Penrose
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Penrose Brewing Company is a small, locally owned Brewery and Taproom that specializes in small batch brewing, fresh hoppy flavors and wild / sour fermentations. They experiment with new styles and feature a rotating selection of great beers available in their Taproom from Hazy IPAs and American Lagers to Fruited Sours and Imperial Stouts. While working at BFC I did a considerable amount of work for Penrose, this involved designing labels for upcoming beer releases, developing new lines of labels, creating visuals for social media and Doing front end development for their website.
The design work on the seasonal labels required working from a templated format. I would talk with them to figure out what elements needed to change based on the name and style of the brew. In most cases I would just change the colors and copy on labels but the seasonal labels included in this section I made many creative designs for. I would create custom designs for the backgrounds of these labels to make them stand out from the more traditional Penrose labels. After seeing my proficiency in making the seasonal labels they asked me to work with them in developing the labels for their sour line of beers. This involved doing a fair amount of research and brainstorming to find the perfect solution to this problem. Similar to the sour labels, I worked with Penrose to develop a standard design for their “Cavern” line of beers.
In between doing the design work on all of these labels I would occasionally work on creating social media posts that would advertise new beer releases and upcoming events. In 2021 Penrose ask me to help re-design their site. Working with Penrose I developed the design for their front-end look and worked with back-end developers to make sure the designs were faithfully implemented.
Penrose Seasonal Labels
Timber
August 2020
- Beer Type: West Coast IPA
- Can Size: 16 FL oz.
- ALC%: 6.8%
One of the first labels that I had a higher level of creative freedom came in the fall of 2020. Starting with timber we began creating different designs for the background of the labels. These backgrounds help reinforce the name of the beer. Timber, being tree related, required a nature vibe so I made the tiles green and brown. The background design features many different weighted rings meant to resemble those of a chopped down tree.
Infinite Stairs
October 2020
- Beer Type: Juicy Midwest IPA
- Can Size: 16 FL oz.
- ALC%: 6.3%
A huge part of the Penrose identity is the focus on optical illusions. The name Penrose coming from the famous British mathematician Roger Penrose. He developed that famous triangle that looks 3d. This can be found on all of the Penrose labels on the left side panel as the “Flavor Triangle”. Infinite Stairs features my take on another famous illusion, the never-ending staircase. The shape that the name of the beer sits in also has a shadow which helps give it a level of depth and 3D-ness.
Double Galactic Boots
October 2020
- Beer Type: Double Midwest IPA
- Can Size: 16 FL oz.
- ALC%: 9.0%
This is one of the first labels where we changed the typeface of the beer name. Double Galactic Boots obviously has a futuristic, traveling the galaxy vibe. Now don’t ask me about the way some of these are named, I’m not sure what the obsession with “boots” is. As you will soon see. Anyhow, for this label I painted a galaxy scene in Photoshop for the background. Also changed the tiles to resemble a Buzz Lightyear color scheme.
Celebrate The Moment
November 2020
- Beer Type: Imperial Pastry Stout
- Can Size: 16 FL oz.
- ALC%: 12.0%
This was a tricky label to make, this beer was a collaboration project with another local brewery. The beer is made with vanilla and chocolate, which personally, not a huge fan of! The idea for the label is based off of the Ferrero Rocher gold wrapped chocolate balls. So, to replicate this aesthetic I changed the tiles to gold colors and took photos of some slightly scrunched tinfoil and brought it into photoshop to beef up the contrast and change the color to gold.
Swarm
November 2020
- Beer Type: Honey Triple IPA
- Can Size: 16 FL oz.
- ALC%: 10.4%
Swarm is a beer brewed with honey so naturally I made a honeycomb background and changed the tiles to yellow colors. The background was fun to make because not only does it look like a honeycomb, but I tried to give it an optical illusion spin. The combs are meant to look like 3D cubes.
Nocino Stout
December 2020
- Beer Type: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 12.0%
As the end of the year holidays approached so did the opportunity to make this label for a festive beer. This label is a 12 oz can, different from all of the 16 oz can found throughout this section. This smaller size provided different set of challenges, instead of implementing a unique background I decided to add strings of Christmas lights to the bottom and top of the labels. Also made the tiles green and red for obvious reasons.
