Why Cask-Strength Spirits Require Distinct Bottle Designs

Every spirits brand wants its packaging to look attractive and stand out on the shelf, but when the time comes to design a new bottle, aesthetics are only a fraction of the equation. There’s ensuring the bottle is sturdy enough to withstand minor bumps and mishandling, while not making it too clunky or awkward to hold, especially if it’s targeted at bars and for mixing in cocktails. But for cask-strength releases, there are a few additional technicalities that need to be factored into the design process.

Cask-strength bourbons, navy-strength rums, and still-strength tequilas all have a couple of characteristics in common. Cask-strength bourbons are pulled right from the barrel and bottled without dilution. Still-strength tequilas, on the other hand, aren’t typically barrel-aged, but they’re also packaged sans dilution. Meanwhile, navy-strength rums — and gins — are also high in proof, but they’re named as such for historical purposes. There was a time when the British Royal Navy required all ships to carry rations of rum and gin for their crews, but they always made sure that the spirits were strong enough that gunpowder would still ignite if spilled upon. All three categories are bold in alcohol content, packed with flavor, and, from a packaging perspective, require different bottle designs from their more modestly proofed counterparts.

As strange as that may seem — a glass bottle is a glass bottle, right? — the explanation lies in how alcohol interacts with heat.

When exposed to heat, alcohol expands at a much greater rate than other liquids, such as water. Therefore, the hotter the environment and the higher the alcohol content of a given spirit, the higher the internal pressure will be in a glass bottle.

“When shipping our products, we need to consider the fact that these bottles could be sitting in the top of a tractor trailer for a long weekend or under the summer sun in the middle of Texas,” says Tim Heuisler, global ambassador of James B. Beam Distilling Co. Since most cask-strength spirits come with a cork top closure, a particularly hot environment could cause that cork to pop off. Think of it like maxing out an old-fashioned alcohol thermometer. If it gets too hot, the liquid inside will rise to the top of the bulb, eventually causing it to explode. “An easy solution would be to use a screw cap,” Heuisler says, “but how many premium whiskeys (or wines) do you see out there using a screw top?”

To prevent unintended cork-popping, spirits brands need to be especially strategic when designing bottles fit for cask-strength offerings. More often than not, the goal is finding a way to build a bottle that allows for more head space (the space between the fill line and the bottom of the cork) without making the bottle look like it’s underfilled.

“Every bottle that we utilize is designed to ship products up to a certain proof point,” Heuisler says. “Our bottle design for Old Overholt 11 Year Cask Strength Rye can hold up to a higher proof point than something like our Knob Creek bottle, largely because it has more head space.” After all, nobody’s going to buy a bottle that appears to be missing a few inches of liquid.

In the case of a bottle like Wild Turkey Generations, the brand opted for a wide bottle neck that’s slightly obscured by a sticker label. This not only allows for increased head space, but it makes that space less obvious to a potential buyer.

Depending on the design, some brands can get away with using the same bottle template for all of their expressions — cask-strength or not. As long as the vessel contains the advertised volume of liquid, looks full, and doesn’t pose the risk of popping open on a hot truck bed, all is golden.

*Image retrieved from Artem Shadrin via stock.adobe.com

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