A wintery mix

In time for the holiday season, Sonoma Cider released its Winter Mix variety pack. The limited-run holiday four-pack includes two 22-ounce bottles of each of the following flavors: The Sleigh, a combination of all-spice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and Sonoma Cider’s organic apple cider; and The Cutter, which features bright and light aromas of ginger, with well-rounded notes of molasses and spiced baked apples in the body, the company says.

Collegiate appeal

CytoSport Inc., maker of Muscle Milk, is featuring seven college athletic programs on custom, limited-edition 14-ounce bottles to celebrate college football season. Partner programs include the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arizona State Sun Devils, Oregon Ducks, Syracuse Orange, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas Longhorns. The limited-edition, collegiate-themed bottles are branded with the individual athletic program logos, colors and graphics, and are available at retail outlets in local and regional markets through the end of the year. “Our partner universities each boast a rich history both on and off the field,” said Chris Kildow, senior director of sports marketing for CytoSport Inc., in a statement. “Our seven unique bottles represent the tradition that makes each school special and meaningful to fans, students and alumni. They provide a connection to our brand that highlights our proud support of these athletic programs.” The Muscle Milk brand touts official partnerships with 28 Division 1 athletic departments and provides product support to more than 400 colleges and universities around the country, it says.

Off-centered innovation & imagination

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery unveiled a new packaging design that brings focus to the creativity, high quality and often rare ingredients that go into its portfolio of beers, it says. The project was a collaboration between Dogfish’s in-house creative team and packaging design firm Interact Boulder. Seven Dogfish brands showcasing the new design will hit shelves this fall with additional brands to come later this year. The new designs also honor Dogfish’s foundational spirit of off-centered innovation and imagination by highlighting its legacy of exploring goodness through ingredients and processes, the company says. Ingredients are the stars of the design, showcased through illustrations that create realistic and authentic flavor expectations. For example, shoppers can see what goes into each bottle by viewing the side panel of each carrier, which highlights the specific ingredients and unique brewing process involved in creating each specific beer, it says. The new design also organizes key information, such as beer style and alcohol by volume, in a way that makes it easier for consumers to shop. The iconic Dogfish Head “shark and shield” logo and proprietary “Doggie” font are the two design elements that will carry through from the old packaging into the new style, it adds,

Eco-focus

La Colombe coffees switched to more eco-friendly packaging for all of its coffees, the company says. In addition to being fully recyclable and optimized for rapid biodegradation, the packaging is being produced using green energy. The new design offers additional benefits, including allowing for more flavor notes and coffee origin information on the label, and a new transparent window gives consumers a direct view of the quality and roast level of the beans before they buy, the company says. A new color scheme also has been adopted to help consumers easily identity the coffee varieties. Cornerstone Coffees are packaged in navy boxes, Workshop Coffees are utilizing natural boxes, Alliance Coffees are placed in maroon boxes, while Organic Coffees are packaged in green boxes.

Smooth redesign

Christian Brothers Brandy has a new, premium package reflective of the American brandy’s quality. The refreshed, modern label communicates the quality of Christian Brothers, dating back to 1882, and enhances the appeal of the brand’s core equities, it says. Christian Brothers also debuted the new Endlessly Smooth creative campaign and a revamped website to showcase the new packaging across the Christian Brothers portfolio. The evolutionary label change and new creative focuses on the rich, smooth taste for which the Christian Brothers brand is known, it adds. The overall cathedral-shaped bottle remains intact, but with modernized label treatments, including a clear label, which is a departure from the previous gloss black paper background, the company explains. Key label elements such as the grapevine crest icon, Christian Brothers and “VS Very Smooth” logotypes have been upgraded with contemporary font treatments to reflect the importance of the brandy quality, it adds. To complete the new package, the gold-and-black foil neck wrap and capsule have been updated to include the “Since 1882” heritage statement with the CB grape vine crest repeated around the neck.