On awesome packaging and samples… Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction just launched SNAP! The follow up spirit to ROOT! And they were kind enough to send over a sample ~ which of course came adorably packaged! Custom tissue paper, fun sticker, awesome bottle, and all! See lots of pics on the next page!

So far we’ve only tasted quick sips, so, perhaps more to come on playing around with them in cocktails and in delicious recipes like… Root infused Pecan Pie? But for now ~ pics of the gorgeous branding, packaging, and illustrations all on the next page!

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There are plenty of drinks to whet your appetite over at Liqurious. Here are just a few selections to get you started. Click the individual images to find out more.

This week’s Liqurious roundup is an interesting mix of bright and summery with dark and cool. You can find out more about each of these posts by clicking on the individual images.

Frankie’s Tiki Room is definitely one of my favorite spots in Las Vegas - i’ve shown you pics of the place, the amazing SHAG Vice Tester machine, and some of my favorite mugs. Well they have a NEW one that is stunning! (Keep in mind they always have 8 signature drinks with matching mugs… and the mugs change over time!) Email just came in with this one saying “THE NEW MALEKULA TIKI MUG HAS ARRIVED! This striking new tiki mug, sculpted by reclusive artist Jack Churchill.” Isn’t it beautiful? Luckily, if you’re far from vegas, you can order it online… but really, it’s more fun to go get a drink out of in in person! And if you’re curious what a Malekula IS… see the next page…

p.s. they are open 24/7!

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“With the creation of an exclusive collection of three bottles by the Design Laboratory at Central Saint Martin’s School of Art & Design, Dom Pérignon pays tribute to Andy Warhol, creative genius and one of the most illustrious artists of the 20th century.” Love press releases that start like that. Especially when followed by fun anecdotal excerpts from Warhol’s Diary! “Went to the gallery where they were having a little exhibition of the glittery Shoes, and had to do interviews and pics for the German newspaper and then we had to go back to the hotel and be picked up by the “2,000” people - it’s a club of twenty guys who got together and they’re going to buy 2,000 bottles of Dom Pérignon which they will put in a sealed room until the year 2,000 and then open it up and drink it and so the running joke is who will be around and who won’t…” This is an entry from Andy Warhol’s diary on March 8th, 1981. I can’t help but wonder what ever happened to those 2000 bottles… but it is pretty awesome that “Inspired by Warhol’s unconventional representation of icons, and the playful use of codes and colour in his work, Dom Pérignon commissioned the Design Laboratory at Central Saint Martin’s School of Art & Design to reinterpret its timeless bottle. The result is a unique collection of three bottles, each with its distinct label in red, blue or yellow, paying homage to Warhol’s iconic colour games.”

The bottles look stunning, that splash of colour definitely changes the presence of walking into a dinner party or hotel room carrying this dressed up bottle of Vintage 2002 Dom! Perhaps we should lock a few cases of these in a room till 2020 and throw a future NOTCOT party? These bottles should be available starting October 15th across the US! And until then, take a peek at the two really fun videos on the next page as well as more pics or the bottle and packaging!

p.s. there’s a part of me ~ so tempted to open up one of these boxes to frame as a random piece of art!

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What a delectable week it’s been at Liqurious. To find out more about each drink, click on the image. Also, cheers to Federated Media ~ i just drove up to San Francisco to celebrate their 5th birthday!!! Huge thanks to their amazing team for taking such amazing care of NOTCOT over the last 3+ years! (And can you believe we turned 5 this year too?!?!?!?!)

Today’s obsession? Absolut Art of Sharing Pitchers ~ after running across them on The World’s Best Ever i’ve been googling and ebaying and finding out whatever i can about them… but no one seems to know if they available in the US? What is it made of? This new summery art collaboration with Stephen J Powers and Chiho Aoshima results in 4 summery pitchers. I assume they are just plastic? Perhaps silk screened on? Have any of you seen them in person? Felt the quality of them? Art Collectors says - “From what we can tell, they’ve been released in various sizes for different markets (1Liter in US, 700ml in Europe/New Zealand, 750ml in Mexico)” and “So far, only 3/4 designs have been released in the 1L and 750ml sizes, so your best bet is to go for the 700ml set, which so far have hit a limited number of specialty stores in the UK, France, Belgium, and Greece.” See more pics and the video on the next page!

p.s. “The Art of Sharing” makes me think of being a little kid… and learning about how important it is to share!

p.p.s. Updated ~ just found an exclusive french design by Dan Tobin Smith - pictures added on next page.

