Druthers Brewing Company believes that you are your choices, and their choice was to firmly establish who they were as a brand after years of brewing the best beer in the Capital Region of New York. Though we didn’t develop the original brand, Luminus has been working with Druthers since their opening in 2012. After opening two more locations, Druthers was ready for a rebrand that matched their evolution. The Luminus team dove in.
2012 - Current
Brand Development
Ideation
Visual Identity
Brand Strategy
Graphic Design
Integrated Campaign
Awards
2016 ADDYS GOLD - B2C Website
2016 REGIONAL ADDYS SILVER - B2C WEBSITE
2019 ADDYS SILVER - PACKAGING
At Druthers, beer was always the lure that attracted the masses to downtown Saratoga Springs. But the atmosphere, food, and location are what keeps them coming back. Luminus dialed in the graphic styles that complement the original brand identity and tap into the experience of visiting the brewpub, to reveal the potential for what best fit the brand as it matured.
The original, pre-Luminus brand identity utilized an array of patterns to be incorporated into packaging and graphic design elements. It needed an update to accommodate a cleaner, more modern graphic style. We developed a simplified version of the logo, using a nearly black gray color, along with lockup styles as a complementary execution.
The original brand strategy borrowed inspiration from the beliefs and quotes of prominent historical figures that matched the brand values of Druthers. These quotes were paired with beer names to add character and connection to the product. This was a strong part of the brand, but lacked a proper execution early on. Luminus built upon the original concept by introducing two graphic styles for representing these quotes. First, integrating the historical figures using the illustration style developed over the years for various brand assets. Second, pairing the quotes with complementary photography to bring them to life. Each execution made these quotes more relatable for Druthers’ customers.
As Druthers expanded to three locations, it was critical to finalize brand identity styles to create a consistent experience between locations. By utilizing the newly established typography, illustration style, and creation story of the brewery itself, a uniform collection of customer-facing design assets such as menus, boxes, glassware, and swag items were produced to elevate the customer experience while unifying the locations.
For a brewery, the packaging for the beer is the most important representation of the brand. In 2019, Druthers installed a new canning line to replace the original bottling line, which was the perfect opportunity for Luminus to install the updated brand elements into the design of the retail beer packaging. We approached the redesign with two main goals: to create a design that didn’t blend in on the shelf, and to keep a clean and minimalist approach that matched the new brand identity. The result was a set of clean and crisp white designs that would stand out on a wall of shelves full of color and graphics.
As Druthers expanded, the need for a website that focused more on information centering around the brewery experience at each location became necessary. The current version of the website launched in 2020, and tied beer and food content to each location’s dedicated page. These pages highlight what’s on tap, menus, events, reservations, and to-go/delivery orders. The website needed to shift to being a sales tool, not simply an informational tool. Integrating with Untappd, DoorDash, and Rezy allowed for the site to work for the brewery and provide a real return on the investment.
A start-up company is rarely in a position to predict exactly what it may grow into in the future. In the case of Druthers Brewing Company, they grew into an award-winning and influential staple of each of the communities they serve. What won’t change is the brand strategy, which has always been about doing what’s right, to the best of their ability. By working with Luminus to solidify the brand and organize the customer experience, Druthers is positioned for future expansion while increasing brand recognition across the region. We can’t wait to see what’s next.
