Angel’s Envy Rye Whiskey Finished in Ice Cider Casks
Angel’s Envy is a whiskey brand known for its innovative and delicious finished whiskeys. This particular release was part of the “Cellar Collection”. The Cellar Collection consists of only limited time offerings and is a place where the founding family (the Hendersons) could feel free to push the boundaries of “finishing” in search of new and unexpected flavors. Angel’s Envy Rye Finished in Ice Cider Casks was the fourth Cellar Collection release, and the first in the collection to use a rye base.
This particular ice cider was an extremely limited release made by Eden Ciders using tart, late-season Northern Spy apples, which were first chilled in cold storage and then pressed. Next, the cider was exposed to Vermont’s extreme winter temperatures, freezing the water out and leaving behind a rare, delicious, and extremely concentrated cider. The 95% rye whiskey was then aged in 60-gallon French oak cider casks for exactly 364 days.
My role in this project included art direction and project management of our creative agency Stranger & Stranger and of the Bacardi Global Packaging Team and Procurement Team. I also concepted and art directed the product photography (shot by Nathan Pedigo).
The main objectives for this product packaging was to: build desire for a beautiful but scarce product, inform about the Henderson family’s impressive whiskey innovations, and to generate a positive brand halo during a key gifting moment (holiday).
Along with the Bacardi Global Packaging Team and Bacardi Procurement Team, I explored numerous options for frosted glass before landing on the perfect option. The bottle was sprayed from bottom-up with white paint that faded out near the middle of the bottle. This created a visual that called back to the “Ice Cider” name.
Along with being the first Rye innovation in the “Cellar Collection”, this release would also be the first to have a box. This box needed to be a showstopper, but also needed to stay true to Angel’s Envy’s eco-conscious stance. Therefore, it was pertinent that this box be curbside recyclable. Foils are thought to reduce an item’s recyclability. For that reason, we printed this box on a recyclable metalized paper that simulated a gold foil as well as an overall pearlescent appearance.
The packaging was a huge success and was written about in the Dieline. It also went on to win awards like “Platinum” and “Double Platinum” for bottle design and packaging design in the 2022 ASCOT Awards.
