Bottle design for New Deal Distillery’s Spiced Pear Liqueur.

New Deal Distillery, Portland’s longest-running craft distillery, was releasing a new spirit and looking for an illustrated label design for their bottle. Spiced Pear Liqueur is a sister spirit to their beloved Pear Brandy, both of which are made from Hood River-grown Bartlett pears. Inspired by the Greek myth of Demeter and her bountiful harvest, and the ancient tradition of fermenting fruit in clay pottery, New Deal was looking for a powerful and feminine icon to be featured on the spirit bottle. I illustrated a strong warrior on a fermentation vessel surrounded by pears. It was also of high priority that the product name be bold and legible from a distance, so a customer can easily read what the product is from behind the bar.

Photo by Jill Wait