Editor’s Note: This project won Best of Region for the East in PRINT’s 2018 Regional Design Awards. See all of the winners here, and don’t forget to enter the 2019 Regional Design Awards.
Raise a Glass
Bold geometric illustrations raise the bar in this craft cocktail deck of recipe cards aimed at elevating the home bartender. In looking for a winner, judge Justin Peters was refreshed to find custom illustrations that stood out from stock imagery.
Creative agency Infantree stayed true to their “heritage inspired” lens for creative direction when designing the Classic Cocktails deck, featuring 30 recipe cards for whiskey, gin, and vodka drinks that are historic in nature. “We truly love old stuff! It’s why we stock many vintage items in our store. But we also enjoy a touch of modern at the same time, so the challenge is always trying to blend the two together. You could perhaps call it a classic ‘gentlemanly’ aesthetic with a touch of modern style,” says Ryan Smoker, creative director and partner. To bring it to life, they implemented an alternative printing technique that gives the sophisticated finish of a foil stamp without the price tag of it.
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Learning Quaff
The Classic Cocktail decks then appeared in Infantree’s off-shoot retail location Ellicot & Company, a brick-and-mortar retail store that features many of Infantree’s very own product designs as well as those of other makers. “We had a lot of people coming into our store who didn’t know much about cocktails and spirits, so we saw a chance to educate them a little bit,” Smoker says.
A card format was chosen to differentiate this cocktail guide from a sea of books about craft cocktails. Plus, from a functionality standpoint, a single card could be taken out for reference with ease. “When we tell our customers that we designed them ourselves and are unique to our store, it gets even better, their eyes just light up. … They really love supporting local creativity,” Smoker says.
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Classic Cocktails—Best of Region, East— 2018 Regional Design Awards
Infantree, Lancaster, PA; www.infantree.com: Ryan Smoker, Ryan Martin (creative directors), Gretchen Cobaugh (art director/designer); Ellicott & Co. (client)