Does the label/Bottle influence your buying decision?

[Koornang]

Greetings all,
I was just wondering what influence a good looking label or bottle has in your purchasing decision, over the actual taste of a brew?

Also, what is the best looking bottle?

Cheers

[Oliver]

Hello Koornang,

A good-looking bottle or label has absolutely no effect on my beer-buying. The most important thing is what's inside. As an example, one of my favorite beers, Cooper's, had, until recently, a very plain, brown bottle with a label that has remained more or less unchanged for 20 years. The bottle now has the words "Coopers" embossed on the side. A lot of people reckon this was to attract a female customer.

The best-looking bottle has to be the Grolsch swing-top, doesn't it. Not the best beer inside, but a stunning bottle.

Cheers,

Oliver

[Dory]

Definately agree. I will give almost any bottle of beer a go regardless of whether it has a pretty label or not. The important thing is how it tastes. I think crownies look good though, not that I like them that much!

[Franky]

I recently went on a shopping expedition to Dan Murphy's imported beer aisle to buy a 21st present. We ended up with 8 different bottles. My wife chose several just on the label and bottle shape alone. I chose a few that I knew were good beers.

Anyway - it was a really cool 21st present which was a bit of a noveltyat the party just looking at the labels and stuff. So I reckon labels defineitely did play a part in present shopping, but having said that, I will buy beer to drink solely on what's inside.

The Coopers labels are classically understated - everyone knows they are a great beer.

[Oliver]

It's funny, isn't it, that when you buy beer as a present for someone you tend to worry about how it looks probably as much as what's inside.

Does anyone else find this?

Cheers,

Oliver

[Koornang]

It all comes down to our perceptions of status.

We want to ensure we live up to the expectations of society....and proving the 'best' looking/tasting beer is part of the social fabric.

Thank goodness we can by-pass all this with our own 'no-label' clean-skin home brew beer!

Cheers
Andrew

[Franky]

I think if I ever get good at this, a case of homebrew would be an excellent present to receive.

Nothing better than some handsome brown bottles filled with delicious beer - and the time taken to craft it. I reckon that would be a winner.

[Oliver]

Geoff went one better last year. He and his lovely wife brewed a beer for their wedding and gave each guest a stubby of it as a bonbonniere as they left. I just wish I'd thought of that before my wedding!

Cheers,

Oliver

[Daring Dave]

- and the time taken to craft it.
I reckon that would be a winner.

Ive never thought of home brewing as a craft but after scouring the net for info its without doubt a craft / art ! in my humble newbie opinion.

[Matty]

Hey ppl,
One of the bottle shops where I live have a rather large variety of imported/boutique beers. I quite often go in to pick a few I haven't tried yet, since I'm not sure of what the beer tastes like till I get it home and crack it, I'd say appearance definately affects my decision as to which one's I'll grab, unless I'm looking for something in particular which has been recomended or I've heard of and wondered what it was like.

[dab123]

The bottle shape is of course secondary to its contents,
but am I missing something when Oliver said coopers embossed logo
was to attract females ? now why would that be, or are my advanced years showing ?

[Oliver]

Hi folks,

I think the consensus is that the new, more stylish bottle was to (a) attract drinkers (read women) that were put off by the old bottle because it wasn't classy/cool/funky/feminine enough; and (b) keep up with the Joneses as far as fancy bottles go. How many breweries don't now have an embossed bottle of some description?

Cheers,

Oliver

[Evo]

Yeah, I'm with Matty. If you go into Dan Murphy's* (and can I say that as a beer lover, this place is fricken beer heaven) and want to select some beers you've never tried, the label plays a huge part.

For mine, the Redback "mini longneck" is a damn cool bottle. The logo is a bit dated, but the bottle rocks. I wish I had sixty of em.

*Note - Evo is in no way affiliated with the Dan Murphy's company

[Evo]

Oh, and who remembers the old Coopers zip top ? Another cool looking bottle. Twas a sad, sad day when they changed it to look like every other beer.

[longlux]

It does'nt make any difference to me what the bottle looks like i will try it if i don't like it it won't get a second go

crownies are one that will not get a second go nor will coronas

[Robinelle]

Does anyone remember the KB Keg bottles , talk about shape!!! Not much good for home brew.
They were great to drink out of, but taste was very very macro.

[Merlin]

A mate bought a couple of bottles of a Czech lager called Topvar around the other night. He'd never heard of it, let alone tasted it, but bought a case because on the labels is a picture of a girl in a bikini. The beer itself was OK, it tasted pretty much like most Euro-lagers, but the best bit (and I'm sure the only reason for purchasing) was that, like the worlds best lottery ticket, you could scratch the bikini off the girl on the label!

[Dogger Dan]

Where do I get one of those?

Dogger

[Merlin]

One of what Dogger, the beer or the bikini babe?

Actually I have no idea where it was purchased, I know it was pretty cheap though. I can find out if anyone is interested?

[Dogger Dan]

Beer,

Women are just trouble

Dogger