Saigon Baigur Gin, launched this summer, is billed as the first premium dry gin distilled in Ho Chi Minh City. It comes in a striking, dark glass bottle that is the brainchild of Dutch designer Pim Tiemessen.
“Our design idea was inspired by the egg of a dragon, a mythical creature in Vietman,” explains Saigon Baigur Gin Co-Founder Florian Draaisma, adding that the brand wanted to incorporate this story into its packaging and label design.
“The bespoke design engendered numerous technical challenges,” says Draaisma. “We had to find a glassmaker that was able to produce this complex shape as there is a high breakage risk when opening the mold due to the diamond shapes on the middle line.” The glass thickness was another issue to master, in order to increase the size of the bottle without making it too heavy, as well as overall glass quality and color consistency.
While it may have taken the company more than a year to find a glass supplier willing to take on the project—eventually it found a supplier in China—the label and stopper (Apholos) took less than 90 days, from the art development to delivery of the first pieces, explains the Argentina-based supplier. The label also presented its share of technical challenges. “The bottle is very spherical with a steep double-curvature, which requires a perfect fit between glass and metal label. We had to work with a solid label that mimics the shape of the bottle while taking into account the possible glass variations/tolerance,” explains Apholos Creative Director Luciana Botner.
Both the label and stopper (with synthetic cork) are made of zamak, finished in antik-copper—a stain/brush effect—and coated with a caramel-colored varnish. “The labels are individually polished because of their double-curvature,” adds Botner.
DesignerPim Tiemessen
Label/StopperApholos
