Smeaton’s Gin

After an archived, hand-written recipe for the Bristol Method for Dry Gin was found within the Bristol Archives on Smeaton’s Road, we were tasked with the creation of this new-to-world brand that would honour this historical finding. In order to appeal to the Gin connoisseur market it was imperative that Smeaton’s communicated a rich product history, and highlight the small batch production method that would be intrinsic to the brand’s story.

The botanicals illustrated on the wrap and continued on to the bottle’s neck reference the botanicals within the product, as well as the delicate and natural history of the individually distilled Bristol Gin craft. The blue bottle is a nod to the historic tradition of Bristol blue glass, a craft synonymous with the arts and craft movement of the 18th century and a signature colour for the Bristol region. Typography that is reminiscent of the 1870s works to evoke notions of the past, giving the product a further sense of authenticity.

The applied front label lists the 8 individual ingredients and is complemented by an intricately designed wrap which, once removed, divulges the original archived recipe and method of production. Individually illustrated botanics further emphasise the product’s ties to this age old method of distillery and complement the graphic botanic print on outside of the wrap which references the work of the 19th century textile printer William Morris.