Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the branding at Starr Hill Brewery with our Marketing & Creative Manager, BJ Swing. This is the third post of a weekly series spotlighting the inspiration and process behind our designs. Our last post featured Last Leaf Maple Brown Ale. If you like what you see, we have released some of our most popular labels as prints on heavy-weight, uncoated poster paper. Every sale supports the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Starr Hill will match the funds raised. More info below. Be sure to join our newsletter and follow us on social to stay up-to-date with these posts.

BJ Swing, Marketing & Creative Manager
Thursday, September 28, 2023

Festie Oktoberfest Lager is not one of Starr Hill's original brews, but it is one of our oldest that is still in production. First released in 2007, this surprisingly makes the beer older than Northern Lights (not the beer from which Northern Lights originated, but I'll explore that in a future post).

Festie Oktoberfest was brewed as a tribute to the German tradition of Märzen lagers and to commemorate the close of the summer festival season. It was initially released as a seasonal draft from September to December, positioned between The Love in the summer and The Gift in the winter. Due to its popularity, in 2010 Festie was packaged and available year-round, styled as an Amber Lager.

The original label for Festie showcased a Ferris wheel with the Starr logo overlaid, set against the backdrop of a nondescript fairground. The tagline “Life is a Carnival” adorned a banner. This phrase, which references the song by The Band, graced all Festie packaging until our brewery rebranded the packaging in 2015.

After the complete Starr Hill rebrand, Festie reverted to its Oktoberfest style and was reintroduced as a periodic fall release under the Heavy Rotation series, a secondary seasonal release. Each Heavy Rotation label displayed a monochromatic graphic of a stack of 45 RPM single records, set against a background color that echoed the beer's style.

I started working on the next Festie artwork iteration in 2020 when it was launched as that year's fall seasonal. The design prominently features the Willenborg Ferris wheel, a staple at Germany’s Oktoberfest since 1979, surrounded by various fairground tents and structures. All the Festie artwork has consistently showcased a Bavarian blue. This palette has been expanded to incorporate additional shades of blue, as well as other colors emblematic of the Bavarian flag, including touches of gold and red. These colors not only pay homage to Bavarian tradition but also add depth and vibrancy to the label's overall aesthetic.

The artwork underwent a revision a year later following our most recent design refresh. The current label depicts an idea: What if Starr Hill sponsored the Munich festival? The Willenborg Ferris wheel towers over iconic structures like pretzel stands and the Starr Hill Beer Hall (distinct from the Richmond location). Scattered throughout are subtle icons: beer barrels, a hop flag, and the Starr logo on a bi-plane's tail. A Bavarian diamond pattern frames the top and bottom of the label. I aimed for the design to mirror the meticulous attention our brewers invest in each batch to craft an authentic, traditional Märzen.

Their dedication has been recognized: Festie secured a Bronze Medal at the 2012 Virginia Craft Brewers Cup and another at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival.

Festie Oktoberfest Lager is a fall mainstay in my fridge and my go-to after-work drink when on tap. Prost!

If you are interested in a print of the Festie artwork, they are available in the brewery’s online shop. Your purchase supports the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. If you would like to learn more or donate to my campaign directly, you can visit https://finest.cff.org/Charlottesville/bjswing.

Have a question or want to drop me a note? You can contact me here.

Cheers!

The sales from this event will be donated directly to the CF Foundation, whose mission is to cure Cystic Fibrosis and provide all people with CF the opportunity to lead long fulfilling lives. Funds go directly to support research and drug development. Starr Hill Brewery will also match these proceeds up to $1,500 during this fundraising period.

Behind the Label - Festie Oktoberfest Lager