Alcohol Packaging is No Joke!

What do our packaging jokes and cardboard boxes have in common? They’re both RECYCLED!

We love a good rib-tickler here at Ernest, and the internet is filled with jokesters poking fun at unconventional packaging choices. Take for example the alcohol industry, where the eternal battle rages on between traditional glass bottles and newer solutions. A few fun-loving breweries have wagered on the future of packaging in their industry — and while they’re just a joke today, we’d love to see them become a reality!

First up is Great Lakes Brewing Company’s “Brew Pouches,” which look suspiciously like a particularly beloved childhood drink. We’d love to sip these out in the sun, and these next ideas take the cue from juice boxes, too. One brewery in Massachusetts joked that cardboard would be a great container to dodge upcoming aluminum tariffs, while another in the UK teased that their juicy India pale ale would be right at home in a box.

Photos courtesy of Great Lakes Brewing Company, Lamplighter Brewing Co. and Beavertown Brewery

There are some neat beer packaging changes on the horizon, but boxed wine has been a longstanding reality — albeit one that’s often the butt end of a joke. These criticisms aren’t entirely warranted, though. Plastic pouches protected by cardboard keep vino safe from light and oxygen, which can ruin an otherwise delicious product.

Black Box, one of the boxed wine industry’s major manufacturers, is taking that protection to the next level by introducing their line of Premium Spirits including whiskey, vodka and tequila. Before you balk at the idea of your fancy bottle of aged liquor being crammed into cardboard, there are a few benefits Black Box is touting:

• Boxes are protective. Much like with boxed wine, light and oxygen can’t spoil your spirits thanks to cardboard.
• Boxes are shatterproof. No more worrying about glass bottles getting knocked over during your ritzy dinner party.
• Boxes are inexpensive. Black Box claims their prices are 20% lower than competitors thanks to cheaper packaging materials.

Photo courtesy of Black Box

Unconventional packaging can change the status quo and challenge the consumer’s expectations. Just a decade ago beer in cans and wine in boxes were assumed to be low-quality products, but the tables have turned dramatically — and given way to some unique new solutions. If the reason you’re using your packaging is just that everyone else uses it, give Ernest a call.

For packaging innovation, it’s what’s inside that matters. Learn about Ernest’s commitment to Moving Packaging Forward.