I was thinking about the packaging debate around whisky that's been going on recently. There's an obvious conflict where whisky fans will say 'We just want the whisky!' while many brands will use packaging to stand out on the shelf and drive sales, especially in grocery stores where shelf presence is everything. For me, I like the design that goes into whisky. If you were being truly focussed on the liquid then all spirits would go into a simple, plain bottle with a black and white label. No round Blanton's bottles, no dripping wax on Makers Mark, no fancy Hibiki bottles. The same can be said of the packaging, it is an extension of the brand and the ethos of the whisky. Look at these Glenmorangie bottles (and many others) to see how they pop. Heck, even the Macallan 1926 had labels designed by prominent artists. You can also look at the very high end bottles, where some of the presentations can vary from no packaging through to custom wood cabinetry. Is it excessive? Of course it is, but high end whiskies by their nature are excessive. The important thing for me is that if you have cardboard packaging that is highly recyclable (so not plastic coated or similar) then it has a limited impact. It's relatively low cost, low weight and can be sustainably dealt with. Tins and the like - or any novelty that ends up in landfill - is less desirable but is still part of the wider design language and experience of a distillery. The worst offenders have to be those gift packs with a couple of miniatures, some branded junk and a big plastic moulded inlay to display it all...

Posted by Chris Ratcliff at 2023-11-24 10:32:34 UTC