2024

J. Rieger
Holiday Label

The annual J. Rieger Holiday Whiskey is a long-standing Kansas City tradition. For the 10th edition, I designed the 2024 release to feel like a milestone among the previous editions while honoring the weight of the brand's legacy.

Label Design

Client

J. Rieger & Co.

Scope

Label

Year

2024

Role

Creative Storyteller

At a Glance

The Brief

A Kansas City
tradition.

This 10th edition label marks the first time the holiday label featured a nighttime scene.

The focal point, a trio of silver foil-stamped bells, pays homage to historic illustrations from the brand's pre-Prohibition history, creating a bridge between past and present.

  1. A Hand-Drawn SpiritApproaching this project with an illustration-forward mindset was imperative. It needed to look handmade and feel handmade, to match its handmade taste.
  2. A Historic FirstThe previous nine editions of this label featured daytime scenes. For the 10th anniversary, I designed the first label staged at night which created fitting backdrop for a milestone edition.
  3. Legacy ReferencesThree dates are included on this label: the original pre-Prohibition establishment date, the reopening, and the current printing year. These dates, paired with bells, holly, and ornate typography inspired by an old Rieger advertisement, retell the story of Rieger in a concise and beautiful way.

The Label

Past and Present.
Same bottle.

J. Rieger 2024 Holiday Whiskey bottle mockup on neutral background, displaying the complete label design with silver foil bells and nighttime composition Close-up detail of hand-drawn bell illustration on Rieger 2024 label, showcasing silver foil stamping, fine line work, and ornamental typography

Concept Development

Finding the
final bell.

Early sketches exploring the bell illustration before landing on a final direction.

Early concept sketches and design explorations for J. Rieger 2024 holiday bell illustration, showing hand-drawn iterations and refinement process from initial concepts to final direction

Historic Inspiration

Where the
bells came from.

Original vintage J. Rieger Monogram Whiskey advertisement poster from pre-Prohibition era, circa 1900s, featuring ornate holiday bells, holly leaf decorations, Victorian-style typography, and pricing of $2.00 per quart from Genesee Street location

The Outcome

A label worthy of
the 10th edition.

A timeless limited edition label that bridges Rieger's past with its modern shelf presence.

J. Rieger 2024 Holiday Whiskey label — complete nighttime composition featuring hand-drawn silver foil bells, holly leaves, ornate typography, and three historic dates representing the brand's legacy from pre-Prohibition to present Finished J. Rieger 2024 Holiday Whiskey bottle in lifestyle setting, showcasing complete label application on the bottle with surrounding holiday context

Next project

Campground