The Breckenridge Brewery Asks Cultivator Agency to Extract Old-Time Feel of Vanilla

Cues of vanilla flavor and the rarified air of the Colorado Rockies blend nicely for the new ale variety from the Breckenridge Brewery.

The Breckenridge Brewery boasts homebrew-style ales that brighten Colorado beer-lovers' nights with smooth and sweet flavors such as chocolate and caramel. With five year-round and three seasonal brews distributed throughout 18 states, Breckenridge has no trouble standing out amongst the competition with offerings such as the best-selling Avalanche Ale, which has a caramel maltiness and a subtle hop character.

When the company created the new Vanilla Porter, they knew its packaging had to be just as distinct as its unique flavor, so they brought the smoothness of vanilla to the outside with a playful tribute to classic vanilla extract bottles. Cultivator Advertising & Design Agency had a very clear idea of what they wanted with the design of the product, and Breckenridge agreed.

"It was pretty direct," says Monte Mead, the lead designer of the Vanilla Porter package design project. "Right from the start, the connotations of 'vanilla' itself dictated a lot." Keeping vintage vanilla extract bottles in mind, the goal was to create a 19th century feel to coordinate with the ale's smooth vanilla finish.

The dark brown bottle not only matches Breckenridge's other ale packaging, but resembles the thick glass and color of that vanilla extract bottle sitting in mom's baking cabinet. The label continues with the same idea, using creams, browns, and burnt sienna to accentuate the vanilla essence. Breckenridge was pleased to have the entire project completed in only one month.

"We did go through a few other typestyles, all with the hand drawn look, or scanned from old woodcuts," Mead explains. "We ruled out anything that looked sleek." The six-pack case follows the same guidelines of classic vanilla style, with the additional reference to Colorado's mountains die-cut along the top of the side panels.

The brand's identity—"Remarkable, Partakable"—invokes an old time, distinguished tone that also fits well with the essence of vanilla. Mead says that: "Vanilla, despite its surge in recent years, retains a 19th Century feel. Those were literate times. We wanted to pay homage, playfully, to the seriousness with which that era treated product benefits."

Vanilla is often used for aromatherapy to calm anxieties and promote relaxation, and many believe it has an equal appeal for both men and women. Consumers seem to catch the subtle affinities to vanilla in the ale packaging, and the feedback has been positive. Vanilla Porter was originally crafted to be a seasonal ale only offered in the spring, but its popularity pushed it to join the lineup with the four other year-round brews. Mead is confident with the design of the new ale packaging because he feels it is very authentic, and he continues to have confidence in the ale's success.