Balancing Brand, Function and Sustainability
By Alyssa L. Ochs
In today’s competitive craft beverage market, packaging involves much more than just putting your beer or spirits into a functional container. Packaging makes a powerful statement about your brand’s story, values and commitment to the planet.
Modern craft beverage enthusiasts are drawn to products that evoke an emotional response and that stand out among the crowd in unique ways. Consumers have also become increasingly interested in supporting brands’ sustainability endeavors centered on recyclable and biodegradable materials in a circular economy.
To learn more about current trends in craft beverage packaging, Beverage Master Magazine connected with NEENAH, a world-class manufacturer of premium printing, packaging, label and specialty papers.
Packaging & Consumer Perceptions
Jennifer Dietz, NEENAH’s Label & Folding Board senior product manager, explained to Beverage Master Magazine how label design can be a powerful tool in shaping consumer perception. Headquartered near Atlanta, Georgia and with multiple U.S.-based manufacturing facilities, NEENAH’s offerings include label, box wrap, folding board and more. The company focuses on elevating brands through specialty and custom packaging substrates that demonstrate their uniqueness and communicate their brand ethos.
“Color and texture can instantly communicate brand values such as authenticity, luxury, sustainability or innovation,” Dietz said. “Uncoated labels, for example, offer a tactile, natural feel that conveys uniqueness and craft, helping products stand out from mass-produced alternatives.”
“Since most labels are a shade of white, introducing color or texture can dramatically enhance shelf appeal,” she continued. “NEENAH Label Papers can be manufactured in a variety of colors and textures, while offering consistent quality across production runs, ensuring brand integrity is maintained from run to run.”
Dietz also explained how secondary packaging plays a significant role in elevating brand presence.
“For spirits and premium beverages, a well-designed box can create strong shelf impact, signal quality and make the product instantly giftable,” she said. “Uncoated papers in rich, deep tones, can evoke sophistication and intrigue while offering a premium end-product with no white edges. NEENAH® Folding Board offers a collection of 13 in-stock colors, including boards made from 100% post-consumer waste and pearlized finishes, as well as other options.”
NEENAH’s Craft Beverage Label Options
NEENAH offers three label products, all of which are made to order and customizable.
Dietz said that NEENAH’s ESTATE Label® is the market-leading trusted brand for uncoated wet-strength labels. It is most often used for wine and is manufactured in 60-pound text weight. The standard offering includes an expansive selection of 11 colors and five distinctive finishes.
Secondly, there’s the BELLA® Label, which is a lighter-weight label but also manufactured with wet strength, with a 47-pound text weight. This label provides an authentic, hand-crafted look that is perfect for craft beverages.
Finally, NEENAH’s CLASSIC® Label is a premium label without wet strength, making it ideal for red wines, spirits and jar labels. This label offers a crisp, clean and elegantly uncoated solution for a variety of label and packaging needs.
Dietz elaborated on the concept of wet strength for labels and its importance for label stock. She said wet strength is a label’s ability to maintain its integrity and adhesion in moist environments such as refrigerators, coolers or ice buckets.
“It is a critical performance feature for products like beer and white wine, which are frequently exposed to condensation or submerged in ice,” Dietz said. “While wet strength doesn’t alter the visual appearance of the label, it plays a vital role in the manufacturing process. Specialized additives are used to ensure the label resists tearing, wrinkling, or detaching when wet, preserving both brand presentation and product durability.”
She also shared that NEENAH’s uncoated label stocks are engineered to perform just as well as the coated alternatives.
“NEENAH Label Papers offer exceptional dimensional stability, ensuring precise registration for intricate designs,” Dietz said. “Uncoated papers also excel with embellishments like foil stamping and embossing, which tend to pop more vividly against their uncoated surface. Additionally, they work seamlessly with die-cutting equipment, making them a versatile and reliable choice for high-impact label applications.”
Sustainability in Craft Beverage Packaging
Like many other brands serving the craft beverage market, NEENAH offers recycled and alternative fiber products to its customers as part of its focus on reducing its environmental footprint. Beyond just labels, there are various ways that breweries and distilleries can incorporate sustainability into their product packaging.
Craft beverage packaging must be sturdy enough to protect the products during transport and visually appealing on store shelves. However, there is also an industry push to address concerns around single-use items that require extensive resources to produce and often end up in landfills. Options like compostable six-pack rings and fiber-based carriers provide beverage producers with more choices beyond traditional plastic, allowing them to minimize pollution risks without compromising strength or aesthetics.
Planet-Friendly Packaging Options to Consider
There are biodegradable packaging materials available for the craft beverage industry, including plant-based plastics, molded pulp and compostable films. Beverage producers can also opt for packaging materials made from recycled materials to reduce their reliance on raw resources. Examples include aluminum cans with a high recycled content, recycled glass bottles and corrugated cardboard carriers.
In addition to choosing packaging materials made from recycled materials, you can take your commitment one step further and prioritize packaging that can be recycled after use. Many municipal recycling systems accept aluminum cans, clear glass, paperboard cartons and certain types of plastic. It’s also helpful to label your beverage packaging with straightforward recycling instructions so that consumers instantly understand how to recycle it without confusion.
An emerging concept to grasp is the closed-loop recycling model, in which packaging is designed with a mindfulness of circularity. Refillable glass programs and returnable aluminum growlers are examples of collection initiatives that keep packaging materials in continuous use, rather than discarding them. Technology is also aiding this effort with QR codes and smart labels that track the lifecycle of packages and add a sense of accountability and transparency to consumer exchanges.
Not only is eco-conscious packaging a practical and responsible choice, but it’s also a marketing opportunity. By advertising planet-friendly practices on your beverage labels and website, you share your sustainability values with the public. These subtle stories will resonate with many of today’s beer and spirit connoisseurs, helping them to connect with your brand on a deeper level.
Looking Ahead to the Future of Craft Beverage Packaging
This is an exciting time in a new era of craft beverage packaging innovation, particularly as technologies continue to improve and companies strike an optimal balance between functionality and environmental responsibility. Packaging has become a platform for brand storytelling and customer engagement. Meanwhile, researchers have been exploring the potential of next-generation biodegradable materials that leave behind little or no waste.
There are also specific design trends emerging in the craft beverage packaging industry, such as minimalist labels, lightweight bottles and reduced ink usage. These shifts represent further movement toward eco-friendly packaging choices and connecting with consumers who would like their purchases to align with their personal values.
Meanwhile, we expect that some policy and regulatory changes will influence craft beverage packaging in the years ahead. Some state and federal governments have already introduced or are considering stricter requirements on single-use plastics. As a result, craft beverage producers may face heightened obligations and responsibilities to reduce their landfill waste, while also being incentivized to use recycled materials during production. By anticipating and adapting to these regulatory changes early on, beverage makers can avoid compliance headaches and position themselves as industry leaders in an increasingly competitive and mindful marketplace.
If your beverage brand is looking for more from your packaging than just safely transporting products from one place to another, innovative companies like NEENAH can help. Your packaging choices will undoubtedly influence your customers’ perception of your brand and help people understand why making beverages is your passion. Crafting a delicious beverage is just part of the story, as packaging it in a memorable and responsible way ensures that your company will have a positive and lasting impact.
