Some people might have noticed that I’m quite involved in beer. Not just drinking it but photographing it. I shoot for brewers and of course for Belgian Beer and Food.
This all means that I’m lucky enough to get out and about to discover a lot of beer and the fabulous people passionate about making it.
There is one thing that I notice, time and time again.. Labels that are wonky and stuck on with poor adhesive. They often come loose or wrinkle like crazy when refrigerated. As I’m photographing the bottles, I need to show off the product as well as I can. As you can imagine, bad labels can be frustrating.
I know full well that a bottling line costs a lot of money, I also know that labelling machines cost a mint too. However, this is how the end consumer sees your product on the shelf. This is the impression they get.
YES, there are exceptions to the rule, YES there are brewers that pay serious attention to this. Not enough though. There is still too much wonky out there!
It seems very unfair that I single out this example but it was one I picked up today for a photo. Every bottle of this beer on the shelf had a wonky and badly stuck-on label. y.
Maybe it’s just me and the fact I look at details, maybe a slapped on label is distinguishing feature of a true craft beer?
If you think that, have a look along the shelf next time you are in the beer aisle of the supermarket or your specialist beer shop. The beers from the US and the UK are not only setting standards in beer quality to match and even surpass the traditionally superior Belgian beers, but they are setting standards of both label design and label stick-on-ability.
Anyway, if you are one of my brewer friends with a wonky label machine. I still love you and your beer, but please, please. Have look at what you can do to help me present your delicious liquid gold in the optimum way.
Your beer photographer friend,
Rob
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