Tuesday, 1 October 2013

Group Feedback

Feedback Session


Constructive/Useful Feedback

  • More research into student drinks
  • Cocktails of the day?  (In terms of menu design for the re-brand of Havana bar)
  • Include infographic research in presentation as well as on blog
  • Include photographs of the bar that is being re-branded
  • Include more examples of branding & identity within presentation
  • Include history of cocktail design?

Positive Feedback
  • ''Great research into both design and the chemistry behind cocktails''
  • ''Interest and knowledge shown through confidence
  • ''Variety researched from mixology, branding and packaging''
  • ''Interesting concept which will be excellent for design''
  • ''Interesting and varied topic choice''

Looking over the feedback given, I can conclude that I need to do the following in order to improve: 

  • More research,  should be included on presentations rather than just talking about research that has been done-Make it visible! 
  • Include more photographs of the bar that I will be re-branding to give before and after visuals


Monday, 30 September 2013

To do list...

What I would like to achieve throughout the year...


During the second year at LCA I would like to explore more print processes and build upon those that I have already gained skills in such as screen printing and letterpress. I would particularly like to do more fabric screen printing this year. 


I also want to experiment more with book binding this year as I feel as though it is something that I didn't really explore in the first year.



Organisation! I need to remain organised this year and not let myself fall into the net of distraction like last year... I plan on carrying this out with the aid of a diary and keeping files and blogs updated daily and blog as I go along rather than telling myself 'I'll do it later' then it never getting done.

I also need to learn to stop stressing over getting this correct the first time round and that if I manage my time efficiently then trial and error will be a much more enjoyable learning curve.

What interests me? ...Illustration

Illustration

An illustration is a visualization or a depiction made by an artist, such as a drawingsketchpaintingphotograph, or other kind of image of things seen, remembered or imagined, using a graphical representation. The word comes from the latin word illustra'tioillu'stro meaning enlighten, irradiate. The Nowadays printing is the process for reproducing illustrations, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. Illustrations can be artistic images illustrating for example a text, poemfashionmagazinesstamps or a book and very often illustrations were made for for childrens books. The aim of an illustration is to elucidate or decorate a story, poem or piece of textual information by providing a visual representation of something described in the text. Illustrations can also represent scientific images of floramedicine or different processes, a biological or chemical processes or technical illustrations to give information on how to use something. Illustrations can be executed in different techniques, like watercolor, gouache, ink, oil, charcoal chalk or woodcut.

I particularly find illustration of interest as I love exploring different processes and experimenting mixing medias to achieve an exciting result. Illustration is usually my first turning point when involving image and over the past year at Leeds College of Art, I have toggled between my usual hand rendered style and digital illustration. I like the organic aesthetic that hand rendered design creates, especially when using inks and watercolours combined with fine liners. However, over the past year have gained an interest in combining this with digital illustration and trying to find a balance between them.



The image below gives an even balance between photography and illustration, the simple use of colour along with the greyscale photo helps to focus the eye of the audience. The contrast between photo and hand drawn image gives an almost surreal aesthetic.



'Urban Warrior'  by Jon Caplin also explores the use of photographic imagery however combines this with paints and digital elements. This creates a strong, bold image that intrigues audiences as the colours used that are expressive and exciting lead the eye of the audience into the center of the image and make up parts of the photo of the woman.


The rustic aesthetic of the water colour studies below explore light and colour. The image isn't contained to a specific area and explores the page which is something that, in my opinion, should be explored further to investigate surrounding spaces when illustrating.

Hand rendered type combined with illustration also interests me. The greyscale theme here works well but the surrounding illustration overwhelms the type so perhaps slight colour may be used to depict the letters out more? The fineliner markings are cleanly executed which shows great attention to detail throughout the piece.



Branding
Branding is interesting when talking in terms of illustration as concept and ideologies can be decide the identity of a brand purely by image and layout. 


For example, the digital illustrations for ginsters packaging below is a light hearted, fun and friendly design for sandwich boxes. This gives the impression of the brand to be student friendly and aims towards a young, trend following audience. 


