Changes abound in packaging for spirits, wine, beer. . .

Glass—with its reputation for class—has a big share of the alcoholic beverage market. But PET is mounting a charge into the distilled liquor market. One major distiller prefers PET for its cost savings. "On your line, there's no breakage, no messing up your machinery, no safety issues." But the perception that glass contains a classier drink is difficult to overcome.

That is especially true for wine—where tradition and perception account for the fact that 93% of the wine market is glass. There is a reverse snobbery propelling young wine drinkers to choose wine bottled in plastic. "Fun" wine appeals to wine drinkers between the ages of 21-35. An interesting spin on "bag-in-box" wine packaging is the "personal wine barrel" a 3-liter mini-barrel made of polypropylene with a polyethylene bag inside. The Red Truck brand barrel features faux wood grain decorated with staves and rings.

Beer packaging is seeing changes as well. From a manufacturers' point-of-view, changes in secondary packaging is saving space, personnel, and money. For consumers, changes include thermochromatic inks that change color when beer is cold and peel-and-reveal labels.