This article has been provided to PRINT readers by DIELINE, a leading authority on CPG, packaging, and branding. Dive deeper into industry insights and join the vibrant community at thedieline.com. Contributors: Sarah Fonder, Chloe Gordon, Bill McCool, and Rudy Sanchez.
It’s peak grilling season, y’all.
As you fire up the old Weber or Green Egg and massage your Flintstone-sized dino ribs with a dank rub, one co-pilot likely has stayed by your side as you drip sweat on your charred burgers and dogs.
We’re talking beer. And in honor of that tried and true summer tradition, that perfect mashup of cold suds and brisket bark, we’re bringing you our 20 greatest beer designs to ever grace a bottle or can.
Of course, we realize the Herculean task of wading through every beer label that has ever existed, and this is our humble attempt to at least recognize the chosen few that get it right. Plenty of words have been spilled in the last decade about how the beer can has become a new kind of canvas, and they’re not wrong. But there’s also just so much goddamn beer, and there’s no way to keep up with every microbrewery and their stacked release schedule. But we tried to look at the big fellas and the little fish, in addition to some of the more capital-I iconic brands.
Are we going to miss a few of your favorites? You know it. Will you roast us on LinkedIn and Instagram over our top 5? Most likely. Are there a few curveballs to keep you guessing? You betcha. Was it virtually impossible to limit ourselves to just 20? Heck yeah. We could have gone to a solid 100, but ain’t no one got time for that. Did we ignore forgotten classics like Regal Select or every Belgian beer that ever existed? Yes, we did. And we’re not sorry.
Ok, we’re a little sorry.
Anywho, this is supposed to be fun. So, enough preamble. Get to scrolling, folks.
20. Rolling Rock
Many people first became acquainted with Rolling Rock in their early drinking days. It’s relatively affordable, though usually a slight upgrade to popular “college beers” like Keystone Light and Icehouse. It’s also a lighter-tasting ale that’s easier to drink than other kinds of beers.
Instead of using clear or amber glass, Rolling Rock opts for green, using white and blue printed directly on the bottle instead of a glued paper label (nice). Latrobe Brewing, the original brewers of Rolling Rock, was owned by the local Tito brothers, who were passionate about their horses. Unsurprisingly, the labels heavily feature the ponies.
But maybe the most intriguing part of Rolling Rock’s beer cans and bottles isn’t the seal featuring a horse head or the big wall with the “Rolling Rock” name spread across its width. It’s the quality pledge on the back with the “33” sign-off.
Thanks to its connection to Free Masons, 33 has long been fodder for conspiracy theorists. Some have suggested that the “33” on Rolling Rock’s packaging refers to the 33rd degree of the Scottish Rites of the Freemasonry movement and all the shadowy trappings ascribed to it. More pedestrian conspiracies claim that the brewmaster’s office was 33 steps away from the brewing floor, 33 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature to brew and serve Rolling Rock, there are thirty-three steps to making Rolling Rock beer, or that it was a note for the label printer that was left on.
Others say it alludes to Groundhog Day, the thirty-third day of the year, or is it the end of Prohibition in 1933? What about theories claiming the inspiration is the 33 streams that provide the water used to brew Rolling Rock before its operations were moved from Latrobe to New Jerse? “33” was also the name of a racehorse owned by one of the Rolling Rock founders.
Officially, Rolling Rock isn’t saying what the “33” means or where it came from, which is some savvy marketing that lends an air of mystique to the brand identity.
(Rudy Sanchez)
19. Athletic
Do you know how hard it is to make non-alcoholic beer cool?
Five years ago, I would drop that Moneyball meme because it’s incredibly hard. Then again, we’re seeing plenty of companies like Partake and Al’s with pitch-perfect branding for non-boozy beers. Boston’s Fair Folk made non-alcoholic beer-grade Gatorade feel like a beer without relying on the classic tropes of beer branding.
There’s no bar sign-inspired wordmark or Rockies to tap, but you will find rolling hills, serene surf, bright colors, and beer can vistas for days, and it speaks to a new audience that’s drinking less and cares about fitness. It is very much the beer of its times and can’t be ignored. I can throw out some sales stats, but in the end, this not-beer that actually tastes quite a bit like beer has become a genuine phenomenon and is dominating the NA market.
