Skip to main content

The Craziest Alcohol Bottle Designs

Licores-Veracruz-1
Have you ever said, I wish this beer was cased in a taxidermied squirrel?

Well that’s the beauty of the alcohol industry, folks. Many of the minds behind chic vodkas, machismo tequilas, and punk rock beers have sworn not only to contribute to the making of spirits, but to squash the status quo of what that experience can look like.

Related Videos

Throughout our hunt to find the craziest alcohol bottle designs, we found a lot of ingenuity, imagination, and plenty of downright idiocracy (i.e. Grazia Cammello’s merlot wine with what looks like a 4-foot long spout.) Here are the best and boldest, well worth the price even if it just sits on the shelf with the seal unbroken.

Absolut Disco

Absolut_Disco_09_Original

This limited edition Absolut bottle takes its form from a 70’s era disco ball, and was marketed from Absolut in 2007. (You can buy the bottle from eBay for like $25 today.) At the time of its winter holiday ’07 release, Absolut did what Absolut does best and dazzled us with their creative marketing. Not that the taste is bad, but the packaging is definitely better. Credited with the mirror-ball concept is Mårten Knutsson, executive creative director of Stockholm-based design agency Family Business. He and his agency had worked on Absolut’s account the season before creating Absolut Bling Bling (an all-gold Absolut bottle). But Disco was hands down more inventive. It’s not a subtle piece to display on an aged oak bar, but pulls together a more modern liquor array. If you’re more about simplicity, go for Absolut’s No Label.

Brew Dog End of History Beer

Brew-Dog-End-of-History

Boy, if I had a dollar every time I said, I wish this beer bottle was encased in a taxidermied squirrel… I’d have exactly zero dollars. But the punk rock bizzaros at Brew Dog would have probably $100. They created the End of History limited-edition 55% blond Belgian ale (meant to be enjoyed in multiple sittings) as a result of their mission to break the status quo of what beer can taste like, and how it can be enjoyed. They’re passionate about craft beer and think generic beer co’s “alcohol industry Nazis” can proverbially (or maybe not so much) suck it. Only 11 bottles of End of History have been made and each comes with its own certificate and is presented in a stuffed stoat or grey squirrel. (The packaging was created by a skilled taxidermist and all the animals used were road kill.) They’re all sold out. There goes your dream of drinking beer stronger than liquor from a deceased rodent.

Hijos de Villa Reposado

Licores-Veracruz-1

Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie? Hijos de Villa pulled the pistols, creating this limited-edition tequila ($44.99) in collaboration with the Villanueva Barragan family, owners of Licores Veracruz, for their 55th anniversary. Accordingly, the pistol is meant to represent the family’s pride, courage, and respect. Very machismo, but we kinda like it. The tequila itself is a reposada, having spent a little over a year resting in oak casks and giving the gun a slightly gold tinge. Although the bottle itself comes in cheap plastic and cardboard packaging, once you unholster the bottle, it’s a badass feeling. Drink it if you want, but this is one we recommend you keep on the shelf for display.

Mocambo Rum Buccaneers Pistol

Licores-Veracruz-mocambo Rum

If rum is more your flavor, Licores Veracruz teamed with the Ron Mocambo Rum ($79.99) to design a buccaneer pistol filled with 10-year aged, dark Mexican rum. And it ain’t just for looks. This bottle holds a full 5-star rating from online reviews and was awarded the Silver Medal at the 2007 Ministry of Rum Tasting Competition in New Orleans, US, the 2006 Winner of Worldstar Packaging competition in Sweden and the 2006 Winner Nacional Packaging Competition AMEE in Mexico.

Medea Vodka

Medea Vodka Commercial - Shaq's Vodka - Bluetooth LED Vodka

It’s 2017 and we don’t have flying cars, but we DO have vodka bottles with LED screens on them. Totally customizable, you can write whatever you’d like to appear on the screen of Medea Vodka ($36). The family behind Medea pulls from its Netherlands heritage of producing spirits since 1777. Medea itself was crafted much later, with help from Master Distiller, Ad van der Lee, and granted the prestigious classification of World Class Distillery in 2012 thanks to it. The taste is clear with complex hints of orange zest, white pepper, and beeswax… but did we mention the bottle has an LED screen. This techy design detail makes the bottle perfect for a special holiday, but it’s cool that the taste is great for year-round cocktails. Also, Shaq approves.

