The new-look brews will be available at retail outlets and on-premise locations beginning this month, which Pete's considers the start of the summer beer-selling season. Pete's also introduces its new ESP (Extra Smooth Pub) Lager. ESP and Pete's Summer Brew brands will lead the nationwide rollout, which includes nine products carrying the new graphics. The 12-oz sizes of glass-bottled beers are sold in both six- and 12-packs for $5.99 and $11.50, respectively. Pete's worked with Deutsch Design (San Francisco, CA) to develop the graphics, which more prominently feature the face of company owner Pete Slosberg. Other changes include a neck label illustration of a filled glass that shows the color of the beer in that bottle. Labels are printed offset in six colors plus varnish. More detailed product descriptions, the inclusion of graphics on the carrier's bottom panel and reinforced carrier handles are also part of the change. Additionally, the word "Wicked," which had been used on all of the company's brews, will now appear solely on the Pete's Wicked Ale flagship brand. To better fit in the redesigned carriers, the company has also switched from a longneck to a shorter, stockier amber glass bottle that it refers to it as a "Heritage"-style bottle. "Packaging is a major sales vehicle for us, and with the redesign, all the graphic elements work harder for us," says a Pete's spokesperson. When asked, the company wouldn't provide material cost comparisons or divulge supplier names.
