The Lesser of Two Weevils

This Scotch Coffee Rum by Atlas Gin is inspired by sailors of the 1700s and their recipe for Ship’s Biscuit, a blend of toasted hard tack, goats milk and molasses… And yes, this rum is distilled with goats milk as well.

The design direction for Atlas Gin’s first ever rum was also inspired by the 1700s and faithfully created in the style of the era using traditional and digital techniques.

“Created to celebrate the brave sailors of the past, who travelled the world and brought home the spices and botanicals that we all now have a taste for.”

Paul Martin – Atlas Gin

 

If a ship’s crew ran out of coffee beans on a long voyage they’d make Scotch coffee – a blend of toasted hard tack (ship’s biscuit), goats’ milk and molasses. This ingenious piece of improvisation was popular between 1700 and the late 1800s and is the inspiration for a new – and decidedly different – addition to the Atlas family.

We created a traditional typographic approach that used the same movable metal type that existed in the 1700s. This font of movable type contained unusual characters that are lesser in modern digital typefaces.

The type setting and design was also inspired by period typographic pieces, like The Declaration of Independence. This combination of traditional printing, typography styling and distinctive characters gave a strong visual approach that helps to tell the rum’s story. The typographic style was then coupled with sea like flourishes and calligraphy. Wood engraved spot Illustration engravings were then cut and printed to add embelishments to the sides of the bottle.

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