Ginger Monkey – Missouri Ridge Bourbon

With its authentic design and bold colour scheme, this bourbon has a bottle that’s as unique as the drink inside…

Ginger Monkey Design is pleased to unveil the distinctive European label designs for Missouri Ridge Bourbon – the award-winning craft liquor imported and bottled in the UK by Coastal Distillery.

With an increasingly crowded spirits shelf, the challenge was to produce something individual and eye-catching, while at the same time communicating the evocative story of the drink’s origins. To do so, Ginger Monkey founder Tom Lane took a deep dive into the product’s heritage in order to come up with a winning label system.

Core to the design is a focus on the copper still process perfected by master distiller M Gregory Pope at Missouri Ridge Distillery in Branson, Missouri. Copper foil outlines highlight the main lettering on the label, while the rich green background mirrors the copper sulphate/carbonate patina that develops on an old copper roof.

Tom Lane’s outstanding handcrafted typography and illustrations reflect the attention to detail that goes into the bourbon, from the use of all-natural ingredients through to aging in charred oak barrels. But the design goes deeper still, with an illustration of a woodburning stove which traces M Gregory Pope’s distilling heritage back to his grandfather, who ran an illicit woodburning still many decades ago and passed on his recipes to his grandson.

Tom Lane explains: “It’s an unusual image to have on a bourbon bottle, but the stove represents independence, living off-grid, and reminds us of the trails of smoke that would rise above the trees whenever moonshiners were at work in the hills of Missouri. It also hints at the Bourbon’s slightly smoky flavour, which sets it apart.”

The atmospheric appeal of the label is enhanced by a quotation written in the smoke coming from the chimney of an illustrated woodland cabin, evoking the sense of freedom and camaraderie experienced by Ozark Mountain moonshiners back in the 1920s.

As a final touch, Tom Lane breaks the outline of the label with a small red seal in the shape of Missouri. When Prohibition ended, alcohol producers were required to pay duty on each bottle they shipped and would prove they’d paid it with a seal, often in the shape of their home state. Lane has turned this device into the master distiller’s seal of quality by including M Gregory Pope’s signature.

Alex Hull, managing director of Coastal Distillery says: “We’re thrilled with the end product. It’s a one-of-a-kind bottle with extraordinary shelf appeal and presence. The bottle acts like a beacon on the shelf and immediately draws the eye. We love the hand-drawn elements and sketches, they’re an honest, crafted and considered part of what is an extremely well-rounded label for an extremely well-rounded limited edition bourbon.”