6 Ways to Boost Your Brew Labels in a Challenging Landscape

It’s no secret that the last several years have brought about many challenges to breweries large and small. For the last decade or more, there was rapid growth in the craft brew industry, but between a worldwide pandemic, a tightening economy, and more and more market share being engulfed by beer alternatives, many brewers have felt the squeeze since 2020.

The good news is that the burgeoning of the hard seltzer industry has tapered off, COVID-19 is not as inhibitive to people’s routines as it was, and breweries have adapted to supply chain woes and climate concerns to find domestic sources and high-tech solutions, according to Seven Fifty Daily. Modest growth is expected to resume in the resilient industry, but if you want to get ahead, you’re going to need to set yourself apart. And in the craft brew industry, there is still no better way to do so than with your label.

At Dion Label Printing, we partner regularly with craft breweries, and we have tons of ways to create unique, high-quality labels that others just can’t compete with. Here are six options we offer to differentiate your libations.

When you print with Dion, we offer you a plethora of options when it comes to coatings for your labels. Of course we have standard matte and gloss lamination and varnish, but how about selecting something to give your beer label a special spark? With selective UV varnish, you can keep a matte look with an element of luster to highlight text or design elements. Another incredible coating option is a grit varnish. This finishing coat actually creates a three dimensional textured effect that surpasses what even the most textured papers can do.

Long a standard among wine and spirit brands, hot stamping is gaining in popularity among breweries across the country. This process uses a heated die to add metallic elements to your label. Hot stamping gives extra depth to metallic aspects on your label that a metallic paper or film can’t quite replicate. Because who said beer isn’t elegant?

We have a vast number of ways to create metallic looks, so whether you want a subtle shine or to totally dazzle, you’re covered! We can achieve an innumerable variety of metallic colors, from classic golds and silvers, to indigos, magentas, and just about any other color you can imagine by printing on metallic paper or film. We also offer cold foil options and hot stamping, as discussed above. Metallic labels are incredibly popular among brewers of all sizes because they are an inexpensive way to help your label stand out. Whether on a glass bottle or a can, a metallic label can help you edge ahead of the competition.

You probably associate multi-layer constructions like booklet and peel back labels with over-the counter pharmaceutical and industrial products. But we at Dion are inviting you get even more ingenious with your beer label design by using multi-layer labels to reach your customers on a deeper level. So many craft breweries have incredible stories to tell and are working with amazing designers. Do you have a great brand story? How about using a peel back label to tell it and create more meaningful customer engagement.

We’ve got options; while linen and estate papers have long been popular among wine brands, they are gaining traction for many breweries who are poised to compete with wine as a beverage of choice. We offer a variety of linen/estate options here at Dion, but our range of textured materials doesn’t stop there.

If your goal is to create a high-end look for your product, black vellum is a fantastic way to go. This thick material gives you a luxe look unlike any other. If none of that sounds unique enough to suit your brand, we offer wood grain material! This material is actually made of wood and comes in different finishes like birch and cherry. People love to touch, and if your label gives them something to reach out and feel, they may just want to hang on to it!

Again, with so much creative thinking happening in the craft beer industry, we want to participate by complementing those special brews with some special labels. At Dion we are the masters of the die cut, and if you can imagine it, there’s a good chance we can do it. When every beer on the shelf has the same-sized rectangular label, imagine how yours will pop with a unique shape. And when we say custom, we mean custom: we can create special label shapes, elements cut out to show off your primary packaging, and more. See some examples of custom die cut labels here.

The look of a product’s label plays an integral role in determining whether it gets purchased or languishes on the shelf, and in the craft brew industry, competition for outstanding label design is fierce. You need a partner who can give you a label of superlative quality with unique features and who has decades of experience of working with breweries, plus the best customer service around. Let us send you a free sample packet so you can see our amazing work for yourself.