A bespoke embossed amber glass bottle has been chosen for a new British vodka.
Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka is the first new product to be launched by Ellers Farm Distillery near York.
The distillery wanted high recycled content in its bottles to cut down on the use of raw materials. The glass, designed and manufactured by Beatson Clark, is comprised of over 60% recycled materials.
Ellers Farm commissioned research from the University of York’s Biorenewables Development Centre, which showed a number of specific flavour compounds were degraded when stored in clear glass, yet not observed in the amber glass.
“Some spirits companies import their bottles from China as it can be cheaper, but one of our key tenets is to have a low and positive environmental impact wherever we can, so we’re sourcing locally to reduce emissions from transportation,” said Tabatha Hurst, head of sustainability at Ellers Farm Distillery.
“Beatson Clark came up in a search and they’re a great business to work with – a Yorkshire business too! We knew they could provide a bottle with high recycled content, and the fact it’s in amber glass means that the flavour of the vodka is as close as possible to the flavour the moment it comes out of the still.
“We also decided to print directly onto the bottle rather than create a separate label, in order to minimise our overall use of packaging materials. The printing uses plant-based inks that will burn off when the glass is recycled.”
Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka is made using British apple juice balanced with a touch of potato spirit. The brand takes its name from the Dutch barn which houses the distillery.
The 700ml bottle has a wider than usual neck. The printed design applied by Yorkshire Bottle Solutions features a semi-metallic matt copper background showing the orchard and the Dutch barn with text in white, and the distillery’s owl logo is embossed on the base.
“It looks very different to other spirits bottles on the shelf, and it has a clean design which reflects the down-to-earth way we talk to people and the products we’re making,” Tabatha added. “It’s a simple design, fantastic quality, it looks great, and it ticks all the credentials we care about: sustainability and the quality of the product inside.
“Beatson Clark have been really helpful along the way. We went to them with a prototype and they helped to take our first views and ideas of what the bottle should look like and brought them to life. They were incredibly accommodating when we came to their factory to watch the first bottles coming off the production line – they took an entire day out to show us round the factory.”
Jonathan Clark, account manager at Beatson Clark, said, “It was a pleasure to welcome the team from Ellers Farm to watch the first bottles coming off the production line. Beatson Clark and Ellers Farm are a perfect fit: we’ve been able to create a beautiful bespoke bottle which really lifts their product, and at the same time we’ve met the customer’s exacting sustainability requirements. It’s been fantastic to collaborate on this project and we’re looking forward to working with other niche spirits brands this year.”