Strawberry Kiwi Pebbles
January 2021
- Beer Type: Milkshake IPA
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 7.0%
This was an interesting label to make, being that it’s a milkshake beer. (?) Knowing this I decided to make the section behind the tile look like a gradient of a milkshake, the white foam or cream coming to the top. The tiles containing contrasting colors of kiwi green and some nice pink pebbles. The background also features a repeating kiwi illustration.
Pebbles
February 2021
- Beer Type: Juicy Midwest IPA
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 7.0%
No strawberry pebbles in this one! This was a very fun label to make. Ever had a bowl of fruity pebbles, that terrific sugary cereal? Well, it looks like a rainbow in a bowl. The background of this label is an attempt to replicate the same type of style. The typical Penrose pattern making up the shapes of the pebbles.
Gummy Boots
February 2021
- Beer Type: Juicy Midwest IPA
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 7.0%
No strawberry pebbles in this one! This was a very fun label to make. Ever had a bowl of fruity pebbles, that terrific sugary cereal? Well, it looks like a rainbow in a bowl. The background of this label is an attempt to replicate the same type of style. The typical Penrose pattern making up the shapes of the pebbles.
Goofier Boots
February 2021
- Beer Type: JuicyDouble IPA
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 9.0%
This label was a collaboration with another brewery and boy did they come up with a concept out of left field. So, the idea behind this label was creating the “Matrix” background, comprised of green 1 and 0s. On this label we also change part of the beer title to a more militaristic typeface in an effort to differentiate the two partners in the collaboration.
Lil Boots
March 2021
- Beer Type: Hazy IPA
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 5.0%
If you couldn’t tell, Penrose really enjoys boots. Why? I know not. Either way, Lil Boots is a play on a more main-stay beer they do called Goofy Boots. This label is a play on that label. This one differs in its background; Lil Boots features a pattern of illustrations I did of various types of boot footprints. The tiles found on this label are similar to those found on the Goofy label but more muted color.
SOUR LABEL DEVELOPMENT
Research
After doing a fair amount of the seasonal labels, Penrose approached me and asked if I can come up with a design that can set apart their Kettle Sour beers. I asked them what separates this line of beers from the others, and they told me it’s the process in which its brewed. There is a large emphasis put on the fruit that gets brewed into the beer. I was also told they wanted to utilize tall, 12oz cans for this line of beer. In doing research and even from my own life experiences I kept coming back to this new fad of alcoholic beverages like hard seltzers. Fruity, low ALC/Vol and all in tall 12 oz cans. These are brands like Truly, White Claw and Bud Light. All of their designs feature similar layouts, a different color of text based on the fruit flavor, imagery of that said fruit and white backgrounds.
After looking at the research I created an example of some geometric raspberries and roses to show what’s possible the Raspberry Rosé label. The illustrations are colorful, detailed and only use straight lines. After doing some of these, it hit me, why not make the elements out of the traditional Penrose pattern. So, that’s what I did I used the pattern and used real photos of the berry to pick the colors of the shapes that make up the illustration. In talking to Penrose we came to the agreement that this avenue was the best to go down. After talking I refined the illustration, taking away the green leaves and in a way zooming out the illustration to include more of the tiles, thus creating more detail in the illustration.
The next challenge came in taking the old Raspberry Rosé label content and translating into a completely new style. Not only did the format change but the size of the label also changes, the label gets taller and skinnier. With all of these new changes I decided it would be best to refresh the color scheme and try something new that would stick out from the more main Penrose labels. In doing the first few mockups of the label I kept things very simple and plain, they have a very sleek, uncluttered look compared to the other Penrose labels.
Raspberry Rosé
September 2020
- Beer Type: Session Sour
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 4.0%
This is the final version of the first sour label development. Raspberry Rosé being the first in this series, there was a ton of pressure to make sure the not only does the label work, but the format could work in a series. Each beer in the series has a two-word name, the first word being the main fruit ingredient and the second word typically being a type of drink, in this case Raspberry Rosé.
Peach Bellini
September 2020
- Beer Type: Session Sour
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 4.0%
Each label is more or less divided into two sides, divided by the ingredients and explanation text found in gray. On the left side is the copy that features the name of the fruit and the type of beer. The right side has the drink name and the illustration of the fruit along with the volume and alcohol contents.
Blackberry Lemon Bramble
October 2020
- Beer Type: Session Sour
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 4.0%
Each label has a main color that the bars at the top and bottom, the beer name and other featured in. This one is slightly different in the fact that it has two featured fruits, lemon and blackberry. Each Illustration found on the label features the Penrose pattern. In the case with two fruits on the label, the fruit that is in front is the more dominant flavor wise.