In contrast with the above, the branding below for a french restaurant explores a more traditional take on style of illustration. The simple layout and type eludes sophistication and simplicity. 



What Interests me? ...Morocco

Morocco


 
http://www.fleuretphotoholidays.com/holidays/Colours-of-Morocco/


Capital:              Rabat
Largest City:       Casablanca
Dialing Code:       212
Languages:         Arabic, Berber, French
Size:                  446,550km2
Currency:           Moroccan Dirham


Officially; The kingdom of Morocco, is the most westerly of North African countries. It's one of three countries including Spain and France to  have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. It also homes a rugged mountain interior.



Cuisine
  • Couscous made from semolina grains and steamed in a colander-like dish known as a couscoussière is the staple food for most Moroccans, and is probably the best known Moroccan meal. It can be served as an accompaniment to a stew or tagine, or mixed with meat and vegetables and presented as a main course. Almost all Moroccan restaurants uphold the tradition of serving couscous on Fridays.
  • Tagine (or tajine), a spicy stew of meat and vegetables that has been simmered for many hours in a conical clay pot (from which the dish derives its name). Restaurants offer dozens of variations (from Dh 25 in budget restaurant) including chicken tagine with lemon and olives, honey-sweetened lamb or beef, fish or prawn tagine in a spicy tomato sauce. There are many variations of this dish.
  • A popular Berber contribution to Moroccan cuisine is kaliya, a combination of lamb, tomatoes, bell peppers and onion and served with couscous or bread.
  • A popular delicacy in Morocco is Pastilla, made by layering thin pieces of flakey dough between sweet, spiced meat filling (often lamb or chicken, but most enjoyably pigeon) and layers of almond-paste filling. The dough is wrapped into a plate-sized pastry that is baked and coated with a dusting of powdered sugar.
A Dh 3 - Dh 5 serve of harira or besara will always include some bread to mop the soup up and will fill you up for breakfast or lunch:
  • Moroccans often elect to begin their meals with warming bowl of harira (French: soupe marocaine), a delicious soup made from lentils, chick peas, lamb stock, tomatoes and vegetables. Surprisingly, among Moroccans harira has a role of nourishing food for "blue-collars" rather than a high-flying cuisine.
  • Soups are also traditional breakfasts in Morocco. Bissara, a thick glop made from split peas and a generous wallop of olive oil can be found bubbling away near markets and in medinas in the mornings.



Souqs and Spice Markets

What to buy?

Apart from classic tourist souvenirs like postcards and trinkets, here are some things from this region that are hard to find elsewhere, or even unique:
  • Dates: 10 Dhm for an orange box seems an adequate price after some bargaining.
  • Leatherware: Morocco has a really huge production of leather goods. Markets are full of mediocre models and designer shops are hard to find.
  • Argan oil and products made of it such as soap and cosmetics.
  • Tagines: Classic Moroccan cooking dishes made of clay will improve oil/water based meals you make if you plan to bring Morocco to your kitchen back home.
  • Birad: Classic Moroccan tea pots.
  • Djellabah: Classic Moroccan designer robe with a hood. Often come in intricate designs and some are suited for warm weather while other heavier styles are for the cold.
  • Carpets: Genuine handmade Berber carpets can be purchased direct from the artisans who weave them. If you go to small villages, such as Anzal, in the province of Ouarzazate, you can visit the weavers, watch them work, and they will happily serve you tea and show you their products.
If you're looking for T-shirts, consider designer items by Kawibi--they look much more inspiring than boring traditional set of themes. They are available in duty-free stores, Atlas Airport Hotel near Casablanca and other places.


What not to buy

  • Geodes: Pink and purple dyed quartz are widely sold along with fake galena geodes which are often described as "cobalt geodes".
  • Trilobite fossils: Unless you are an expert, you will most likely be buying a fake.