Is it possible that Athletic could go the way of Zima? Perhaps. But for now, we can safely say they’ve redefined not only what sober drinking can be but what it will look like for the next decade (and it’s definitely not O’Douls).
(Bill McCool)
18. Duff
This pick might inspire some raised eyebrows, but The Simpsons’ (mostly) fictional beverage has left its own unique mark on the beer world. While Duff started as a way for Matt Groening to poke fun at industry tropes like brand mascots and mega beer gardens, it’s one of those brands people so badly want to be real that it’s been at the center of several international lawsuits.
Even as the seemingly never-ending Simpsons gets further away from its peak, it’s such a fiercely beloved cultural entity that there will always be some cachet attached to Homer Simpson’s beer of choice. Time Magazine named Duff one of the most influential fake brands in the world, a point Guns’ n’ Roses bass player Duff McKagan continually proves every few years when he insists Groening named the beer after him. “It’s a cute fake story that McKagan tells,” writer Mike Reiss said in the book Springfield Confidential.
Looking at the can design, it makes sense why this fake beer inspires so many imitators, false claims, and unlicensed merch. The handwritten typography is instantly memorable for its interlocking f’s, abstract sunset design, and smart use of reliable, all-American red.
And, technically, someone made an IRL version of Duff, so we say it counts.
(Sarah Fonder)
17. Sapporo
There are a few beers that I actually enjoy, and Sapporo is one of them. It’s light, and it’s easy to drink; what more could a girl ask for? While I do like the contents of the packaging, the current branding for Sapporo is admittedly just average; the real star is the packaging system from the 60s.
The label on Sapporo’s 1960s packaging features the easily recognizable red star set against a backdrop of minimalist design elements, with clean, swooping lines and a balanced layout that reflects the brand’s dedication to craftsmanship. The typography is bold yet understated, featuring Japanese characters and English text, underscoring the brand’s international aspirations and cultural roots. The combination of modern and traditional elements in Sapporo’s 1960s packaging is a chef’s kiss.
(Chloe Gordon)
16. Olde English
Sometimes, a beer label conjures notions of heritage and legacy, especially for a brand that’s been brewed and beloved for decades. Other times, as is the case with so many malt liquor or high-gravity beers, the labels become notorious for their ubiquity in distressed communities of color.
Olde English 800 is a familiar label that’s remained essentially unchanged and has become associated with the negative aspects of violent, economically depressed minority areas, thanks partly to shout-outs by 90s gangsta rappers like Easy-E (NSFW lyrics, so put those headphones on before clicking).
Still, the “OE 800” label is a timeless design with a royalty theme. The red and gold color palette feels regal, and the typography adds to the “English” charm, even if the beer has no connection to the British country or its culture, though its ties to hip-hop are undeniable.
If anything else, Olde English’s label reminds us to pour one out for the dead homies.
(Rudy Sanchez)
15. Sierra Nevada
It ain’t easy being green—unless you’re Sierra Nevada.
Nowadays, the beer cooler is a mishmash of patterns, colors, and psychedelic whoozeebutsits. But there was a time, long, long ago—let’s call it the 90s—where Sierra Nevada’s flagship pale ale stuck out like a green thumb (and, yes, I’m aware of the existence of Heineken and Rolling Rock’s bottles, but this is a very different kind of green). And for plenty of folks, this writer included, it was their first taste of anything remotely craft or not a behemoth-brewed lager. Nowadays, the homebrewer-founded brand (in 1979!) feels quaint and maybe a bit of a relic for hopheads everywhere, but those serene depictions of the Sierra Nevada mountains and hops bouquets also offer a valuable lesson in branding—own a color.
That verdant green connects you to the Cascade hops the brand uses, but that pristine hit of nature taps into the homebrewer counterculture (it was also immensely popular with Deadheads in the 80s). More importantly, Sierra Nevada was one of the first beers that set the tone for how craft beer should look. Plus, look at that roadside signage they use for the wordmark. It’s perfect.
Rumor has it that one of the founders paid a friend $50 to come up with the logo, but as far as I’m concerned, whoever designed this (and Jim Stitts, more on him later) should get residuals for every mass-craft beer released since).
