THE WORLD OF BEER LABELS
The beer label is a piece of paper on which stands the explanation аbout the brewery that the beer origin is from, the name of the brewery and what kind of beer it is. The label is the one that creates the brand identity for the beer itself.
The history of beer labels
The beginning of the labels
Historically, bottled beer was relatively unknown until the arrival of pasteurization in the 1800s (unlike before when all beers were distributed in kegs) in order to avoid spoilage. Bottles that have been used by the beer companies usually had their secondary use, which means that they were reused with an engraved symbol and name. The majority of manufacturers in the US at that time were using ceramic stoneware bottles with cork or porcelain swing-top bottles. Thus, manufactured bottles proved to be quite authentic for US breweries and they represented prototypes for the development of a logo and brand. Therefore, each company started to use various symbols and even animals to be able to distinguish one product from another. In 1834 in Europe, they started using beer labels which were with a lower price than the engraved bottles and could be ordered in large quantities for a smaller amount of money. Because of that they transfer from engraved bottles to paper labels with mass influence on the increased production and sales of beer. Considering the economic situation in this period and the growing railway systems in America and Europe, beer industries utilize these changes to bring their product closer to the consumers.
End of 19th century
In 1892, the crown caps with their wavy edge that matches the top of the bottle and which could easily be removed with bottle opener and can not be replaced, were invented by William Painter, therefore there was a decrease in the use of ordinary caps. Breweries started with intensive use of this type of caps which showed the necessity for branded corks with a hidden stamp or a sign that the beer is truly produced by the brewery and it’s not a forgery. The conservative markets, especially Britain, limited the process of labeling only in a single form or layout only with the name of the beer in order to gain brand recognition.
Prohibition and post-prohibition period
In the pre-prohibition era in America, beer labels were shortly produced from 1870 to 1919. The production of beer labels in this period was quite limited and that’s why the labels very rarely found in the beer market. The period of prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933 in America, when people had a ban on consuming any alcohol and therefore the production and usage of beer labels in this period stagnated. After the prohibition from 1933 until 1935, breweries wanted to revive and return to the beer market thus, they started designing more unique labels which were changing rapidly following the trends. US government at this time, put law into action that all breweries are required to pay tax and it was inscribed in each of their label. This is a strong evidence that labels are produced in the period 1933-1950, when they are among the most desirable collectible labels. American labels in this period are more picturesque rather than the European, which are more conservative where the label show only the name of the beer or logo.
Late 20th century
In 1975, many US breweries started intensively to use illustrated drawings representing authentic symbol of the countries and the origin of the beer. Breweries started to change the labels during the Christmas holidays using symbols typical for this time of year, wanting to be closer to the target consumers. This wave has been spread out really fast in the European breweries where they started using distinctive symbols associated with the holidays and also every year were engaged various illustrators who skillfully portrayed such labels.
The last decade of this century
Beer labels over the past ten years made a quick turnaround as a result of advances in digital printing and with this brands are standing out with their uniqueness that can be used as an advantage in differentiation from competitors. Today when the beer demand is increasing rapidly, the companies more often decide to modify their labels on to minimalistic display which usually consists only the name of the beer or symbol of the beer company, where with the help of modern graphic design they succeed to capture the same elements that are important and necessary for the content of the label.
- Nowadays, some of the beer industry aim launching labels which are significant for the history of the world as one of the most famous with the historic character Che Guevara. Other breweries are launching labels to stay with the latest trends like the Harley Davidson labels or labels with some legendary world famous bands and musicians. Also, many beer industries wanting to keep up with the latest achievements are concluding contracts with the production companies to launch the beer labels that correspond with the theme of a films, such as Game of Thrones and Star Wars.
- In 2013, a brewery from Belgium, concluded a contract for producing branded edition of beer labels that were inspired by the movie series Game of Thrones. So far, this branded collection has 7 types of beer which depending on the action that takes place in the series is thematically complement.
- It’s an interesting fact that in 2014 was launched the first limited beer with the Beatles label on it. In June 2013, in Hillegom, Netherlands, a workshop was held where anyone who was interested could have the opportunity to participate in the process of producing beer. While making the beer, someone came up with the idea that they could produce limited number of beer with the Beatles label on it and that the same could be launched the next year to mark the 50th anniversary of the concert that Beatles held it in the same city which at that time represented an unprecedented spectacle. The design of the label was made in cooperation with the Beatles museum in Alkmaar and it is based on a picture that is there since 1963.
