Topped with treasures

Patrón Añejo released a special-edition bottle stopper as part of its second designer collaboration. The new collectible topper was crafted exclusively for Patrón Añejo by Evan Yurman, chief design director for David Yurman men’s and timepiece collections. Die-cast in solid metal and electroplated in gun metal and 24-karat gold, the bottle stopper represents a two-toned sword featuring metal carvings inspired by those depicted on the hand guards of 18th century Japanese Samurai swords. The choice of an engraved sword for the topper reflects Yurman’s love for unique and rare objects, artwork and artifacts, the company says. The bottle stopper, which is available in only a limited-edition Patrón Añejo gift box, was available at select retailers beginning in November for a suggested retail price of $59.99.

New York state of mind

HiLine Coffee Co. showed off its city roots with the launch of seven New York-themed single-serve coffee cups compatible with Nespresso machines. Each roast boasts a New York-themed name — Chelsea Light Brown, Brooklyn Medium Brown, Times Square Dark, Liberty Dark, Wall Street Dark, Central Park Dark Decaf and United Nations Decaf — and package imagery. For example, Liberty Dark’s packaging has an image of the Statue of Liberty on both the single-serve cup and the multi-pack box, while Times Square Dark features imagery of the New Year’s Eve ball drop. HiLine Coffee retails for $4.99 for a 10-pack and is available for purchase exclusively online at hilinecoffee.com.

Extra! Extra!

As a sustainable packaging option, wine company Truett-Hurst Inc. released a paper wine bottle. Branded as PaperBoy, the wine bottle consists of a molded outer shell in the shape of a wine bottle that is made from recycled cardboard with a plastic liner. The entire package is 85 percent lighter than a glass bottle and is recyclable, the company says. Inside the PaperBoy bottles are appellation-based, super-premium wines sourced from the Mendocino and Paso Robles growing regions and crafted by winemaker Virginia Marie Lambrix, the winemaker for VML. The introductory PaperBoy wines are a 2012 Paso Robles Red Blend and a 2012 Mendocino Chardonnay, which retail for $14.99 and $13.99, respectively.

Portable luxury

American Summits now offers its mountain spring water in a 12-ounce recyclable glass bottle with a twist-off cap. The new bottle size for its still and sparkling varieties allows American Summits fans to enjoy the portable, personal size while on-the-go, the company says. This new size complements the brand’s signature 750-ml bottles, which were designed to make an elegant statement when pouring the bottled water at home parties or on-premise, it adds. American Summits is available for shipping throughout the United States and can be ordered online at americansummits.com. 

Certified claims

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) granted Devotion Vodka, a sugar-free, gluten-free vodka brand, permission to have the word “Gluten-Free” printed on its bottles, the company says. Additionally, Devotion received permission to print “No Added Sugar” on its bottles, it adds. With gluten-free products representing a multibillion-dollar market, the ability to print “Gluten-Free” on the bottle is a major breakthrough for a small brand like Devotion, it says. This new permission is timed with Devotion’s full brand roll-out to all 50 states scheduled for early this year. As such, the company updated packaging for its Original, Wild Cherry, Coconut, Blood Orange, Black & Blue, and The Perfect Cosmo varieties to reflect the new, certified claims.

Packaged for fun

To better convey its core brand essence, Murray Brand designed new packaging that better represents the culture and flavor profiles of its Brazil Gourmet juices. The brand combined whimsical illustrations with vibrant color palettes that often are associated with rainforest flora to highlight its origins. A hand-drawn style of typography and prominent fruit imagery were then staged on a white background to create a visual pop and allow for easy reading, the company says. Together, these features help boost brand awareness and also tell the story of the all-natural, tropical juice from Brazilian superfruits, it says.

Sized for convenience

Twelve Beverage Co.’s 12NtM brand released its sparkling, low-calorie beverages made of 60 natural ingredients in smaller, 187-ml bottles. “The 187-ml single-serve [bottle] is the perfect size for the cold case in high-end grab-and-go [channels],” says Pat Dealy, chief executive officer of Twelve Beverage Co. Specifically, the new single-serve size for its Pronto variety, which is made of Arabica coffee beans, can be a suitable option for an afternoon coffee break, he adds. 12NtM’s Blanc and Rogue varieties also are available in the 187-ml size. The new size accompanies the brand’s original 750-ml size.

Switching for speed

The Edrington Group has repackaged its Brugal Rum brand in a new glass bottle that is more suitable for bottle manufacturing and high-speed bottling lines, the company says. The new bottle, which is produced by Ardagh Group, features an overall round shape with a square body section and an arched front eyebrow, which runs parallel to the front label. Because the bottle is mostly round with a square section, Ardagh Group used an “across corners” partline to achieve mold opening in production. This, in turn, impacted the positioning of the front eyebrow, which had to be redesigned to achieve the desired look, it says. At the same time, Ardagh Group also helped Brugal Rum meet the challenge of creating the lightest bottle in its class while retaining the range of sizes within the brand family and satisfying the technical requirements of the Blow-Blow bottle production process, it adds.

Think pink

 Extending its support of breast cancer research, MyCause Water launched a year-round packaging and charity initiative, “What is the Pink Cap?” As part of the program, MyCause Water released special packaging with a pink cap to support breast cancer awareness. Through a partnership with retailer A&P and its affiliates, the bottles will be available at A&P, Pathmark, Waldbaum’s, Superfresh and The Food Emporium locations in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. For each pink-capped bottle sold, MyCause Water and A&P each will donate 5 cents to breast cancer research. In addition, in line with MyCause Water’s original business model, the company will donate an additional 5 cents to a charity of the buyer’s choice, resulting in a 15-cent total donation for each unit sold.