(Bill McCool)
14. Modelo
While most American beer might lead one to assume the industry as a whole is very red, gold is unsurprisingly the dominant hue for Mexican beers and liquors. Considering the liquid’s warm, sunny hue, why wouldn’t it be?
Gold is at the center of the design for the bodega staple Modelo, and, over the years, the bottle has always leaned into a regal look. The gold foil at the top almost makes it feel like opening a present, and the label keeps the shine motif going with gilded lion and ribbon accents that are all over modern liquor design.
While it’s a fairly maximalist look, the typography keeps it simple with an understated sans serif that ties the whole thing together. This light, easy beer might be well-known for its budget-consciousness, but the opulent visual touches add some everyday luxury to the drinking experience. And shouldn’t cracking open a cold one feel a little decadent?
(Sarah Fonder)
13. Mickey’s
What if a beer bottle had a bigger opening for your mouth hole?
That’s the essential proposition behind Mickey’s. And look, I love a stout bottle, but I adore a wide-mouthed beer bottle. There’s nothing more quintessential quenching than craving a cold beer on a hot summer night and guzzling as much of that golden elixir of barley and hops as you wish. Mickey’s “grenade bottle” has the exact kind of wide mouth I’m talking about; plus, that emerald green vessel and gilded details create a refined and refreshing aesthetic.
Note that the wide-mouthed bottle is why this beer made the list; it’s more about function than fashion here, but sometimes, that’s all we need: a little function. But there’s also something to be said about the little band that goes across the bottle with the wordmark—it’s perfectly understated and makes it look like one of those cheap fruit juice barrel drinks, but for adults (of course, when it had a pull tab, it also looked plenty like an actual grenade).
High fructose corn syrup drinky-drink allusions aside, the only question left is why more brands are not doing the wide mouth? Give me more.
(Chloe Gordon)
12. PBR
At one point, Pabst Blue Ribbon was just called “Pabst.” Now, we just call it PBR, and I don’t think anyone has used its proper name since Blue Velvet came out.
That said, it wasn’t until 1882 that the brand began tying blue silk ribbons around the necks of its bottles to distinguish itself, and the “Blue Ribbon” part was tacked on. In the 1890s, the brand started using labeled bottles featuring the blue ribbon image, reflecting its award-winning status from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Of course, in the 1950s, the brand introduced its beer can with a blue ribbon design, and the rest is history. Yes, the packaging has been modernized and updated since the 50s, but there’s something so classic about the blue ribbon design, even today. And knowing it all originated by using real ribbons around the bottleneck? That’s something worth celebrating. You know what else is worth celebrating? PBR has essentially had the same packaging design for the last fifty-ish years. That’s not necessarily unheard of in the land of beer, but they’re still a legend (and a friend to Dennis Hopper).
(Chloe Gordon)
11. Flying Dog
What does one do after being a PhD physicist and leading an expedition up K2, one of the highest peaks on the planet? If you’re George Stranahan, you start brewing beer and open a tavern.
As fate would have it, one of Stranahan’s frequent visitors was famed gonzo journalist and noted gun enthusiast and alcohol aficionado Hunter S. Thompson. At Thompson’s (probably) drunken suggestion, Flying Dog commissioned UK artist Ralph Steadman for its labels.
Steadman’s labels are unlike any others in the beer space, as Flying Dog’s features abstract, weird, provocative, and satisfyingly gonzo-AF illustrations.
Flying Dog’s labels would also lead to several fights over the freedom of expression via beer labels in America. The no-fun alcohol regulators in Colorado, Michigan, and North Carolina have rejected Steadman-designed labels, with the latter citing “poor taste” as a reason. Flying Dog would take the states to federal court over freedom of speech rights and win its cases, adding First Amendment advocacy to Flying Dog’s already fascinating brand story.
(Rudy Sanchez)
10. Heady Topper
Heady Topper remains one of the country’s most sought-after craft beers, and just as coveted as those annual Pliny the Younger keg tappings.
But the beer also has one of the most ownable identities in craft beer (next to Stone’s Arrogant Bastard and Russian River’s Pliny the Elder), a flagship offering from a brewery that inspires FOMO, and it just looks pretty gosh-darn cool. Sure, Alchemist brews other beers (shout out Focal Banger). Still, the label illustration from musician and artist Dan Blakeslee has become synonymous with New England-style and Hazy IPAs and drinking straight “from the can.” Of course, the Heady Topper man should be drinking straight out of a can on the label, but we’ll let that one go for one of the best beers in the country.
