This month, Redhook Brewery, one of the nation’s founding domestic craft brewers, is celebrating its 30th birthday by unveiling a new look, including bottles, labels, bottle caps and packaging.
The new look is all part of Redhook’s effort to get back to its roots. “There seems to be a movement within the craft beer community where a lot of breweries are trying to ‘out craft’ each other,” said Robert Rentsch, brand manager of 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 Beginning
Just like other pioneering brands such as Starbucks and Microsoft, Redhook was born out of the energy and spirit of the 80’s. In 1981, founders Paul Shipman and Gordon Bowker (who happened to be a co-founder of Starbucks) thought the people of Seattle deserved their own beer; one that offered more flavor than the lighter tasting domestics and imports that were available at the time.
Redhook started brewing beer out of a converted transmission shop in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. After achieving local success with Ballard Bitter (known today as Long Hammer IPA) and ESB, Redhook became the first nationally distributed craft beer brand. Then came the identity crisis. “We realized we weren’t celebrating the big personality that Redhook is in the way it deserved to be celebrated,” said Rentsch.
The Evolution
After some soul-searching over a few beers, Redhook decided it needed its exterior to match its personality. The new look includes:
· Packaging/Labels: Easy-to-spot labels and packaging across all Redhook beers helps consumers quickly grab and go in the beer aisle. Every beer style is identified by a unique color scheme and Redhook’s simple beer-o-meter on the side helps pick between refreshing, smooth, bold, or dark.
· Bottle/Bottle Caps: To go back to basics, Redhook created a no-frills bottle, while the bottle caps all depict iconic images and phrases of Redhook’s colorful 30–year history, so you can drink while you reminisce. Genius.
About Redhook
Redhook was born out of the energy and spirit of the early 80’s in the heart of Seattle. While the term didn’t exist at the time, Redhook became one of America’s first “craft” breweries. From a modest start in a former transmission shop in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard, to the current breweries in Woodinville, Wash. and Portsmouth, N.H., Redhook has become one of America’s most recognized craft breweries. While Redhook has “grown up” over the past 30 years, one thing has never changed – it’s still brewing great beers like ESB, Long Hammer IPA, Copperhook, and seasonal brews. Most importantly, Redhook makes sure it has fun doing it. Redhook’s beers are available in both draught and bottles and are distributed nationally through a network of wholesale distributors. For more information, visit www.redhook.com
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