As store shelves become more crowded, beverage brands are finding unique ways to make packaging stand out on the shelf. Recently, brands have partnered with artists to create hand-painted label designs that are as unique as the products inside the bottles. Bay City Brewing partnered with a local artist to create labels for its first-ever bottled beers, and Aldi partnered with a renowned artist for hand-painted labels for a limited-edition reserve wine collection. Additionally, brands are introducing new glass and plastic bottles in sizes and formats in demand by consumers.

Not too big, but not too small

Premium Waters is rolling out a new 700-ml bottle size for its Water Joe caffeinated bottled water. The product is a premium purified water infused with caffeine and has no taste, the company says. The 700-ml bottle of Water Joe contains 85 milligrams of caffeine, the equivalent of a small cup of coffee or a 20-ounce soft drink, it adds. Water Joe also is packaged in 20-ounce bottles with 70 mg of caffeine and 1-liter bottles that have 120 mg of caffeine.

Labels as unique as the beer

Bay City Brewing Co. released its beer in glass bottles for the first time. The first bottled beer comes from its new Ctrl+Shift+Del series, a series of barrel-aged beers using former wine barrels. Bear Coltridge is being introduced in a limited supply of 750-ml bottles. “With our Ctrl+Shift+Del series, we can experiment with beer varietals, barrels, fruits and micro-organisms to release batches of beer that allow us to showcase our creativity,” Head Brewer Chris West said in a statement. “Bear Coltridge has a funky flavor, making it the perfect beer to kick off bottling at Bay City Brewing Co.” Taking it a step further, the brewery partnered with local artist Richard Paul Kunz to create custom, hand-painted labels for each beer in the barrel-aged series.

Dedicated to sustainability

Ferris Coffee & Nut Co. introduced new coffee packaging. The updated bags and labels serve as a visual storytelling canvas to display the company’s philosophy, sustainable relationships, and commitment to customers and quality products, it says. The new packaging focuses on four major areas that convey its consideration and dedication to sustainability, including consistency, function, aesthetics and messaging. The bags were switched from black to a lighter, cleaner layout that individually brands each coffee and shares the story of its source country and taste, it says. “Our team realized that Ferris’ packaging presented an opportunity to better connect with the consumer and tell our company story as we took them through our coffee’s journey,” Brand Manager Ursula Casanova said in a statement. “Creating a new coffee packaging system allows us to better articulate our company’s mission, vision and coffee program.”

Hand-painted editions

Aldi partnered with artist, designer and illustrator Timothy Goodman to create labels for a limited-edition reserve wine collection. Known for his bold, text-based murals, Goodman brought his signature hand-illustrated style to a selection of Aldi wines. The reserve collection, which includes three varietals under the William Wright label, is available at Aldi stores for a limited time. Goodman’s label art takes inspiration from the origin stories and flavor notes of each wine to bring striking color and playful iconography to the bottles, the company says. “As a visual person, shopping for wine begins with the label,” Goodman said in a statement. “I gravitate toward bottles with interesting designs, so I was excited to create a series of labels that would really pop on the shelf.”

Crazy nostalgic packaging

Crazy Water introduced new glass bottle packaging for its Crazy Fizz and Crazy Water bottled waters. Bottled since 1881, the new Crazy Water glass package blends the nostalgia of the Crazy Water Days with more modern demands, the company says. The glass includes an “Infused by Mother Nature” embossment. Crazy Fizz is a new sparkling mineral water that was introduced in May 2017, but was originally bottled in the 1930s, the company says. “Our customers like Crazy Water because it isn’t over-manipulated and the minerals are infused by Mother Nature,” Owner Carol Elder said in a statement. “Glass protects this unique quality and taste, keeps it colder, and simply makes it look awesome on the dinner table. Our No. 1 request from consumers was to have a glass option, and packaging in glass lets our customers know we care and listen.”

A sustainable vessel

Tea of a Kind now offers Eco 4-Packs consisting of one bottle of ready-to-drink (RTD) tea and three nitrogen pressurized bottle cap “Vessl” refills. The flavors, tea and benefits of Tea of a Kind are stored in the pressurized and oxygen-depleted Vessl, protecting the tea against the damaging impact of UV light, oxidation and other conditions that degrade the flavor, color, aroma and antioxidants in other RTD teas, the company says. Once the initial bottle in the Eco 4-Pack has been consumed, the consumer can refill it with water and reuse it by twisting on a tea-filled Vessl refill, transforming the water into another bottle of Tea of a Kind, it says. “Launching the recyclable Eco 4-Pack is a key milestone on our path to utilizing the Vessl closure and delivery device to break the disposable bottle paradigm. This package aligns our values with retailers and consumers that share our concern for health and the environment,” said Walter Apodaca, founder and chief executive officer of Tea of a Kind, in a statement.

Whimsical pairing

Lindeman’s Bin series wines have re-launched in the United States with labels designed by Australian artist David Bromley, whose paintings pair well with winemaker Wayne Falkenberg’s wines, the company says. Bromley, known for playful, vibrant art, created new labels for each of the 18 wines in the Bin tier. “There are beautiful synergies between wine and art and the joy they bring,” Bromley said in a statement. “It’s a thrill to share my art with these labels, evoking a sense of delight for those who enjoy the wines and the art.” In the United States, the series is led by Bin 65, a Chardonnay that now features Bromley’s colorful take on sunflowers. Bin 85 Pinot Grigio shows butterflies and sailboats, while Bin 45 Cabernet Sauvignon sports richly colored flowers, leaves and grapes, and Bin 40 Merlot highlights musical instruments, the company says.