Klasztorna (Polish for Monastery) is a distinctive range of craft liquors, vodkas and tinctures, distilled using traditional methods in Poland. Inspired by monks who experimented with local ingredients and unusual flavours in Polish monasteries throughout history, Klasztorna celebrates the simplistic lifestyle and well-honed craftsmanship of these talented folk in their quest for the most delicious spirits. In-keeping with their approach, the key elements of the design are deliberately understated. The classic-shaped bottle is a standard style for home-made spirit production. The label brings the look and feel of the monastery to life, each utilising a single colour – dark blue – to appear screen-printed on off-white paper, enhanced with the addition of a colourful stamp-inspired “sticker” and the distiller’s seal as a badge of quality. The shape invokes references to the arched monastic windows and sets the range apart from other brands on the shelf.

CO.LAB used illustration as the main focus of the label design, creating a woodcut-style image of a Polish monastery set underneath an unusual arched word-mark. “Odkryte Tradycje” – “Uncovered Traditions” nods towards the processes employed in the monasteries of old and the role that the Klasztorna brand plays for the customer today.

The strong brand architecture on the labels allows for very quick range expansion for new products, which is why the line-up has grown from six to ten variants in the last year alone. The client selected digital printing for the label and CO.LAB specified embossed elements to add texture and a high-quality feel.

Klasztorna was awarded “Debut of the Year 2020” in the Traditional category by spirits.com.pl for its Porterówka liquor; a masterful blend of vodka, spices and porter beer.

CO.LAB is a branding, packaging and product design studio based in Łódź, Poland. They work with start-ups, multinationals and everything in between to create designs that are beautiful, memorable and commercially effective. For Klasztorna, they additionally designed a website, shipping packaging, advertising materials and assisted with flavour profiling. They had to be delicious, after all…