Trending: Fall Craft Beers Debut Matte, Vintage Labels
"Where beer drinkers just proceed in consuming whatever remains in each bottle, beer label enthusiasts don't need to drink its contents to see how much a beer bottle is truly worth. It is seen in the way the label stands out, whether it is done through intricate typography, interesting graphics, or powerful color contrasts. "Igor Ovsyannykov, Inspiration Feed
The History of Craft Beer & Beer Labels
It was just a few decades ago when beer-drinking Americans had little choice between brews. Budweiser was king and mostly light, cheap beers lined store shelves. That is, until 1978 when President Carter gave every American household permission to produce up to 200 gallons of untaxed beer with Senate Amendment 3534. His signature created a whole new world for beer drinkers who wanted to dabble in creating homemade craft beers.
Looking back, labels cut into circular shapes were one of the earliest and most popular beer label designs according to RetroRambling. As labels became a means of advertising, they grew in size and became more colorful. The shapes evolved from circles to ovals and with the introduction of high-speed labeling machines, rectangles.
Today, there are an estimated 1.2 million homebrewers in the United States. The Internet has been a big contributor to this trend. There are niche communities online to share tips and give out advice over forums. Everyone has the ability, information, and resources to enter the market.
For homebrewers that want to share their fall concoctions with friends and family, handmade labels are inexpensive and an easy way to communicate what flavors fill every bottle. Creating unique labels for your homebrew is also a fun for special events and occasions.
Browse our pre-designed beer bottle label templates.
Recent Beer Label Trends
Samuel Adam's Fat Jack Double Pumpkin beer, credit: Deer Park Pub
Blue Point's Pumpkin Ale, credit: Fox News
This season, many brewers are using matte, vintage-looking labels for pumpkin and fall flavored beers. From Sam Adams' Fat Jack and Blue Point's Pumpkin Ale to Guinness' Dublin Porter and West Indies Porter, these labels are capturing the essence of the season. The natural, craft-look of these labels harkens back the days of rustic paper labels that were used before high-speed label machines were introduced.
Whether you're bringing back fond memories or instilling a sense of authenticity in your brew, vintage labels are being welcomed with open arms. Perhaps its a reminder of the simpler days, when products were made of high-quality ingredients and crafted vs. manufactured.
Either way, like most trends, they're making a comeback. Take Miller Lite for example. After its transition back to a old-school label, executives started hearing that the same recipe tasted better. Funny what our minds can trick us into thinking.
Explore the difference gloss and matte labels can make with our article Gloss vs. Matte or deep dive into the psychology of color in packaging with our Color Theory infographic.
We've curated more content for our devoted brewers: find out how to pick the right beer label and stand out on the shelf.
Is your beer fit for the season? Take advantage of what worked in the past and is working well into the present. We hope our advice and beer label templates help you share the flavors of fall with family, friends, and customers!
Need inspiration? Check out how other customers are creating vintage labels.
