed, common (master) label design with write-in varietal name is flexible and affordable, while at the same time lending a hand-made touch to these authentically hand-made bitters.”

“The original label was printed on a magenta-tinted, mirror-finish silver mylar stock that looked more at home in a Las Vegas Casino than behind the bar at Canon (I can provide photos if that helps). The new label – while still recognizable to loyal fans – is designed in a late 19th-century style more appropriate to the bar’s emphasis on pre-prohibition era whiskey and bitters – and with an uncoated kraft stock and authentic 1-color flexographic printing process to reflect the period’s actual printing technology. Most printers are pushing full-color digital printing and coated stocks without much regard for a designer’s concerns for tactile experience or period-correct ink usage. But to me, materials specifications were just as important as the design in the overall execution of this piece and it was worth digging a little deeper to get past the standard offerings and get what we really wanted.”

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