The hand-crafted revolution in beer has led to a backlash against the bland and mass-produced – both in the brews, and in the packaging. These 20 examples of creative beer cans, labels and cartons are cleverly tailored to the brand and the individual brew, and together, they’d make store shelves look like art galleries.

Ale Satan by Ethan Bennett

(images via: behance)

The devil is definitely in the details of this amazing design by Ethan Bennet, cleverly named ‘Ale Satan.’ The cardboard packaging features devil horns on the sides, and reads ‘666 Pack’ across the handle. The bottle caps are printed with pentagrams.

Porter de Glace by Mathieu Lacombe

(images via: oh beautiful beer)

Rough hand-drawn typography characterizes this prototype packaging for the Ice Porter by Quebec’s Brasseurs du Monde, by Mathieu Lacombe.

Carrots Beer by Pereira & O’Dell

(images via: pereiraodell.com)

“The objective was to create a buzz around this high-end fashion boutique (CARROTS) and specifically around their men’s line, driving new male customers into the store. We created a limited edition, designer beer made from carrots. We brewed the beer, handcrafted the bottle wraps, and applied the labels. The 22oz. burlap-wrapped bottles were hand-delivered as gifts to specifically targeted men and the 12oz. beers were served at CARROTS-sponsored events and in-store to enhance men’s shopping experiences. Among the hundreds that received the bottle as a gift and the ones that tried it in the store, many people actually placed orders for beer to take home, turning a unique promotional item into a sexy and successful new product. Not to mention creating a buzz around the store.”

Seven of Diamonds by Christina Berglund

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“Seven of Diamonds Brewery is based on the beer card tradition. As the tradition goes, when a player wins the last trick of the hand with this card, his opponent must buy him a beer. Four varieties correspond with the four card suits—hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades.”

Arrogant Bastard by Thahn Nguyen

(images via: cargo collective)

California State University student Thanh Nguyen redesigned the packaging for Arrogant Bastard Beer. “This was one of the first projects for my packaging class this semester: we had to repackage a food or drink product. We could either completely rebrand the product or stick with their existing logo. I chose to give the Arrogant Bastard beers a facelift using their existing logo. “

Firewater Brew by Brian Biles

(images via: oh beautiful beer)

In this student project by Brian Biles, Firewater Beer gets a redesign that’s equal parts modern and nostalgic, with wood textures and rope detail that pay tribute to the brand’s hand-crafted reputation.

Ippon Matsu by Kota Kobayashi

(images via: oh beautiful beer)

The designer says, “In the city of Rikuzentakata, a single pine tree stands as a testament to survival after the tsunami of 2011. This beer’s name means “One Pine Tree” and its design is a symbol of charity and hope for Japan’s brighter future. A scroll-like, handwritten label seals the top with its story written on the inside. The label is a solitary pine made of three triangles facing up, symbolizing the wish for progress in the reconstruction efforts.”

Velkopopovicky Kozel by Yurko Gutsulyak

(images via: gstudio)

“”The project is aimed at emphasizing the values of the famous Czech brand and enlarging the number of its fans.
The design of the limited edition reflects the ancient traditions as well as the mastership of the Czech brewers. Every can is a part of the Old Czechia. Beside the collectors’ design, the Velkopopovicky Kozel beer offers gifts to everyone who will unravel the special message that is encoded on the can.”

Brew Dog Paradox

(images via: johanna basford)

Paradox, a limited edition beer by Brew Dog, gets silk-screen printed labels in luxe gold lacquer on black.

Santa Sabina by Alacran Creative

(images via:  behance)

Alacran Creative’s label for Imperial Mezcal Ale by Mexican brewery Santa Sabina, a bitter ale with a pinch of Mezcal added in the last week of fermentation, features an illustration of the Guadalajara countryside. The bottle is also wrapped in brown printed paper.

Upslope Brewing Foreign Style Stout Cans

(images via: anthem branding)

Anthem Branding says of the Upslope Foreign-Style Stout cans, “Ever since its premiere as Upslope Brewing’s First Anniversary beer, the Foreign Style Stout has been a fan favorite. The Foreign Style Stout is brewed with Pilsner malt, along with roasted barley, several specialty malts. We developed a unique can design to draw attention to the company’s first Limited Release variety. The all-black can is accentuated with a silver print.”

No-Li Bottles by Riley Cran

(images via: riley cran)

Designer Riley Cran created this crisp, illustrated branding for No-Li, a brewing company in the Pacific Northwest.

21st Amendment Fireside Chat by TBD

(images via: tbd advertising)

“Like FDR’s Depression-era radio addresses, which were like a kick in the butt and a hug at the same time, our Fireside Chat is a subtle twist on the traditional seasonal brew. We begin with a rich, dark, English-style ale and then we improvise with spices until we know we have a beer worth sharing with the nation. Fireside Chat is our early winter seasonal brew available from October through December in six pack cans and on draft. Brewed like a classic, warming Strong Ale but with a subtle blend of hand-selected spices for just the right festive flair.”

