Creative packaging & marketing: Iron Hill goes 3-D, General Lafayette creates “Marquis Society.”
My pal Joe Sixpack’s column in today’s Philadelphia Daily News is all about packaging beers in big bottles and some of the unique ways it’s done. One he missed is coming from Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, an organization of which you may have heard:
On November 28, the region’s most celebrated beer and food destination, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, will release their Triple Bock, a heady, high-alcohol winter brew that is a perfect way to warm up as the weather starts to get cooler. Brewed for a special, limited holiday release of just 1,300 bottles, Triple Bock is the newest addition to Iron Hill’s Reserve Bottle Beer line, large bottles designed to drink in the restaurant, take home or for a gift for the beer lover. Triple Bock will be available for sale at all seven Iron Hill locations.
“Triple Bock is a strong, dark lager, a more potent version of a classic German Doppelbock,” says Phoenixville Head Brewer Tim Stumpf, who created and brewed the recipe. “We’ve crafted ours with a smooth, roasted flavor that balances its higher alcohol content and makes it easy to enjoy.”
Triple Bock will be sold in 375 mL bottles, at 13.2 % alcohol. Bottles will retail for $12, or $25 with a limited edition Triple Bock t-shirt. Both the beer and the t-shirt will be sold with complimentary 3-D glasses, making them a fanciful and innovative holiday gift for beer lovers.
Triple Bock’s eye-catching 3-D label was designed by gifted local graphic artist Jeff Schaller of PinkCow Studio. Schaller also created the signature wall murals at several Iron Hill locations. The label features a long-horned ram, the traditional symbol for Bock style beers, and is meant to be viewed through 3-D glasses that make the ram’s horns appear to leap off the bottle.
This is a bit gimmicky, and I’m not a gimmick guy, plus I’ve always hated the 3-D thing and those silly glasses. But it sounds like fun, don’t it? And I’m certainly not going to pass on a Triple Bock, no I am not.
Have I mentioned that Tim Stumpf is emerging as a rising star at Iron Hill? In an interview for a story which will appear in the next issue of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, head beer guy Mark Edelson calls him “very meticulous and focused…definitely a Bob Barrar protégé.” That’s high praise.
Another new promotional effort in these parts, not packaging related, is from General Lafayette Inn & Brewery, which is offering…
for a limited time, and to just ten total participants, we are offering membership in the “Marquis society”: a $550 house account, two 3-year mug-club memberships, and two tickets to Winterfest for each of the next 3 years.
That’s a $1120 value for just $500!!!!!!!!
Okay, exclamation point overload there, but another interesting way to create some buzz for the brand.
At least one other brewer has talked to me about offering a “stimulus package” for an upcoming event. More on that when he’s ready to go public.
Tags: General Lafayette Marquis Society, Gimmicks, Iron Hill Tripel Bock 2-D label
November 7th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
How stupid can you be to be paying this kind of money in my opinion for sub par beer! You can by a six pack of Old Horizontal for less than this! I know it is not in the same style as a triple bock but in my opinion Iron Hill’s beer is sub par and way over priced compared to other craft brewers products. But if the public is willing to be stupid and support these ridiculous high prices than so be it! This is why they can get away with charging the prices they do for gas because the public does not stop or READ what the hell they are paying for same as it goes for beer. Look at Weyerbacher their prices are so high who the hell can buy this stuff? No wonder people are buying BMC I know you will say that is because they can buy in bulk or lock into a set price but that is bullshit! Why didn’t the other brewers do this or are they like the gas company’s full of shit! Just using the “alleged” hop shortage as an excuse to rip off the stupid american public like the oil companies!
November 7th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
There’s nothing like a calm, reasoned statement of facts to win an argument. Let’s hope we get one soon.
November 9th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Been to Iron Hill countless times. Never bought one of their big bottles. I really like their beer, but not the bottle pricing.
Count me in as another scratching his head wondering “who’s buying this stuff”???