*notcot - 10.24.09 , 01:15 -

The Kraken Rum: The Bottle

krakenbottle0.jpg The Kraken Rum: How can you NOT drink from a bottle that says “As seen through the eyes of imagination”… such a lovely description, also any bottle that has Bizarre & Fierce Sea Creatures on it is just hard to deny. You’ve seen the unboxing of the incredible packaging, design, and other goodies (like Kraken teeth in vials, ink in bottles, etc)… and now for close ups on the actual Kraken Rum bottle design from Kevin Shaw of Stranger and Stranger… The amazing thing i love to watch is putting it in unsuspecting hands, the bottle has presence! It’s hard not to pick it up, slip two fingers through the holes, and then suddenly while rotating and reading the label ~ the bottle jokingly raises up to your lips as if you are going to chug it… and many make sounds channeling their inner rum drinking Johnny Depp a la Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s happened more than once. I love how an object such as a mere bottle of rum through design and packaging can evoke such a delightful user experience! So take a peek at the packaging design and graphic details on the next page ~ The Kraken Rum is definitely a perfect gift if you need a sippable conversation starter to bring to a party (and loosen people up in more ways than one ~ it’s 94 proof!)…

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*notcot - , 00:30 -

Kraken Rum Unboxing at Boqueria

krakenbox0.jpg Ok, Kraken. The rum. It’s amazing, beautiful branding and design all around, also delicious, but first things first, we aren’t going to even talk about the bottle yet… first i have to show you the most mind-blowingly cool package i received and actually shot over lunch on my whirlwind 36 hours in NY (now curled up in Oxford in a tiny B&B writing to you!)… So, just before hopping in a cab to hit the airport, popped over to Boqueria in flatiron for a lunch “meeting” ~ and am presented with a stunningly printed cardboard box sealed with the coolest kraken of a sea creature seal in a silver plastic and black satin ribbon. As i slowly pull it all apart… there’s a note addressed in calligraphy to “My Esteemed Colleague”, silhouettes of the objects of proof held within this magical box of goodies printed within the box, custom printed wrapping paper (that i want for gift wrapping! everything?), a brilliant little book, a limited edition (of 50!) poster, a black feather and a pot of Kraken Ink, a disc of films, a Kraken tooth in a corked glass vial, and a disc of films… OH, and a bottle of The Kraken black spiced rum, of course.

Leave it to Dead As We Know It and Proximo Spirits to take things so above and beyond that i’m embarrassingly sipping rum over lunch, picking at delectable tapas, shooting pictures, and having a complete giddy sensory overload at how cool every aspect of The Kraken branding is… while trying to hold a proper conversation with two of the most fascinating guys you’ll meet. This meal has pretty much set the bar rather high for future “meetings” and “photoshoots”… So, before i get even more distracted, go take a peek at the unboxing of the Kraken and some of the delicious Boqueria food!

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*notcot - 10.07.09 , 11:45 -

1800 Tequila Essential Artists Winners!

1800new1.jpg Remember those 1800 Tequila Essential Artist bottles? (I also showed you the close ups of the real things - even more stunning than in pics!) Well, at the time of the first collection launching, there was also a contest where you could submit your designs to be a part of the second collection… well the winners have been announced! And the bottles are just starting to make their way out into the real world! They are AWESOME (not that i would expect any less from 1800 Tequila after their great pick of designs the first time around)… 12 Limited Edition Bottle Designs Including one from Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One… so if you’re ready, take a peek at the winners and a little background info on them on the next page… Also, beautiful video embedded on the next page animating and showing off all of the new designs, which is a definite must see! Can’t wait to see these in person!

p.s.
HUGE congrats to all of the winners ~ and to creative agency, Dead As We Know It for another stunning job.

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*notcot - 09.30.09 , 07:35 -

G&J Greenall’s Bloom Gin

bloomgin.jpg On stunning bottles, i couldn’t resist this G&J Greenall’s Bloom Gin ~ beautiful color, gorgeous silhouette, particularly from the side! Found it at Liberty in London when we were late night wandering, while waiting for a table in Soho for dinner… The other random note ~ who knew! The bathroom in the St. James Hotel and Club would be so incredible for taking backlit snapshots of the bottle?!?! And slightly disappointing note on packaging, that nice black extruded part on the neck? Just a sticker… As for the taste, its quite refreshingly delicious - the Bloom Gin website describes it as “… a new romantic twist to the world of gin. With its ornate jewel-cut bottle, Bloom’s fresh flavour offers a strikingly smooth, soft taste. This triple distilled gin uses demineralised fresh spring water and natural botanicals for its flavour. Created from juniper, chamomile, pomelo and honeysuckle it offers a light, refreshing experience rounded with subtle notes of honey and orange. Bloom — a new gin to be enjoyed by lovers of nature.” Definitely yummy ~ and will look stunning on any shelf. Take a look at the details on the next page!