Bargaining

Remember that bargaining in the souks is expected. It is not really possible to give an accurate indication of how much to start the bargaining at in relation to the initial asking price, but a general idea would be to aim for approximately 50% off. Prices are set on a daily, even, hourly basis, depending on how much has been sold on a given day (or period of hours), while also reflecting the vendor's personal estimation of the potential client. The souks are often a good reflection of the basic economic principles of supply and demand, particularly with regard to the demand side. If a lot of products have been sold by a particular merchant he/she will raise the price, and may refuse to sell any more products for the rest of that day (or for days) unless the price is much higher than usual. If there are many tourists around prices go higher and bargaining even small amounts off the asking price becomes quite difficult. In addition, the seller will generally inspect the client, whose dress and possessions (particularly if the potential client sports an expensive Swiss watch, camera, etc) are usually the main indication of how high the price may be set above the usual. However, the potential client's attitude is also taken into consideration.
Taking all this and other factors into account (such as the time of day, day of the week, season, etc.), initial prices may be up to 50 times or more in excess of normal prices, especially for more expensive items, such as carpets. Carpets, however, are a very specialized item and it is necessary to have at least a cursory understanding of production techniques and qualities. If possible, an ability to distinguish between hand-made and machine-made carpets, hand-dyes, and the like is helpful to avoid being utterly duped.
Bargaining is an enjoyable experience for most vendors and they prefer clients that don't appear hurried and are willing to take the time to negotiate. It is most often actually necessary to give reasons why you believe the price should be lower. The reasons you might give are limited only by your imagination and often lead to some very entertaining discussions. Common reasons may include: the price of the item elsewhere, the item not being exactly what you are after, the fact that you have purchased other items from the stall/store, that you have built a rapport with the vendor after discussing football and so forth. On the other hand, if there is little movement in the price after some time, the best advice is to begin leaving, this often has the result of kick-starting the bidding anew, and if not, it is likely that the merchant is actually unwilling to go further below a given price, however absurd.
It is also important to show a genuine interest for the workmanship of the product for sale, no matter how uninterested you may actually be in what you are buying. This does not, however, mean that you should appear over-enthusiastic, as this will encourage the vendor to hold his or her price. Rather, it is important to project a critical appreciation for each article/object. Any defects are either unacceptable or a further opportunity to bargain the price down.
You should take caution to never begin bidding for unwanted items or to give the vendor a price you are unwilling or unable (with cash on hand) to pay. Try to avoid paying by credit card at all costs. In the event you do pay by credit card, never let it out of your sight and demand as many receipts as possible. There is typically a credit card carbon copy and an official shop receipt.
Never tell a vendor where you are staying and 'never tell a vendor how much you paid for any other purchases. Just say you got a good price and you want a good price from him or her too. And, above all, never be afraid to say 'No'.
It must also be said that, as is true for buyers, not all sellers are actually very good at what they do. A vendor that is completely uninterested or even aggressive is unlikely to give a good price. Move on.

Tourists love buying carpets on their holidays to Marrakesh and are always insistent on transporting back as many as is humanly possible, from floral patterns to geometric motifs or even the brightly coloured carpets in the region of Tazenakht. You can also purchase 'kilim', which are woven carpets, much thinner and easier to transport / © Xoan-Sampaiño

foto





What interests me? ...Cocktails

cock·tail  


Noun
  1. An alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit or several spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as fruit juice, lemonade, or cream.
  2. A mixture of substances or factors, esp. when dangerous or unpleasant in its effects.



http://www.pod-creative.com/projects/maxxium/#&slider1=1

As a bartender myself, I work with cocktails on a regular basis however since being behind a bar have developed a particular interest in the history and process of cocktail making. I hope to discover new things whilst researching cocktails that will not only aid the brief but will benefit me in terms of gaining more knowledge and understanding of how cocktails are created and executed.


