I’ve been looking back through some of the beers I’ve had over the last few months, and there’s definitely some attractive cans and bottles in the mix. That got me thinking – which were my favourite designs?

7: Anspach & Hobday, The Cream Ale

I love the outline, cartoony but sort of old fashioned design of the characters here, and for some reason the fact that they’re baseball players just appeals to me. The illustration is similar to the rest of their core range (Porter, IPA and Smoked Brown) which reflect English gentlemen and explorers.

As for the beer itself, click the image above.

6: 71 Brewing, Breakfast Toast Stout

71 Brewing has a lovely logo, and a really nice website. I think the branding of this beer has changed since I had it but I love the main purple colour with the contrast of the blue, just hints around the can reminiscent of a set of blueprints.

5: Big Smoke Brew, Jagged Sky Pale Ale

Bright and blue, with really simple and clear panels making the wording stand out. I also love the font and the Harry Potter-like silver lightning bolt.

4: Mondo & Yeastie Boys, Ask for James Kveik Session Fruit Ale

An epic voyage through the beer itself – there’s the idea of icy mountains hinting towards the Norweigan Kveik yeast used in making it, combined with the citrus fruits it is conditioned on. The northern lights in green and pink round it all off and make this a colourful masterpiece to look at while you enjoy.

3: Vocation Brewery, Love & Hate New England IPA

The contrast between the bright orange and black background makes this striking, and is a preview of the fruity beer within. The outlines around the text are so simple but clear, tying that Love & Hate to heaven & hell including a cherub you’d expect to see in a medieval painting.

2: Wiper and True, Plum Pudding Porter

This is such a clean and beautiful can, as is the whole Wiper and True range – pure white cans, simple black text and gold images. Just looking at this can takes me back to Christmas, and the beer inside is like a Christmas pudding.

1: 6 Degrees North, Velo Pale Ale

I have to say that this is my favourite of the bunch. The combination of the red and blue, the way the red triangle cuts into the name of the beer, and the pattern in white on the background all comes together to make for a really visually pleasing label.

It’s an interesting question of whether the art on the outside matters, or whether it’s distracting from the beer on the inside. I think that it goes without saying that the beer has to be the priority – a bad beer can’t be saved by a nice label. However I would say that when a nice beer comes with a visually stunning exterior, it makes for a better beer experience all round. Beer52 have covered the topic in a recent issue of Ferment magazine.

What do you think? What’s your favourite beer art? Let me know in the comments below, or let’s chat on Twitter, @craftynumber.

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