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Customer: New Riff
Brand: New Riff Distilling
Universe: Spirits
Category: Bourbon Whiskey
Origin: USA
Expertises: Embossing, Screenprinting, Coating
Established in 2014, New Riff swiftly strummed into the Kentucky bourbon market. Located in northern Kentucky on the Kentucky/Ohio border, they are literally a new riff on an old tradition. The tradition being Kentucky Bourbon. The new riff is emulating a 200 year tradition in the bourbon industry with their own unique stamp on. The unique recipe includes something they could not produce in any other place in the country, except for northern Kentucky: fresh water from the aquifer below the distillery.
Offering a broad range of specialty recipes - Bourbon, Rye, Malted Rye, etc… The New Riff mission is simple: To someday be counted among the world’s great small distilleries of the world. The Saverglass designed SINGLE bottle happened to be the perfect shape to package this vision. Recent Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee, Ken Lewis, established New Riff in 2014. A visionary Kentucky liquor retailer and entrepreneur, he selected the Single bottle for its ability to command attention. Working with Ken until his 2024 retirement, New Riff is led by a team of talented corporate refugees, ranging from craft beer to politics and more!
In 2017, the brand was growing and established. It was at this point, they made the decision to elevate their packaging to adjust for the diversification in their product offering. They made the smart decision to keep the SINGLE bottle, designed by Saverglass, and design decoration variations based on the product. They decided to make two changes to their bottle decoration. First, they customized the body mold for the SINGLE bottle, adding embossing. Secondly, they decided to add a SAVERCOAT ‘ombre’, which is a matte black coating on the finish, neck, shoulders of the bottle and ending via a gradient part way down the body, to reveal both the embossing and the incredible color of the enticing premium liquid it houses. In 2014, Saverglass did not have the technology to coat the bottle all the way to the top of the finish, presenting a visual challenge for the designer, New Riff and Saverglass.
The first concept was close to the final result for the designer and New Riff. New Riff and the design agency took some time to research alternatives. In a short amount of time they were able to secure a cork solution with a black shank, making up for the clear finish. Then, in 2023, Saverglass was able to develop the technology to coat the full finish in the matte black, extending the Ombre right up to the top of the bottle and completing the look.
A perfect example of a partnership in design innovation between glass manufacturer and customer. For a new brand and growing distillery, the bottle did the heavy lifting marketing-wise. New Riff invested in the design and continues to be proud and pleased with the outcome. They see the ombre as their signature and hear it in the market all the time. When the SINGLE bottle is isolated and presented on the shelf at trade shows all over the US, Saverglass often hears onlookers comment that they recognize the bottle as the New Riff bottle.