History
A definition of cocktail appeared in the May 13, 1806, edition of The Balance and Columbian Repository, a publication in Hudson, New York, in which an answer was provided to the question, "What is a cocktail?". It replied:
Cock-tail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters—it is vulgarly called bittered sling, and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said, also to be of great use to a democratic candidate: because a person, having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow any thing else.
The first publication of a bartenders' guide which included cocktail recipes was in 1862 — How to Mix Drinks; or, The Bon Vivant's Companion, by "Professor" Jerry Thomas. In addition to listings of recipes for Punches, Sours, Slings, Cobblers, Shrubs, Toddies, Flips, and a variety of other types of mixed drinks were 10 recipes for drinks referred to as "Cocktails". A key ingredient which differentiated "cocktails" from other drinks in this compendium was the use of bitters as an ingredient.

[Cocktail party art]
The first "cocktail party" ever thrown was allegedly by Mrs. Julius S. Walsh Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri, in May 1917. Mrs. Walsh invited 50 guests to her home at noon on a Sunday. The party lasted an hour, until lunch was served at 1 pm. The site of this first cocktail party still stands. In 1924, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis bought the Walsh mansion at 4510 Lindell Boulevard, and it has served as the local archbishop's residence ever since.
Mrs. Walsh had invited 50 guests to her house -- a mansion "equipped with a private bar" -- on a spring Sunday at high noon. Some guests came to the party straight from church; some had spent the morning in "a motor promenade of the boulevards." The party lasted one hour, the "interregnum preceding 1 o'clock dinner."
he Walshes were not the first to organize a party around an alcoholic beverage (and even before the first cocktail party so-called, the Walshes themselves had hosted a "baby party" at the St. Louis Country Club at which they and their friends dressed as toddlers and sucked cocktails out of baby bottles). The principal antecedent for the cocktail party comes from September 1890, when Mrs. Richard S. Dana introduced the concept of an "egg-nog party" in the society resort of Lenox, Mass., parties she would throw every autumn for years, when the goldenrod was in blossom. Following the lead of the Lenox "cottagers," it became the height of Gilded Age fashion to host a party around a bowl of eggnog.



The basics of making a proper cocktail.

Types of cocktails:

Cocktails can be separated into two main categories:
  • Short drinks typically contain between 6 to 12 cl. of liquids and tend to be consumed as a digestive drinks. These Short Drinks are strong and contain a lot of alcohol.
  • Long drinks typically contain between 12 and 25 cl. of fluids and can be enjoyed as aperitif or as a thirst quenching daytime beverage, as they are less strong than the short drinks.
Professional bartenders will divide the cocktail families much further and will use words like: collins, fizzes and flips, all of which will be discusses elsewhere on this site.

Cocktail preparation:

Although, in principle, all combinations are possible and the number of cocktail recipes is therefore nearing on infinite, there are some basic rules that need to be observed:
  • Combining 2 "bad" products can never come to a positive result.
  • Neither a short drink nor a long drink should contain more than 7 cl. of alcohol.
  • Never combine 2 types of "eau-de-vie" in one cocktail recipe. Never mix grain based spirits (gin, vodka, whisky) with a wine based spirit (cognac).
  • Dairy products like milk, cream and eggs do not combine well with fruit juices.
  • always follow the order of the cocktail recipe
  • It is wise not to mix more than 5 different ingredients.

Techniques:

  • By the glass: pour every ingredient directly into the glass and serve the cocktail after stirring it thoroughly. This technique is not efficient when serving a group of customers the same cocktail. In that situation we advise to use mixing glass or cup.
  • In a mixing glass or cup you can make more of the same recipe for several people which you can later cool by pouring it over ice cubes and stirring strong for no more than 10 seconds.
  • in a cocktail shaker: pour the ingredients over ice cubes. Close the shaker and shake it for about 10 seconds, after which you pour the mix into the glasses, using a strainer so that the ice will remain in the shaker. In a shaker it is more easier for the ingredients to blend resulting in a true emulsion. Sometimes an electronic mixer / blender can be used to grind the ice cubes.