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*notcot - 09.27.09 , 10:20 -

Icecreamists Sex Pistol Cocktail

icesexpistols1.jpg Far more exciting than design week, everywhere i went i heard “You HAVE to go get ice cream at Selfridges!”… which seemed bizarre until i found out about the Icecreamists, and now i must tell you, “You HAVE to go get ice cream at Selfridges!” Before i get into the space and concept itself though, their The Infamous Sex Pistol Ice Cream deserved a post all on its own… “Natural stimulants & Absinthe Ice Cream. A classic Fior di Latte or Milk Ice Cream blended with Ginkgo Biloba, Arginine and Guarana for blood flow and energy. Scented with a gentle infusion of citrus zest. Topped with a shot of La Fee Absinthe. Strictly only one per person. Served with a complimentary Icecreamist badge.” The London Paper deemed this the “Viagra Ice Cream”… but realizing that the absinthe was served out of an iv drip, i simply HAD to order it. Also, this ended up being breakfast with a friend, so a little pick me up didn’t help before a full day of shopping in the saturday high street crowds. To take a look at the process and the cocktail itself, check out the pics on the next page! More to come on The Icecreamists soon!

p.s.
and while i don’t normally love absinthe, this was rather delicious…

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*notcot - 09.23.09 , 04:14 -

Gatinois + Champagne Corks

gatinoismain.jpg Ok on aspects of this trip that i shamelessy geeked out on… did you know that’s how champagne corks start? Before they get mushroomed? And the machine that mushroomifies them and puts the cage on is really cool? (Cool enough i had to make a video to share with you of course!) Also, there was definitely a warm fuzzy feeling that overcame me as Veuve Clicquot brought us to visit a tiny (relatively speaking!) grand cru champagne maker ~ Gatinois, a family-run business located in Aÿ since 1696, at the foot of the Montagne de Reims. While they have been selling half their crop to neighbor, Bollinger, they are producing more and more of their own label. It was infectious how passionate Pierre Cheval-Gatinois was as he shared his company’s story and history and process with us (his son is starting to step in as the 12th generation!)… perhaps the biggest contrast was visiting his cellars compared to les creyeres of Veuve Clicquot… the shift in scale was amazing, and you must check out the exposed wires running the lighting (to fry yourself, just reach up and grab one in each hand)… Oh, and also, the amber blush tone of the champagne is gorgeous and it is extremely delicious… but unfortunately it they don’t have a distributor in LA! Anyhow, on the next page you can see lots of pics, and the video of how the corks transform to magically to the mushrooms we associate with champagne!

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*notcot - 09.10.09 , 14:10 -

Whisky Rocks + Balvenie 21

scotchrocks0.jpg A winner has been notified… i’m waiting to hear back from him!

I know you’ve always wanted to throw some rocks in your favorite scotch. Chilled perfectly these Teroforma Whisky Rocks are handmade in Vermont out of soapstone will cool your drink down just enough to take the edge off without “closing down” the flavors according to the lovely ladies of Delight.com. In fact, they are even generous enough to GIVE AWAY ONE SET of these WHISKEY STONES! All you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite Scotch/Whisky… be specific! And i’ll pick a winner on Monday Sept 14th.

As for the stones themselves, they come beautifully packaged, and were a lovely reason to pick up a bottle of the highly recommended Balvenie 21yr Portwood (omg. so delicious.) ~ while i wasn’t sure whether they chilled it enough at first, i’ve been enlightened that “They do not replace ice - it would ruin the whisky or any other fine spirits to be taken down to a temp much lower than 45F.” And the only dillemma i’ve run into ~ if you only get 9… and about 4 go in a glass… and you have a drink with a friend… and you want refills… you need more rocks! Right? Anyhow, go take a peek at the pics on the next page!

p.s.
Don’t forget Delight.com is also giving you a 20% off all items through Sept 25th with the code “DelightRocks”.

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*notcot - 08.12.09 , 16:25 -

Neurogasms + other Neuro Drinks

neurogasm1.jpg Packaging based impulse shopping strikes again… This time i gave in and bought the Neurogasm, Neurobliss, Neurosonic, and Neurotrim. This strangely curvy soda bottle has an awesome cap, yet for some reason it kind of feels like it should be a bottle of body wash? Not sure about the flavors yet, but noteworthy packaging… see more details on the next page!

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*notcot - 08.10.09 , 02:07 -

Bodum 2009

bodum1.jpg Bodum. There’s something so irresistible about the way they do glass… and now there is even double walled porcelain! And a clear glass stovetop kettle! And planters! And baguette tubes? The 2009 catalog is beautifully laid out too, with cheeky typographic bits… Take a peek at some of my favorite pages on the next page… and view the catalog here.

