Scott Vaccaro and Paul Leone discuss the future of beer with Rebecca King, reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Rockland/Westchester Journal News
Every microbrewery fan knows the bright, beautiful wonderland that is the craft beer section of a liquor store.
A welcome change from the stuffy, uniform bottles of mega beer companies, many microbreweries pay careful attention to what’s on their labels. Whimsical illustrations, modern lettering, vibrant rainbow colors — these cans catch our eyes before any bubbles reach our lips.
And, while we know better than to judge a beer by its, ahem, cover, we can’t help but admire the artwork Bergen breweries feature on their cans. Here’s a peek behind the curtain of craft beer label design.
Hackensack Brewing Co., Hackensack
Hackensack Brewing Co. never focused on producing cans until taprooms shut down due to COVID. The brewery only had two canned brews out at the time.
In March, they were left with full kegs of beer they couldn’t pour in the taproom. So, owner Mike Jones called on his designer, TJ Grom, who worked in printing for years, to whip up art for 12 new cans.
“It changed our whole business,” says Jones. The brewery is currently dedicated to producing cans.
Each can features a quote printed on the bottom, a map of Hackensack incorporated in the background of the design, a Hackensack Brewing Co. logo, and the brewery’s slogan “Peace, Love and Beer.” The cans made during the pandemic have a “limited edition quarantine can” mark on them — a detail that has landed their cans in the Smithsonian’s American Brewery History Initiative in Washington, DC.
“We want people to instantly know that it’s our can," says Jones. "It needs to have something on it that grabs you and shows you it’s from Hackensack Brewing.”
As "The Sack" (the town's new branding) continues to develop, the brewery hopes to impart a bit of the history of Hackensack to newcomers through their beer labels, he says. The brewery has produced a Clinton Place Imperial Pumpkin Ale, for example — a nod to the Hackensack street that is famous for its over-the-top Halloween decorations.
Then there are the Easter eggs. Sometimes they’re cartoon references, quotes, or music call-outs. The beer Smoke on the Watermelon, for example, has the guitar chords to the referenced song’s iconic opening on the label.
“Not everybody gets the references, but they might get other references. And when they do, they love it,” says Grom.
“People from all over can receive a can by trading with another beer-lover, so it’s important the can says something about us,” he adds. “They may never have the chance to come here, but they can see our cans.”
Go: 78 Johnson Ave., Hackensack; 201-880-1768, hackensackbrewing.com.
Bolero Snort Brewery, Carlstadt
Jim Kohl, the designer for Bolero Snort Brewery in Carlstadt, has been drawing his entire life. “Ever since I could hold a pencil," he says.
A huge comic fan, Kohl used to make his own comic strip — excellent training for the cartoonish bulls (Bolero's mascot) and wacky designs he would one day make for Bolero’s labels.
Hula-dancing bulls, bulls dressed up as the Mandalorian and vampire cows have graced the cans of Bolero beer. Even the more understated designs often have hoofprints or some nod to the iconic Bolero bull.
“We do so many different beer styles, it’s important for us to differentiate them a little bit,” says Kohl. “We do want things to be cohesive.”
How cohesive? So much so that the Snowbull Fights beer, which Bolero has been putting out for three years, has a continuous snowball fight scene on it. If you line up the labels from each year they make one complete scene.
“We really like the art to be collaborative, like our customers are a part of the process,” says Kohl. You’ll often find movie references or callbacks to past labels on the cans.
“We keep telling ourselves that we’re the Marvel of the beer world,” he says.
Go: 316 20th St., Carlstadt; 201-464-0639, bolerosnort.com.
Alementary Brewing Co., Hackensack
Alementary Brewing Co.’s can look is clean and uniform — with some flashy colors and cool imagery thrown in, as befits the science theme owners Mike Roosevelt and Blake Crawford have cultivated at their Hackensack brewery.
“We have a point of view that we’re trying to get across with the cans,” says Roosevelt.
The Alementary logo — which looks like an atom, a nod to Roosevelt’s past career as a molecular biologist (Crawford was a chemical engineer) — is prominent on every can. Sometimes a splashy design hugs the bottom of the can and the top stays clean and white. Sometimes the entire can is full of artwork.
Matt Faustini has done Alementary’s labels for years. He has a degree in graphic design and used to work for Marvel Comics. Fustini's designs have evolved past the formulaic labels Alementary used when it first opened to incorporate more whimsical, eye-catching designs.
One of Roosevelt’s favorites is a Baltic Porter called Warship, which was named after a 17th-century shipwreck that was recently discovered in the Baltic Sea. The label for the beer shows an eerie sunken ship in hues of black and gold, of course, finished off with Alementary's well-known logo.
Go: 58 Voorhis Lane, Hackensack; 201-464-0639, bolerosnort.com.
Magnify Brewing Company, Fairfield
Eric Ruta, owner of Magnify Brewing Company and a Ridgewood native, describes his brewery's labels as bold and clean.
Stefano Salvatore — an old friend of Ruta’s who grew up in Wyckoff and now lives in Mahwah — has been making the brewery's labels for years. Designs take about three to eight hours to complete and are a collaborative process between Salvatore and Ruta.
“There is a lot of consistency, common themes across all of our labels,” says Ruta. “If you are reaching into a cooler at your friend’s barbecue and there are many different brands in it, you would know right away which can is a Magnify beer, even if you were unfamiliar with that specific label.”
You may recognize a Magnify can by the bold lettering that runs the length of the can, declaring the name of the beer, or by the clean patterns, stripes or gradient colors that brighten up the background.
“I think the beer is by the far the most important thing,” says Ruta. “But now with so many breweries and so much competition, the label definitely needs to look cool and be striking. Labels and graphics are another way for us to be creative and make something we take pride in, just like the liquid inside the can.”
Go: 1275 Bloomfield Ave. Building 7 Unit 40C, Fairfield; magnifybrewing.com.
Brix City Brewing, Little Ferry
You never know what you're going to get with a Brix City design.
Acid Blend Grape Tangie — one of Brix’s recent brews – has a rich purple, '70s-inspired label with a groovy pattern. The Heady Jams can is dripping with neon sugar skulls. The Fit For a Queen brew features a lounging queen in the style of a playing card. See what we mean?
The most consistent collection of Brix beers, says general manager Gabe Campregher, is the "Jams" series, which includes the beers Blueberry Jams, Strawberry Jams, Mango Jams and more. Every fruity "Jams" can has a similar “trippy” aesthetic, says Campregher, covered with wavy, psychedelic fruits.
So indeed, it's hard to put a label — pun intended — on Brix's can art, designed by James Foley. But we'll try: If your beer looks like it was designed by a color-obsessed jam-band enthusiast, it’s probably from Brix.
Go: 4 Alsan Way, Little Ferry; 201-440-0865, brixcitybrewing.com.
Rebecca King is a food writer for NorthJersey.com. For more on where to dine and drink, please subscribe today and sign up for our North Jersey Eats newsletter.
Email: kingr@northjersey.com
Twitter: @rebeccakingnj
Instagram: @northjerseyeats
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