Anticipating a boom in craft spirits in France, glassmaker Verallia went straight to the source when creating its latest release, a bottle that targets the country’s micro-distillers.
Called Arsène, the bottle was co-created with several micro-distilleries under the glassmaker's 'L’Alambic & la Bouteille' project and represents the first time Verallia has used external partners in its innovation process.
“This is a completely new initiative,” Marine Freydier, Market Manager for Champagne, Spirits, Beers & Non-Alcoholic Drinks at Verallia France, tells Luxe Packaging Insight. “Rather than creating independently and internally, we wanted to collaborate with customers and prospects to develop a bottle that best meets market needs.”
The Eyguebelle distillery, Brasserie de Sutter, Brasserie du Montblanc and Maison Benjamin Kuentz worked with Verallia on the design, discussing a dozen different forms during a creative workshop. The result is a standard bottle created to appeal to multiple spirits segments, be it whisky, rum or vodka.
Made from extra-flint glass and said to embody “elegance, savoir-faire and authenticity”, the bottle has an elongated, almost conical form, a thick base and long neck. A finely engraved cockerel (one of the symbols of France) near the base makes it easy for consumers to identify the made-in-France aspect of the bottle and its contents.
The first Arsène bottle was produced at Verallia’s VOA - Verrerie d’Albi site on July 21; Freydier says there are customers interested in using Arsène to bottle their spirits, but no concrete projects as of yet. Watch this space.