Cocktail terminology

  • Twisting: Giving orange- or lemon-skins a short twist or squeeze over the cocktail. Depending on the type and taste of the cocktail you can add the skin to the mix, after twisting it.
  • Cooling: Placing the cocktail glass in a refrigerator for several hours or by placing a few ice cubes in the glass and rolling them around the glass for a few minutes. Remember to remove all of the residual water before adding the cocktail.
  • Rimming: moisturizing the rim of the glass with lemon- or lime juice and dipping the rim into regular or colored sugar, or salt, and twisting it until the rim is evenly covered.
  • Blending: Some drinks require the use of a blender. One should always blend the ice separately before adding the other ingredients and the liquids should be added last.
  • straining: After mixing or stirring the ingredients in a shaker, a strainer is required to keep the ice cubes from falling into the glass. Nowadays most cocktail shakers come with a build-in strainer. Remember not to use shaved or crushed ice, if you intend to use a strainer for serving.
Ice
Ice is the basis of almost all cocktails. Nearly every recipe calls for ice to be used to chill the cocktail.
The ice should as cold and as dry as possible, to prevent water from mixing with the cocktail too much. Ice cubes should always be taken directly from a freezer or kept in an isotherm ice bucket. When utilizing a shaker or a mixing glass, try to execute all the required steps as quick as possible so that the melting of the ice will be minimal. Use demineralized water, or low minerals water like evian, to make the clearest and cleanest ice cubes.
Crushed or shaven ice, which can be made by machines or by smashing ice cubes that are wrapped in a bar towel or other cloth, give faster cooling but also melt more quick, so only use shaved or crushed ice for long drinks.


If the above rules are followed, then cocktail making becomes as simple as mixing the correct ingredients and making sure presentation is at its best.


What a bartender needs to make cocktails

Required:

  • the shaker: There are some shaker that are made of 3 separate parts, with the middle part holding a fixed filter. Those shakers are not always as waterproof as they should be. Using a professional model like the Boston shaker is advisable. These shakers are made of 2 parts: the cup en a top with a filter aka the strainer. Metal shakers are preferred over the glass types.
  • a mixing glass with a long spoon, logically named a bar spoon.
  • an ice bucket
  • an ice tong
  • a fruit press
  • a cork screw that includes a small knife which can be used to remove lids.
  • a bottle opener
  • a fruit knife and plate
Additional tools:
  • a siphon with CO2 cartridge to make "fresh" soda water
  • a measuring jigger
  • a straw holder
  • a nutmeg grater
  • small plates (for rimming the glasses with salt or sugar)
  • a sugar sprinkler
  • a very thin & long knife to carve fruit for garnish and side decoration.
  • a bottle cap for opened wine of champagne bottles.
  • a can opener
  • an (electronic) mixer / blender.
The cocktail glasses:
The basic rule is that cocktail glasses should be transparent, colorless and unmarked, so that the beautiful colors of the cocktail get the appreciation they deserve. If so required you can use glasses with a colored foot or markings for exotic and refreshing long drinks.
  • Large foot glass
  • High Champagne glass
  • Cocktail glass
  • Big tumbler glass, straight, 30 - 50 cl.
  • Small tumbler glass, straight, 15 - 30 cl.
  • 'old fashioned' glass, straight and large, like a whiskey glass.
  • small foot glass
  • balloon glass
  • Cognac glass
  • Glass with large ear or metal holder for hot drinks
  • Beer glass, straight or with a foot.


Types of Cocktails

Cobblers: Very refreshing cocktail, directly prepared in the glass, without a shake and with crushed ice. This low alcohol content drink is accompanied by chopped fruit and served with a straw or a spoon.

Collins: The perfect cocktail for summer. As they are served with lots of ice, sugar, lemon and soda, they are very refreshing. Collins cocktails are made with hard liquor, lemon juice, soda and sugar. Sometimes the schnapps is substituted by vodka, gin, whiskey, rum or tequila.

Coolers: Long and quite pleasant sips cocktail, with low alcohol content, that uses ice cubes instead of crushed ice. Moreover, they tend to be decorated by an spirally cutted orange or lemon peel.