Blakeslee’s concert posters caught the Alchemist’s founder’s attention, and they wanted an image of a bearded fellow with hops shooting out of his dome. Blakeslee had creative freedom to do what he wanted for the most part, though his initial design was a little more graphic, and he took the brief literally by including bits of brain and skull being ripped apart. Thankfully, he took it down a skosh, and we’re left with THE IPA all other IPAs aspire to be (even if they don’t say as much).
Perhaps what’s most notable about the Heady Topper design is just how hard it is to stand out in the world of craft—considering plenty of breweries are releasing new beers seemingly every week, there’s plenty of label work for designers. But for a craft beer to really stand out, it’s nearly impossible because of how wildly chaotic and frequent the releases are. Frankly, we’d need a new website devoted to beer design just to keep up.
(Bill McCool)
9. Mikkeller
While beer design has felt especially footloose over the past decade or so, it’s hard to argue it’d feel as fresh or innovative without the contributions of designer Keith Shore. The European craft brewery Mikkeller arguably wouldn’t be what it is without Shore’s charming characters like Harry and Sally, just a couple of the figures who pop up in the designer’s simultaneously playful and cohesive label illustrations.
Part of why the brand’s look has become so recognizable is its emphasis on artistic freedom, allowing Shore to have fun with his work from day one. His sense of creative abandon is palpable in a lot of today’s craft beer designs, but what really makes Mikkeller’s labels shine is their lack of self-consciousness. While other beer devotees can get overly cerebral or attached to complicated concepts, Shore’s designs convey a childlike sense of trusting the process.
“I wasn’t influenced or really even familiar with what was happening in that world,” he told DeMagSign. “I guess looking back that was somewhat of an advantage for me.” Not unlike a brand new musician joining a punk band, the illustrator’s work makes a great case for the rich creative potential of entering a medium without overthinking it.
(Sarah Fonder)
8. Hamm’s
Hamm’s has experienced several packaging changes since its beginning. Theodore Hamm founded Hamm’s Beer in 1865 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Initially, it sold in barrels and kegs. Still, it was at the end of Prohibition that the brand began to bottle its suds with labels featuring the kind of traditional designs reflecting the brewer’s heritage you would expect.
However, in 1953, Hamm’s introduced its beer in cans, becoming one of the early adopters of this packaging format. In the 60s, the cans showcased the “sky blue waters” motif, with images of lakes and forests that became synonymous with the brand.
The crown and forest motif is a classic. It makes me wish more beer brands featured nature-inspired illustrations on their packaging that aesthetically leaned more peaceful and calm than overly outdoorsy or rustic. The Hamm’s can is a breath of fresh air, something we all need more of as we yell at each other to touch grass via our keyboards.
While the brewery has traded hands more than your Aunt Karen’s holiday fruitcake, it’s now sold by Molson Coors in select markets.
(Chloe Gordon)
7. Budweiser
No list of the greatest beer designs would be complete without mentioning the king of beers, even if the Anheuser Busch mainstay is a little too ubiquitous. If anything, Bud has always suffered from a cool problem—maybe it was your old man’s icebox mainstay, and you had other beers on your mind.
But classics are classic for a reason, and when it comes to beer, it doesn’t get much more iconic than Bud with its red, white, and blue color palette and on-the-nose Hacksaw Jim Dugan-chanting USA to the max look (fun fact: “this Bud’s for you” translates to love it or leave it). We’ll even go so far as to admit that, for better or worse, it’s the Coca-Cola and Marlboro Reds of beer.
At the tail end of the 1950s, Budweiser ditched its gold can and used a white background and more or less used the same design—with a few tweaks here and there—until around the mid-80s. For my money, that’s the can. It’s right before they made the design vertical (gross), but you’ve got a pleasant enough word mark and plenty of fancy script that borders on Dr. Bronner-levels of wordage and copy. But it also has just enough of the ornate touches the beer maker has employed throughout its brand history, with its ever-present AB seal and coat of arms. And, hey, credit to JKR for returning to this format, scraping all of that copy, and replacing it with “the king of beers” in 2016. I’ll never understand why they tried to work in the logo bowtie on the can and completely destroy what was a genuinely solid look.