Margarita Gose
January 2021
- Beer Type: Session Sour
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 4.0%
On these labels I went away from the main typeface that is used on the titles of the names of the beers. I decided to use a script typeface that is more inviting and contrasts well with the other labels. Overall this set of labels are very bright and clean looking compared to the dark visually stimulating labels done for seasonal beers. This layout plays well into the Penrose brand.
CAVERN LABEL DEVELOPMENT
Research
Like the sour labels, Penrose tasked me with developing a label from scratch for their new line of beers that are brewed in whiskey barrels with vanilla and chocolate. Not my favorite combo of things, but hey people like this stuff! To start my research, I looked at other bourbon aged beers and darker beers. I was told they wanted to create a very dark label to highlight just how dark this beer is.
During my research I didn’t come across any real through lines between other beers. So, I decided to look further into the things that would make this beer unique from the others that Penrose has. The biggest difference being the whiskey barrels its aged in. Another noticeable thing is the ingredients, vanilla and chocolate is not your everyday beer ingredient. I also thought it would be interesting to explore the textures of the barrels. An interesting pattern can be established from one of the things that sets this beer apart. There were also many different wood treatments I looked into that could provide an interesting visual, like laser cuts and wood burning.
This label would also be for a 12oz can, so the area to work with would be considerably smaller than the normal 16oz cans I was used to. Space is limited on these labels so establishing a unique look with little space would be a challenge.
After thorough research I thought it would be interesting to go down a road that makes use of a wooden texture and has a grittier feeling. The idea of wooden barrels and whiskey just screams americana western to me. In this spirit I tried to include some western features in my initial mockups. I also looked into other typefaces that can enhance this gritty feeling. I looked at typeface that have easily useable shades built into them; this would make creating some type of embedded into wood idea easier to do. I came across one typeface that has a more serif look that has lots of hanging sharp edges that can reinforce the strength and classiness of the beer. The other typeface a more traditional san serif that looks like it can easily be imprinted on the label.
During my research I didn’t come across any real through lines between other beers. So, I decided to look further into the things that would make this beer unique from the others that Penrose has. The biggest difference being the whiskey barrels its aged in. Another noticeable thing is the ingredients, vanilla and chocolate is not your everyday beer ingredient. I also thought it would be interesting to explore the textures of the barrels. An interesting pattern can be established from one of the things that sets this beer apart. There were also many different wood treatments I looked into that could provide an interesting visual, like laser cuts and wood burning.
This label would also be for a 12oz can, so the area to work with would be considerably smaller than the normal 16oz cans I was used to. Space is limited on these labels so establishing a unique look with little space would be a challenge.
After thorough research I thought it would be interesting to go down a road that makes use of a wooden texture and has a grittier feeling. The idea of wooden barrels and whiskey just screams americana western to me. In this spirit I tried to include some western features in my initial mockups. I also looked into other typefaces that can enhance this gritty feeling. I looked at typeface that have easily useable shades built into them; this would make creating some type of embedded into wood idea easier to do. I came across one typeface that has a more serif look that has lots of hanging sharp edges that can reinforce the strength and classiness of the beer. The other typeface a more traditional san serif that looks like it can easily be imprinted on the label.
Label Iterations
The working name of the first beer under the “Cavern” type of label changed a lot during this process but ended up being called “Vanilla Caves”. The first few labels I did ended up using lots of shapes with the fancy cutout corners that you would see on a wild west sign. I also made a wood texture for the background that was very well received and became a mainstay on all of the label iterations. However, there were many different variations of this wooden background that were discussed, at first the light gray, then a very contrasting multi color version and lastly a subtle color.
The left and right-side panels with the health info mostly stayed the same throughout. One noticeable change is the evolution of the “Flavor Triangle”. While in discussions about the label I mentioned there were so many different flavors going into the brew that you would need more than just a flavor triangle. So, we decided to create the flavor circle, based on another famous “Impossible shape”. On the first iteration I used this circle on the front of the label, acting kind of like an opening in the barrel.
As the iterations continued, I found myself subtracting elements in the label like the shapes and lines. I tried to keep it as simple as possible. There was a fight to keep some color or keep it scarce. It began to feel like each iteration lost more and more color until the labels were dark.