Crustas: Cocktails served in a coup with a sweetened glass, prepared in shakes. The most common example is the Margarita.

Cups: Cocktails prepared with white wine, siders and liquors. They are served with cutted fresh fruit -stored in the freezer for two or three hours- and in big containers, even if they are drunk in small cups.

Egg nogs: Cocktails where the spirit or fermented drink is the basis, accompanied by milk, eggs and nutmeg in the preparation process. It can be served cold or warm.

Fizzes: Sparkling cocktails, with long sips, prepared with lemon juice, sugar and egg white, in combination with gin or any other spirit drink, supplemented with soda.

Flips: Creamy cocktails made with rum, sherry, marsala, sugar and egg yolk. They are usually served warm and accompanied by cinnamon and nutmeg.

Frozen: Half-frozen or ice-cocktails where the beverage has been mixed with a plentiful piece of crushed ice.

Grogs: Warm drink made with hot sugary water, mixed with liquor -usually rum but also with kirsch and cognac- that usually carries aromatizers like lemon.

Juleps: Refreshing drinks recognizable by the mint aroma, mixed in the preparation with Kentucky Bourbon, sugar, and thick crushed ice. Juleps are also prepared with scotch, rum and even brandy.

Pousse-café: Directly prepared in the glass, after pouring the heavier liquids -normally sweeter and thicker- and taking care not to mix them. Its highlight is the fring that each combined liquid have.

Sangría: A wine punch, made with red wine, sugar, chopped fresh fruit -normally pineapple, pears, apples and peaches- and sparkling water

Sours: Cocktails made with lots of lemon and sugar mixed with bourbon or any other whiskey.


Cocktails and design

The execution of a cocktail is important however, the decision about what cocktail is chosen for consumption comes into play beforehand. This can be heavily influenced by how the drink is portrayed before hand. For example, advertisements, menu design and description of the drink itself will either encourage or deter against the decision of what beverage is chosen.
One particular area of interest I have found is menu design. Depending how the menu is displayed, some drinks options may seem more appealing than others. Factors such as illustration, colour, layout all have an effect in aiding the final decision of what beverage will be consumed. 


The menu design for 'The Whaling Club' below is a simple design that doesn't create a great difference between cocktails so that the audience isn't bias when choosing a cocktail. There is a stable equilibrium between drinks that is achieved through the use of a strong layout structure and a simplistic colour scheme which reflects the nautical name of the bar. The illustrative approach works well in reflection of this theme and the type selection is simple and to the point.

cocktail menu + drawings by Sarah Mullin + cleaver type


The 'Canelakes Island' menu has a vintage vibe that particularly reminds me of Hawaii, mostly because of the colour scheme. A washed out pink background with colourful drinks placed over the top creates a clashing effect like what is seen on typical Hawaiian floral shirts. The layout is simple and in block formation however is legible and understandable to the customer. Comparing this design to the previous 'Whaling club' menu, I'd put the target audience at an older age who do not have a great knowledge about cocktails or alcohol as the pictures and information provide everything there is to know about the content, appearance and process of how to make the drink.
Vintage Cocktail Menu


1967 cocktail menu, inside page spread -- cocktail menu from South Pacific - Hallandale, FL. This menu is very similar to the last however explores layout differently and gives less information about the drink which works  in favor as the page doesn't include too much text so that the customer can focus on the image more so than description. Te plain white background works much better than a coloured background as the illustrations of the drinks stand out from the page.
1967 cocktail menu, inside page spread --  cocktail menu from South Pacific - Hallandale, FL


The photograph below is of a Spanish cocktail menu and keeps with a simple digital illustrative design that is seen more in 'trend' and student bars of who the target audience are young professionals and students. The inclusion of a conversation about the cocktail reflects the stereotyped interest in socializing of the target audience. The simple use of colour works well and doesn't over complicate the page.The white text on black background is effective and creates more of a base to work from rather than being white background and black text. 
La Coctelera


I particularly like the design below which was found on Behance. The colour scheme is refreshing yet simple and stands out from the white background. The use of photographs with simple digital illustration creates an exiting and contemporary aesthetic.



