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 seventh post of a series spotlighting the inspiration and process behind our designs. Our last post featured Tripel Note. 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, November 9, 2023

If you've been following along with this series, you may have noticed these posts slowing down. We've made our way through several labels, and the rest we have planned will tie into the holiday schedule. We'll also plan posts around new beers released in the next year, so look out for those in the future.

Everything else is slowing down as well. It's darker earlier, and it's getting colder. Winter is creeping in. I'm more of a fan of the warmer months, but I appreciate the familiar favorites of this colder season. There is one seasonal beer that our fans ask for every year, helping to warm up these colder days. For 10 years now, Starr Hill has released Snow Blind Doppelbock Lager, which has become a beloved winter brew.

Snow Blind was released in November of 2013 as Starr Hill's winter seasonal. The original artwork featured an icy eye, in a flurry of snow and wind, with a snowy Starr logo prominently over the iris. The scene is filled with white and deep blues, but the iris glows a sea green. The name Snow Blind is a tribute to Black Sabbath and their song "Snowblind" from their 1972 album Black Sabbath Vol. 4. The lyrics, "Winter's ice, it soon will spread... Fill my dreams with flakes of snow, Soon I'll feel the chilling glow..." were featured on the website when the beer was unveiled.

In 2015, the brewery went through a rebranding with the Snow Blind packaging receiving an update. This era of Snow Blind displays a rocky, mountainous winter scene with dark, cold blues. Snow falls through the label and a single polar bear walks from the side through snow mounds. This art doesn't have a heavy metal reference, but the feeling is still a bit gloomy with the bear's head hung low, carrying itself through the snow.

I redesigned Snow Blind in 2021. It was time for our lonely bear to have some company. The label features our bear with its two cubs, wandering about an arctic scene. The sky has cleared, apart from a handful of starry snowflakes coming down. Our bear's head is lifted, exploring the surroundings. The label still uses the classic deep blues, but the tone is more vibrant. The scene is lit, and our bears are not lost in the dark.

Snow Blind has held up through the weather and the ever-changing temperatures of beer trends. For 10 years, this brew has grown in popularity and has its own family of fans. We'll cheers to another 10 years towards the warmth this beer will bring during this chilly season.

The artwork for Snow Blind was recognized as a 2022 American Package Design Award winner from Graphic Design USA.

This year, Snow Blind is available in the Winter Mixed Pack and on draft at your local Starr Hill taproom.

If you are interested in a print of the Snow Blind 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 - Snow Blind