Les Angles et Demons by Plastikkcomau

(images via: plastikkcomau)

This concept packaging for a made-up beer brand has an ‘Angels and Demons’ theme.

Cerveceria Hacienda by Andrew Rose

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Andrew Rose created labels for Mexico’s Cerveceria Hacienda brewing company that honor the country’s history and culture, including Catrina Red Ale, Hidalgo Stout and Jaguar Pale Ale.

Freak Show Brews by Sarah Bina

(images via: behance)

“Freak Show is a brand of beer that uses circus characters to help describe different types of beer. The labels are designed in a wood-type poster style, characteristic of old circus posters.”

White Rabbit Dark Ale by brainCELLS

(images via: braincells)

“White Rabbit Brewing in the Yarra Valley, VIC, Australia opened its doors in mid-2009 with its flagship beer being the WR Dark Ale. The illustration features a playful white bunny rabbit jumping amongst the leafy landscape. The rabbit appears in a different position on each stubby label so that no two beer labels are the same.”

La Perle by Chrystel Jung

(images via: behance)

Parisian designer Chrystel Jung created these labels for a home-made beer.

Thorsteinn by Thorleifur Gunnar Gíslason, Hlynur Ingólfsson, Geir Ólafsson

(images via: the dieline)

This concept is a collaboration between three graphic design students at Iceland Academy of the Arts. “This beer brand concept was born on a sunday night at school were we were supposed to make a brand for a micro-brewery. The name is traditional Icelandic name that could be loosely translated into “thirsty one”.

Miller Boom Box

(images via: the dieline)

Would you expect packaging blog The Dieline’s top beer packaging design of the year to be created by one of the big brewers? Companies like Miller don’t generally compete well with smaller craft brewers when it comes to originality and aesthetics, but Miller definitely hit a high note with its boom box six-pack case.

Beer has come a long way since breweries first had the idea of developing can packaging nearly 100 years ago. In the early 1900s, breweries had a problem producing a can that would withstand the pasteurization process and allow the beer to still taste good when it reached the consumer. In order to withstand the heat and pressure of the process, the first beer cans were constructed of tin and steel and were much more thick and sturdy than the ones we see today. By 1935, the first commercially produced beer in a can hit the market.

Early Beer Can Styles and Designs

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American Can Co. began experimenting with canned beer in 1931, as it anticipated the end of Prohibition. Krueger’s Special Beer was the first commercially packaged beer in a can.  The very first canned beer was sold in Richmond, Virginia in 1935. Early on, manufacturers were mostly concerned with creating a beer can that could hold up to the heat and pressure of the pasteurization process without bursting or later leaking on the store shelves. Style and branding were considered, but were not a top priority in the beginning. Pabst was the first major brewer to offer beer in a can.

Rare, Unusual and Special Edition Beer Cans

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After methods of packaging beer into durable cans were developed, the real treat for consumers and collectors were the colorful designs on the cans.  Beer would still not taste great coming from a can for several decades.  Manufacturers began releasing special edition and novelty cans with lively images and color schemes to attract consumers and compensate for the canned beer taste.  Some of these early cans, if still in good condition, are now worth thousands of dollars to collectors.  This Cordell Brand can was produced in 1963 by the Hauglie Brewing Company and features the “Even The Cat Enjoys It!!!” slogan.  This slogan was only included on one run of the labeling and was removed after complaints from animal rights groups.  This is one of the most rare and valuable cans in existence and it is highly sought after by serious collectors.

Craft Brewery Beer Cans

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Canned beer became popular in the 1960s, but consumers still had to put up with beer that tasted more like the can than it did beer.  Over the years, technology has improved and even craft beer manufacturers are now comfortable with packaging their products in cans. Cans are now specially coated with a water-based finish that prevents the beer from coming in contact with the aluminum. Packaging beer in cans is less expensive than in glass bottles and the cans are 100% recyclable, making them an attractive option, especially in today’s economic climate.

Vintage Beer Can Collections

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Vintage beer can collections are generally comprised of three distinct types of packaging: flat top, cone top and pull tops. The earliest can designs were flat tops and consumers were on their own when it came to opening them.  Generally a triangle shaped can opener was used to puncture the tops of the cans and make an opening in this style of can. Soon conetop cans were introduced and the six pack was born in 1938. The packaging was thick and six packs of beer were deemed too heavy for housewives to pick up on weekly grocery shopping trips.   By 1960, the last conetop beer cans were produced and manufacturers tried using an aluminum top on steel cans to make them easier to open.  In 1962, the first pull-tab beer hit the market, in 1965 ring-top cans were introduced and in 1974 a short-lived push-button beer can was used on some brands.  Most canned beers now use the pull-tab packaging.

Modern Beer Can Designs

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With the exception of promotional and limited edition can designs, most major breweries now package canned beer in very recognizable, iconic cans. The most popular beer brands are instantly recognizable by the simple label designs. Beer marketing and advertising relies on the recognition of the label, so modern packaging is generally all about branding.