Baabar have a commonly used style of using colour block layers to depict what amount of alcohol and mixer is included in the cocktail. This info-graphical way of displaying content is easy to understand and doesnt over complicate the appearance of the menu. 

http://www.baabar.co.uk/drinks-menu/#link-3


The design for the drinks menu at The Alchemist boasts a simplistic yet classic style. Strong sense of layout and structure make the menu readable and sophisticated. The cocktails themselves are listed with no photograph to mislead judgement when choosing drinks however are described in a manor to depict an image e.g. 
White Cosmo £6.95
A frozen white orchid bathed in Green Mark Russian
vodka, St Germain Elderflower liqueur, white grape
juice and lemon bitters.





http://www.behance.net/gallery/Menu-Spring-cocktails-bar-PEOPLES/7340311




Packaging 

Another aspect of cocktails that interests me is the packaging of products. Whether it be pre-mixed cocktails or the packaging, the difference that packaging can make on a product and how flavour is perceived from design is amazing. People now seem shallow almost when purchasing products depending on appearance. 


'Om' is the world’s first organic, gluten-free, mixology inspired bottled cocktails.  With organic vodka already included, the drinks are ready to pour straight over ice  OM is also used as a liqueur by top mixologists and bartenders who love OM’s award winning flavor combinations. In terms of the branding of 'Om' the major aesthetic consists of organic ideologies resulting in the aged appearing papers, floral inspired design and simple, natural colour scheme.
I want to try OM cocktails!
http://omcocktails.com/

A rustic French cocktail bar use frost engraving on jars and bottles which adds an element of class and attention to detail. A brilliant alternative to paper labels on bottles! The simple idea is carried throughout the menu design of listing contents. This idea works really well on the example below however if overdone, it could give off the wrong ideology of aesthetic and look unprofessional.
Rustic, French Cocktail Bar
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/79657487129750631/


'Funkin' are a company that boast 100% natural fresh fruit cocktail mixers. The clean cut aesthetic strongly brands the company as being a solid, well prepared product. Simple yet effective running theme throughout the brand is to change the colour splash  on the foiled packets of puree to coincide with the flavour contained so strawberry has a red slash, lime; green, passion fruit; orange etc. 

http://www.amathusdrinks.com/funkin-strawberry-puree.html


ENKAJA's concept for 'Be your own barman' is a brilliant idea for mixing and creating your own cocktails at home without the necessary equipment. The sleek black cylinders that twist apart contain different spirits, mixers and liquors to make up a specific cocktail when shaken and mixed together. The simple design and unique shape create a sophisticated branding identity that is easily recognizable as it is an idea set aside from regular, pre-mixed cocktails.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/ENKAJA-Cocktail-branding-packaging-concept/5655639


A project found on Behance that was to create a new range of whiskey cocktails aimed to encourage woman aged 20-26 to try drinking whiskey. The Nelferch whiskey concept settled on a very feminine design aesthetic which used water colour and floral styles to capture the immediate attention of females. The spherical shape of the bottle instantly sets the brand aside from usual whiskeys sold in bars and supermarkets which creates independent identity. Feminine, curled type is used for the brand name and complimented by sans serif font for informative text.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Nelferch-Whiskey-Cocktails/9558955




http://www.packagingserved.com/gallery/Materie-the-new-Winecocktail/7278439


Anchor is a company that produces clear, frost engraved cocktail shakers and cocktail stirrers in the shape of anchors. Although not branding alcohol, I like the strong aesthetic of this brand. It is clean cut, simple and sophisticated. 




http://www.behance.net/gallery/drova-FIREWOOD-VODKA/11173547




http://www.behance.net/gallery/-Packaging-glass-bottle/3061189



http://www.behance.net/gallery/Mayrah-Wine/486041