Lazarus Wine

Lazarus-Wine

The only vino to make the list, Lazarus Wine bottles may at first glance appear to be just another uniquely designed wine label, but you’re missing the point. Or perhaps the feel. The labels are written in the tactile braille alphabet, since the liquor is made by extraordinarily sensitive blind winemakers in Spain. The whole endeavor of Lazarus began in the late 90s when a Professor of Enology began working with a blind winemaker, who was able to detect changes in aromatics and taste earlier than anyone else. Hence the birth of Sensorial Winemaking. I’d recommend an hour of research on the topic, because it’s fascinating… perhaps while drinking Lazarus’ Orange Label Red ($28).

Nikka Gold & Gold Samurai

nikka-gold-and-gold-samurai-yoichi-japanese-whisky-bottle

A stunning Japanese blending whiskey, Nikka took a note from its heritage in the warrior packaging of the Nikka Gold & Gold Samurai (anywhere between $20 and $169 on eBay). Complete with removable samurai armor and helmet. Bottled from the Nikki owned Yoichi distillery opened back in the 30s, this bottle was initially marketed only at duty free shops around Japan. And it makes sense that tourists flocking to the east would go H.A.M. over this very culturally-inspired display. So if you’re into this kind of thing, you’ll love the bottle. If you’re not, go west.

Editors' Recommendations

10 great reasons you should do Dry January this year
Dry January can be tough, but with these tips and tricks, getting through the month alcohol-free should be a breeze
Day Drinking

When the New Year rolls around, many people see it as a perfect time to reset and refresh. Particularly after the rich and festive meals during the holidays, many people set a New Year’s Resolution to start eating healthier and exercising regularly, for example. The holidays are also a time when many of us enjoy (more than) our fair share of alcoholic beverages. Between holiday parties, happy hours, spiked eggnog, festive cocktails, and countless bottles of Christmas wine, you may feel like your liver needs a bit of a break. Dry January was designed for precisely this purpose -- to encourage people to abstain from alcohol for the entire month, with the goal of restoring both your physical health and your healthy relationship with alcohol.
If you’ve never participated in Dry January before, you may think it downright daunting or completely unnecessary. But you may be surprised at just how beneficial and easy it can be with a little discipline, flexibility, and planning. So, if you’re looking for a fresh way to boost your health in 2023, keep reading for our suggestions on surviving Dry January.

What is Dry January?

Read more
How to saber a bottle of champagne using a sword, spoon, or even a watch
How to bust the bubbly properly (and wow your guests)
sabrage

Need a new way to impress your friends during this year's New Year's Eve party? If there are going to be bottles of sparkling wine present, do we have a badass party trick for you: sabrage. Sabrage is the art of opening a champagne bottle with a saber, the heavy cavalry sword with a curved blade best known for its use by Napoleon Bonaparte’s army in the 1800s.

(Note: For the remainder of the article, we'll be using the American English spelling of saber, which we used above, compared to the British English spelling of sabre, because 'Merica.) So without further ado, let's look at how to saber a bottle of champagne.

Read more
Warm up your Christmas gathering with these hot alcoholic drinks
Ready for something special in your cocktail glass this holiday season? Here are a few fantastic festive recipes
A Toasted Ghost Cocoa cocktail in a mug.

The holidays are just about here, which means you're likely done with shopping or at least on the home stretch. That's a victory worth celebrating, especially in the midst of festive gatherings and holiday meals. Given the special time of year, you deserve a special cocktail to match. And the best thing about winter? It's the perfect time for a hot alcoholic drink.

So as you gear up for Christmas parties, White Elephant gatherings, and NYE shenanigans, keep these four great holiday cocktails in mind. They will impress, whether you're batching up a bunch for company or just yourself. Glasses are raised often this time of year, fill it with something exceptional.
Sama Toddy

Read more