(Bill McCool)
6. Red Stripe
Is Red Stripe actually Illinois for beer?
Red Stripe was originally brewed by Desnoes & Geddes Limited in Kingston, Jamaica. But, with all the most intriguing history comes a bit of mystery.
Galena Brewery was established in 1886 by Casper Eulberg and his sons in Galena, Illinois. The brewery’s flagship beer was called—get this—Red Stripe (they also had a Blue Stripe and White Stripe). This beer was widely popular in northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and Iowa until Prohibition in 1920. Post-Prohibition, however, the brewery reopened under new ownership but eventually went out of business in 1936.
Meanwhile, Desnoes & Geddes, founded in Jamaica in 1918, launched their Red Stripe beer in 1928 after buying the Red Stripe recipe from the Galena Brewery before it went out of business. Not only did they take the formula, but they also took elements from the original Galena design, including that sash reading “Red Stripe.”
Curious origins aside, we really need to talk about those cute little stubby bottles introduced in 1965. It’s a deceptively simple design in all the right ways, with just a hint of intrigue differentiating it from the masses with that singular red stripe and script wordmark. It’s also appreciated that the design has mostly stayed consistent throughout its existence. A red stripe on a white background for a brand dubbed “Red Stripe” is meant to be, and if they ever ditch those bottles, just know we’d instantly strike it from this list.
(Chloe Gordon)
5. Schlitz
The ‘70s have been a big influence on design for the past several years, especially in the realm of typography. Anything with a melty, psychedelic, vintage vibe seems to do well now, and beer design has been all over it. There’s usually a sense of blending the aesthetics of the past with the present, which is a vibe you can immediately pick up from Schlitz’s iconic design.
There’s a bit of a bicentennial, Old Americana look to their classic script font, which adds some respectability to its otherwise drippy, inebriated feel. The cute globe icon adds a fun, almost Schoolhouse Rock-ish layer to its patriotic vintage design, and— as many of our other favorites reveal— you can’t really go wrong by leaning on red and white. While Schlitz might not pop up on many modern bar menus, there’s no wonder the irresistibly curvy logo became such a classic neon sign.
(Sarah Fonder)
4. Anchor
This Bay Area staple has managed to stick around for almost 130 years, and they’re best known for their cozy yellow Steam Beer. Illustrator Jim Stitt helped define the ambiance of the brand in the ‘70s with his charming, hand-drawn label designs (shout out to all of the happy little Christmas tree designs for their annual holiday brew), all of which look a bit different but still feel grounded by his singular aesthetic.
His tidy serif lettering and naturalistic details gave the beer an old-fashioned but distinctively late 20th-century feel, which was sadly lost when the brand underwent a sleeker, more modern redesign in 2021.
Anchor presents an example of one of those controversial overhauls that instantly didn’t play well with longtime fans of the brewery, and while it’s difficult to say for sure, the backlash could’ve played some role in the brand announcing their liquidation last year. Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya bought Anchor just a month ago, which could be a potent opportunity for the brand to reconnect with or build on what became such a classic look. While the future of Anchor seems up in the air, Stitt’s illustrations will always play an essential role in the evolution of craft beer design.
(Sarah Fonder)
3. Coors Banquet
Brewed in Golden, Colorado, using water from the mighty Rocky Mountains, Coors Banquet is instantly recognizable thanks to its signature label. Banquet’s label design has evolved and changed but has consistently looked like freshly panned gold.
Over the decades, Coors Banquet’s signature gold background, lions, cursive wordmark, trapezoid red graphic, and illustration of a Rocky Mountain waterfall have been retained, reinforcing the beer’s storied brand equity, but also manages to look grizzled as all get out
Banquet’s label design combines the Germanic beer brewing legacy of founder Adolph Coors’ homeland with the romanticism of Colorado’s rugged mountain landscape. Evoking the pure, crisp mountain water from the Rockies in the minds of thirsty beer drinkers is, frankly, a stroke of sales genius. And, hey, look! We’ve got another stubby entrant on our hands, as Coors Banquet’s glass bottle was first introduced in 1936 and is still used to bottle the Rocky Mountain brew, adding to the brand’s recognizable heritage.
