Anniversary bottles enable Redhook fans to partake, reminisce

Redhook Brewery, Woodinville, WA, has reached this point in celebrating its 30th year, and the company is acknowledging the milestone with a rebranding effort for its Redhook brand, including new packaging.

“There seems to be a movement within the craft beer community where a lot of breweries are trying to ‘out-craft’ each other,” says Robert Rentsch, brand manager at the Redhook Brewery. “Redhook isn’t about that. Of course, we’re brewing great beer, but we’re just as interested in having a great time. We think our new look reflects our personality well.”

The new look includes cut-and-stack labels, litho-printed in four or five spot colors, which pass the “findability test” on store shelves and help shoppers to grab and go in the beer aisle. A different color scheme signals each beer style-red for Amble Ale, copper for Copperhook, green for IPA, and golden yellow for Pilsner. In addition, Redhook’s simple “beer-o-meter” icon on the side of the label helps shoppers choose from refreshing, smooth, bold, and dark varieties.

As part of the redesign, Redhook returned to its basic roots, with a no-frills glass bottle from Owens-Illinois. The bottle caps depict iconic images and phrases of Redhook’s storied 30-year history in the Seattle area, including the Fremont Troll or the Space Needle.

The branding look extends to the carrier cases for each beer variety.

Redhook is distributed nationally in grocery and liquor stores and bars. The new bottles launched in mid-March on the West Coast and will roll out nationally throughout 2011, Rentsch says.