MASON, OH — Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout began back in 1992 when their brewmaster broke the mold by brewing a stout beer in barrels that previously held Jim Beam bourbon. Bourbon County Stout was a huge hit that helped launch the barrel-aged stout movement. To this day, Bourbon County Brand Stouts are sought after by beer enthusiasts. For 23 years, Goose Island has fanned the flames of desire among its customers by releasing only a limited quantity on Black Friday. While many flock to shops, beer lovers stand outside for hours and sometimes days to get their hands on this year’s Bourbon County series.
In 2015, Goose Island sought to heighten the drinking experience by designing a custom bottle worthy of the beer itself. Instead of the typical 12- and 22-ounce bottles, Bourbon County Brand Stout is now packaged in a 16.9-ounce brown bottle with embossed lettering. Constantia Flexibles was tasked with creating a premium neck and back label for this custom bottle.
Goose Island challenged Constantia Flexibles to execute on an idea to add a flag to the neck label, drawing consumer attention at the shelf and highlighting Goose Island’s legacy as the originators of bourbon barrel aging. The neck label is a full wrap with a 5/8” tab that pops out from the bottle. Special treatment was applied to the neck label to allow for two sided printing of the flag component and to ensure it maintained its perpendicular shape once applied. The back label was tapered to match the taper of the bottle with a custom die cut shape.
People stand in line all over the country for these beers and now they have collectible bottles to commemorate this year’s Bourbon County series.