Züm Bier is a small-batch brewery based out of Chicago, IL. The German founders aimed to re-imagine the craft of beer with their intense and sophisticated flavor combinations, morphing the ritual of drinking into an experience and journey that people can take together. Taking inspiration from these two core brand elements in addition to this brewery’s German roots, I had the goal of crafting a fresh brand identity and revitalizing Züm Bier’s packaging for a stronger and bolder brand presence.

To design a more captivating brand for Züm Bier, I started by better understanding the experience, or “journey” of Züm Bier: The journey from German roots to your doorstep, the journey of experimentation in flavor, and the journey of friends and people as they drink together.

The new Züm Bier brand identity aims to intertwine these ideas. The pattern is inspired by German Jugendstil, a movement known for its reaction against the classical. This provided a motif that symbolizes Züm Bier’s retort against the standard beer with their flavor experimentation. This pattern also provides an airy feeling of movement and change. Paired with three different bold gradient color schemes, it provides a visual representation of the journey one takes as they drink Züm Bier.

A brand experience that is both sophisticated and inviting, one that builds on the brand’s mission to elevate the craft of beer and also invite people to unite in the ritual of drinking together.