Alcoholic beverages comprise one of the most popular labeling segments, and there is no sign of slowing down. Whether it is further craft brewery expansion, wineries or distilleries, demand for eye-catching packaging has never been higher.

Suppliers are continually investing significant resources in beer, wine and spirits product development, and Avery Dennison is no exception. The material specialist, based in Mentor, OH, USA, has engineered six new high-end facestocks that will answer market demand in a variety of ways. Not only will these facestocks shine on the shelf, they will help promote sustainability.

The products have been developed with renewable or responsibly produced materials. The products include three cotton-based materials and three materials produced with organic ingredients. In addition, Avery Dennison released its Black Collection in 2019, which also promotes shelf visibility. The Sensorial Collection continues to see demand, as well.

“We’re constantly seeing requests for unique materials or more tactile materials that will help brands stand out on the shelf,” explains Vanita Marzette, senior product manager - Wine and Spirits, Avery Dennison. “Avery Dennison’s Sensorial Collection adds the senses of touch, sound and even smell to the label. The Sensorial Collection offers label surfaces that feature a soft touch, textured or patterned papers. Some offer subtle sounds as fingers move across the surface, and hand-selected trees used to fashion wooden labels deliver a delicate, natural scent.”

According to Avery Dennison, the Wine and Spirits Portfolio includes classic, premium materials designed for the shelf – a key attribute in the beer, wine and spirits markets. The company offers more than 150 constructions for wine and spirits alone, relying on direct collaboration with wineries and converters to troubleshoot and ideate new products.

Throughout each market segment, customers are looking for materials that offer premiumization, as well as thicker and more textured facestocks. Plus, there is demand for sustainable label materials or materials made from organic ingredients.

“Wine materials cross both wine and spirits, as well as craft beer, because these areas are all following the trend toward premiumization,” says Marzette. “We are also seeing more unique/textured facestocks that work across segments. The wine materials offer the added benefit of being able to stand up to ice buckets and condensation.

“The biggest challenge in the beer, wine and spirits segments is that materials must stand up to the ice bucket test,” she adds. “We offer a range of adhesives that are formulated to work well in ice bucket, heavy condensation environments. Our technical resources put our adhesives through a range of testing before they launch to ensure ice bucket performance and that our materials are wet-strength.”

Avery Dennison’s six new product launches include:

• Fasson 100% Pure Cotton Wet-Strength: This 70-pound facestock, made from 100% cotton, a renewable resource, delivers a letter press finish and offers a premium, tactile feel. It is ideal for a variety of finishing effects, including embossing, debossing and foil. 
• 70# Fasson 25% Cotton Feel Wet-Strength: A high-quality 70-pound white cotton facestock made with 25% cotton and 30% post-consumer waste and delivering a soft cotton felt finish. Suitable for embossing, debossing and foiling and other finishing effects. 
• 70# Fasson 25% Black Cotton Feel Wet-Strength: A high-quality 70-pound true black facestock made with 25% cotton and 30% post-consumer waste and offering a tactile feel. Suitable for embossing, debossing and foiling and other finishing effects.
• Fasson 25% Hemp 75% PCW: A premium facestock made with 25% hemp and 75% post-consumer waste, answering the call for label materials containing both organic materials and recycled content. With 75% post-consumer waste, this label material contains significantly more than the 30% minimum recycled content of other products within the ClearIntent product portfolio. 
• 60# Fasson Crush Citrus 40% PCW Wet-Strength FSC: A premium facestock made with 15% citrus and 40% post-consumer waste. 
• 60# Fasson Crush Barley 40% PCW Wet-Strength FSC: A premium facestock made with 15% barley and 40% post-consumer waste.

In the future, there will be an increased push toward smart labeling, which has been realized with premium spirits brands in the past. Breweries, wineries, and distilleries can include product information, customer testimonials, the closed/open state of the bottle, company history, and more with the use of intelligent labeling.

“More brands are looking to make their labels intelligent to either engage with consumers or to have smarter supply chains,” adds Marzette. “Avery Dennison is the only label manufacturer who offers both the inlay and the PS material.”