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On interesting alcohol packaging related products… Hennessy just launched these limited edition Hennessy V.S. flask sleeves, a “first of its kind, protected by a silicon “skin” which can be found in a variety of vibrant, stylish colors including red, yellow, purple, and green.” When i first saw images of it, i wasn’t sure what to think, but once they sent one over it made a bit more sense, and the high quality silicon feels great in your hand. Nice touches with the Hennessy script forming in the inside texture ~ and the grape vine pattern of the label is echoed around the front of the sleeve. As soon as my dad saw it, he immediately thought the nice slip resistant grip was perfect for fishing trips, making you even more likely than before to resuse the Hennessy flask bottle in slippery situations. When you pull the top back, it pretty much looks like your flask is wearing a hoodie. Currently available in NY, NJ, RI, and CT, the will become available throughout the US through the summer. Take a peek at more images on the next page!

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Quench your thirst for luscious drinks over at Liqurious. This week’s roundup is as beautiful as it is delicious. Click on the individual images to find out more.

On random packaging obsessions ~ stumbled across these special italian Lurisia Water Glass Bottles while at an ICFF event in NY and was mesmerized! Apparently redesigned back in 2008 ~ “This project combined forces of the creative design agency Sottsass Associati, the experts in industrial design from Fratelli Guzziniand, finally, Saint-Gobain Glass, the world leader in glass manufacturing,” says PopSop. And it won a beverage innovation award in 2009! How have i never seen these before?!?! Apparently their water is supposed to have quite a cult following? And they have spa’s in italy as well… And as cool as these lighthouse lantern like bottles are… the vintage logo of the lighthouse keeper is adorable as well! Take a peek at more images on the next page!

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What a colorful round of delights we’ve seen recently at Liqurious. There are plenty of drinks to tantalize your tastebuds from fruity cocktails to timeless classics. Click on the individual images to find out more about each post.

While in NY ~ popped out to DUMBO for the Absolut Brooklyn Launch Party with Spike Lee! Spectacular views on such an ominous night as the sun set through the on and off thunderstorms rolling through… They cleared out the Powerhouse Bookstore ~ and with the large altered seal on the windows, i must admit it reminded me of Starbucks at first. I suppose i’m just not quite used to their playing down the iconic bottle shape? They transformed the steps inside the space into a cute life sized stoop matching the one on the bottle! Perhaps the most visually intriguing are the water tower shirts the bar tenders wore with text and graphics creating the image! So for packaging design closeups, you can see my post here ~ To take a peek at the adventures with Absolut Brooklyn ~ see the next page!

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It’s definitely starting to feel like summer over at Liqurious. This week’s picks include a number of tantalizing summer cocktails. Click on the images to find out more.

Vitamin Living always designs some of the sleekest “Urban Creatures” for the modern home that are somehow filled with so much character! The latest from them are the Fang collection of bottle openers! There are 9 patterned versions of these vinyl creatures and one plain one (you can leave it as is, or customize it to your heart’s delight!) See the whole group of them on the next page!

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Freshly sent over from Absolut, Absolut Brooklyn ~ a collaboration with Spike Lee, it has one of the most unique Absolut packaging changes… can you believe they Spike Lee’d the seal?!?! Adding glasses and baseball cap on Lars Olsson Smith! Additionally they have a line from Lemon Andersen’s spoken word poem “Somewhere in the world Brooklyn in da house and you know we won’t stop spreading love cause that’s our way.” on the bottle alongside the silk screened image of an illustrated Brooklyn Stoop, which is #165 as a nod to Spike Lee’s brownstone roots. As for the flavor ~ it is a Red Apple and Ginger flavor ~ “its flavor evokes the spice and vibrancy Brooklyn brings to the big apple”… it’s quite delicious, though a bit jolly rancherish… Take a peek at more details on the next page!

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