Spray Lacquering on Glass Bottles

[Guppy]

This is my first of a somewhat self-serving series aimed to educate craft distillers on techniques available to make their products jump off the shelf. Let's face it; there is no way for small distilleries to advertise like the big guys. However as Yogi Berra would say "It ain't over 'til it's over" and the final decision is made at the point-of-purchase.

Have you ever wondered how Ciroc and some of the new flavors from Absolut Vodka were able to put those brilliant colors just parts of their bottles? It's called spray lacquering, a process in which a colorant is applied to parts or all of a bottle and then permanently baked onto the surface. The big companies utilized the services of the top glass decorating companies in the world to achieve stunning effects using one or multiple spray applications.

For clear spirits it can sometimes be difficult to read copy that is directly printed on the bottle. For years frosting has been the technique of choice to alleviate this problem. This has lead to an army of "me-too" designs, each very attractive in their own right, but when mixed with a dozen others they can often get lost. Spray lacquering, when used properly, can function similarly while providing a “pop” of color that will get you noticed. A splash of blue invokes of feeling of purity while green represents all that is natural. Other colors, such as yellow, orange or purple can represent either a flavoring or your sugar base; for example red for apple vodka. In addition to color, special formulations can create effects that make glass look antiqued, metalized or even covered in sugar.

Spraying is not exclusive to clear spirits. Although with aged spirits the color of the libation is part of the aesthetic appeal, framing this with a dark gradient either from the base or the shoulder can add richness to the presentation. Black or dark blue usually work best unless, once again, the color relates to a flavoring or your sugar base; such are coconut rum or applejack.

We at Decotech are world leaders in spray technology. We can offer you multiple colors simultaneous, unique gradients, spot applications, and color-blocking (a technique that masks regions so that a single side can be spray). If you like to learn more about how spray lacquering can help your product get noticed, please call me, Dave Desai, at 201-569-1900 x.103, or e-mail me at dave.desai@decotech-inc.com.

Prost!