As a side note, you can also thank Coors for pioneering the recyclable aluminum can. Beer was canned in steel until the 1950s, and not only did it lend beer an overly metallic taste, but folks were prone to littering them. Not only did the aluminum help create tastier and colder beer, but it incentivized people to collect and recycle the material as it was deemed more valuable.
2. Colt 45
Colt 45 is a beer brand first brewed by the National Brewing Company in 1963. Despite the name, Colt 45’s name is not a reference to the famous handgun and ammunition caliber. Instead, it was a tribute to Baltimore Colts running back Jerry Hill, who wore jersey number 45.
Knowing the football connection helps explain Colt 45’s label design and apparent lack of gun references, though as a malt liquor brand, making an association with firearm violence is racially problematic. The horseshoe is a clear nod to the Baltimore Colts football team, whose helmets still feature the piece of equine kit. The kicking horse is also connected to the NFL team and the “extra kick” of malt liquor over other beers.
The typography used has that vintage charm of the 1970s, with pointy serifs and striking contrasts in size between the characters. Like the serifs, the curves are exaggerated, and the overall effect is energetic and alluring. Of course, Colt 45 still exists today, but it somehow looks cleaner and has lost some of that period-specific charm, with its off-kilter wordmark, making it a brand that likely deserves a heritage makeover.
1. Miller High Life
The champagne of beers. Or, as it was first called when it was introduced on New Year’s Eve in 1903, the champagne of bottle beer.
That’s a hell of a slogan for a beer, but for Miller High Life, it’s one that’s well-deserved, especially for a brand with a goldmine of branding assets.
But let’s get something out of the way before we talk about the greatest beer to ever beer. You better not be drinking High Life out of a can. Be an adult and drink it out of a bottle the way it was intended originally because, yes, it’s absolutely champagne-coded. With the exception of a few terrible design decisions in the 80s, it has almost always looked like the aspirational idea of what beer could be. The sloped shoulders of the bottle were very much deliberate when the beer first debuted, as was the clear glass bottle, chosen because it gave folks a front-row seat to the beer’s purity and helped usher in its high-end aesthetic. What’s more, the brand even used ornate foil over the cap and neck of the bottle, another distinctive allusion to the French bubbly stuff.
It was also much pricier than other beers in the past, as a case of High Life would set you back about $1.80 when it launched, which is around $62 today—champagne indeed. Perhaps that’s because drinking bottled beer was a rarity, as most folks just sidled up to their local bar or tavern and ordered a draft or brought it home in picnic bottles, aka growlers.
Bottles and foils aside, High Life has a treasure trove of design assets and branding quirks.
I’ve always believed a good beer logo should look like a bar or tavern sign, preferably your town’s dingiest hole-in-the-wall, and at a 45-degree angle. If that wordmark resembles the team name of a single-A ball club with a losing record that sits over .500, even better. There’s a reason why Al’s and Garage Beer (or Brooklyn studio Tavern’s promotional beer) work, and it’s not because they’re “retro,” it’s because they traffic in the classic visual language of macro beer and celebrate it. High Life, with its soft cross (introduced in 1954), is a stone-cold classic, a modernized take on the sharp crisscross at the top of the bottle, in addition to a McDonald’s-size golden arches-level beacon of hope to the people of Milwaukee outside of the brewery (I’m being dramatic, OK, but I also grew up on Laverne & Shirley reruns).
Speaking of the x that marks the spot, it’s also where beer drinkers and hellraisers will find the Miller High Life Lady sitting on the moon—just don’t ask where she came from. The only solid information regarding her origins is that she first appeared on the bottle in 1906, and she may have been dreamed up when a Miller advertising manager got lost in the wilderness of Wisconsin and had a vision of a woman sitting on a paper, crescent moon. Go figure. Even today, you can still find the mysterious lady, despite having been disappeared for a few years, in addition to a pretty swell embossed bottle reading “HIGH LIFE ESTd 1903.”
Anywho, raise a glass to one of the best to ever do it. And maybe pour a shot of Campari or Aperol in it after you take that first sip.
It’s Miller time.
Images courtesy of the DIELINE.