The left and right-side panels with the health info mostly stayed the same throughout. One noticeable change is the evolution of the “Flavor Triangle”. While in discussions about the label I mentioned there were so many different flavors going into the brew that you would need more than just a flavor triangle. So, we decided to create the flavor circle, based on another famous “Impossible shape”. On the first iteration I used this circle on the front of the label, acting kind of like an opening in the barrel.
As the iterations continued, I found myself subtracting elements in the label like the shapes and lines. I tried to keep it as simple as possible. There was a fight to keep some color or keep it scarce. It began to feel like each iteration lost more and more color until the labels were dark.
Final Label
Vanilla Caves
November 2020
- Beer Type: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
- Can Size: 12 FL oz.
- ALC%: 12.0%
In the end we took out all of the color and kept the label pretty neutral as far as color is concerned. Even the Penrose logo is converted to shades of gray. We decided it would be best to take out all of the extra elements and just have the title of the label engraved into the middle of the label. The serif typeface really helps bring out the dark vibes. We made sure the new flavor circle is included in place of the triangle. It details all of the crazy tastes you might find in each can. The wood texture in the background that represents the barrels that the beer is brewed in. The texture is meant to look like planks with the black gaps between each section.
PENROSE WEBSITE DESIGN
At the beginning of 2021 Penrose asked me to give their website a fresh look. Their current website was pretty simple and hadn’t been updated for modern times. At the start they shared with me some other breweries from around the area that they liked. But more importantly the wanted a site that was more on brand for them. With this info in mind, I started to create sketches and outline possible flowcharts for the website. Because the current site was so simple, I didn’t want to change the overall flow of the site. That also may confuse existing users who check the site for news and events. This would mostly be a refreshing of the layout on all the pages. They also wanted to keep things streamlined so they could easily add new events to the website, this would in part be done by keeping the pages simple.
One of the biggest things that I ended up changing was the typography. Before, their site had a mess of different sizes of types. In my new design we standardized heading sizes and hierarchies. I made the headings a heavier weight and gave them more consistent placement that would help the user along the way. One of the biggest things to change was the layout of the main events and news page. Penrose wanted to put a larger emphasis on these aspects of their site. To draw more attention to these I created references to them on many of the pages so people would constantly be reminded of new events taking place at Penrose. I used Adobe XD to easily mockup all the pages, this choice streamlined the overall review process of the web design. This made the designs easier to share and view in basic forms. Once all the designs were approved, I sent them off to the back-end developer to bring the website to life.
One of the biggest things that I ended up changing was the typography. Before, their site had a mess of different sizes of types. In my new design we standardized heading sizes and hierarchies. I made the headings a heavier weight and gave them more consistent placement that would help the user along the way. One of the biggest things to change was the layout of the main events and news page. Penrose wanted to put a larger emphasis on these aspects of their site. To draw more attention to these I created references to them on many of the pages so people would constantly be reminded of new events taking place at Penrose. I used Adobe XD to easily mockup all the pages, this choice streamlined the overall review process of the web design. This made the designs easier to share and view in basic forms. Once all the designs were approved, I sent them off to the back-end developer to bring the website to life.
MISCELLANEOUS WORK
Banners
To spice up the look of the interior of the Penrose taproom I was tasked with making a series of banners that feature the various awards that they won. Each banner features the title of the beer, the award that was won and the category of the beer. The banners feature the Penrose pattern in the background and use the same typefaces found on the labels.
Sell Sheets & Ad
I designed a few sell sheets, flyers and an ad for Penrose. The sell sheet features a lineup of the core 5 beers at Penrose. I created a mockup of all the cans, this style of digital mockup is now used throughout the Penrose designs. It’s used on their site and other flyers. The “Golf” sell sheet is for specific distribution at golf courses. The flyer has more information about the two beers compared to the other flyer. The Ad was used in a local booklet that advertises local shops and restaurants. When designing the ad, we wanted to make sure the awards were mentioned to show the value of the beers. It also includes lots of fun imagery that help give it that craft brewery vibe.
Graphics
The graphics are small illustrations that Penrose uses on a variety of pieces. The first being a graphic of glasses clinking together is used on some social media to signify a partnership or event that’s coming up at the taproom.
The other graphic is mainly used to advertise the curbside pick-up and beer delivery services that Penrose offers. It’s an illustration I made of a can on wheels speeding away. It’s also used to advertise the times the taproom is open.
The other graphic is mainly used to advertise the curbside pick-up and beer delivery services that Penrose offers. It’s an illustration I made of a can on wheels speeding away. It’s also used to advertise the times the taproom is open.