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*notcot - 08.02.09 , 22:30 -

Prometheus Springs: Capsaicin Spiced Elixir

prometheus1.jpg Prometheus Springs: Capsaicin Spiced Elixir. Firstly, what a mouthful. Secondly, check out their flavors - Lemon Ginger, Lychee Wasabi, and Pomegranate Black Pepper (intriguing aren’t they?) Thirdly, awesome upside down pentagon of 5 stars around a crowned dragon ouroboros encircling what looks like a simplified masonic symbol for a logo (should we read into this? or is it simply a symbolic mashup?)… also beautiful photography and they even have a video of the bottling process! I’m impressed… also amused that most of their websites sections are wordpress - and they are all social media’d out with the facebook, twitter, flickr, vimeo… this occultish NY based drink line has captured my attention tonight… Take a look at more of the visual assets as well as the bottling video on the next page!

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*notcot - 07.29.09 , 15:31 -

Activate Drinks Redesign

activate0.jpg Sometimes even more fascinating than packaging design is watching how it evolves and becomes more engaging and usable! Well on packages awaiting when i got back from SDCC - there was a case of these redesigned Activate Drinks. If you recall, i wrote about Activate Drinks about a year ago ~ basically Activate Drinks are the ones that are bottles of water with caps filled with vitamins/flavors, and you turn the cap to “activate” the drink. Shake it and you’re good to go ~ freshly mixed vitamins in water, because apparently vitamins lose their potency in water? Anyhow, take a look at the more ergo-friendly cap and cute droplet box graphics on the next page!

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*notcot - 07.22.09 , 16:42 -

SDCC 09: Syfy’s Cafe Diem

diem00.jpg So i’m in San Diego ~ wandering the gaslamp district, and for the first time i’m actually STAYING in the gaslamp (i’ve lived in sd for years in so many different places, but never really stayed downtown much)… and as soon as i was cruising towards the convention center white picket fences caught my eye ~ then i saw the big Cafe Diem sign! (Yes! the fictitious Eureka cafe) And cardboard cutouts of the Eureka cast! And huge Syfy logos…. and had to swing back over. (Unfortunately the Cafe Diem main sign had JUST fallen over when i got back with a camera, so perhaps an update with that later!)

So as far as marketing/sponsorship opportunities go ~ i’m impressed! Last year there was a Eureka ice cream truck ~ and this year they really stepped up the food serving idea and took over a cafe across from the convention center. The branding is impeccable as expected… from the picket fence, to the signage, to the purple gumballs, to the backs of all the counter seats, coasters, and more… and brilliant idea as far as fun places to have Syfy meetings? Or meet for drinks? or have parties? And talk about a captive audience, it’s still a fully functioning cafe… Love the versatility of branding a full service space. Take a peek at more pics on the next page!

p.s.
What’s next? Will we get to explore a life sized S.A.R.A.H?

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*notcot - 07.14.09 , 17:04 -

Diet Rubyy Blood Orange Energy

rubyy4.jpg A while back i showed you the amazing bottles of Rubyy Blood Orange Energy ~ they even have that amazing matte black finish with blacklight loving illustration on it. Well, freshly launched is the DIET version, in an inverted angelic white with a black logo… and the same gorgeous silver graphic… three samples of these just arrived in a box sealed with that same print on paper tape! Find out more about Rubyy here and take a peek at the latest packaging, as well as a look at it next to the classic black bottle on the next page!

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*notcot - , 00:41 -

Lemon Trees in my Lemon

seedmain.jpg As promised in the last post about the Arta Barware goodies ~ while making lemonade we cut open one of the largest (nearly softball sized?) lemons from the top of my tree ~ and we were surprised to find that the seeds had started sprouting! Not knowing this was possible, i immediately started rethinking those old wives’ tales about how swallowing a seed would make a tree grow out of your head…. and while talking to someone else, i started thinking of the plant based villains from Darkwing Duck too (embedded videos on the next page if you need to catch up on Dr. Bushroot and Spike)… Anyhow, the seeds have now been planted, will see what happens to them, but not before taking some pics to share with you!

p.s.
I’m no botanist. Is this normal?

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*notcot - 07.13.09 , 23:46 -

Arta Brio Bar Tools and Shaker

arta0.jpg Excited to get a first look at Arta’s gorgeous and playful set of bar tools that magically nest (tools into rack into ice bucket that sits on the cutting board) as well as a shaker with a built in jigger/strainer. Beautifully unique designs, and really fun packaging, first reaction was definitely - awesome house warming gift idea! (The tools in ice bucket particularly!) I love the packaging! Those silhouettes really grab you! Its such a fun portable set of - muddler, tongs, stirring spoon, bottle opener, knife, citrus reamer, citrus zester, drip-free ice bucket, and integrated cutting board. And since i played with it before lunch today, we actually used it while playing around with some lemons from the tree out back and made some lemonade. While the shaker is fun, and the integrated jigger and strainer are an unusual design, it is a bit impractical… its hard to get the top off, and unless you’re pouring it when pretty level, using that for measurement while chatting with friends gets tricky! I think it’s complicated instead of simplifying the drink making process? But the tool set is a fun one to have around the house, especially for a quick set you can bring outside with you for cocktails while bbq-ing! Take a peek at the details on the next page!

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