Brewed by nuns, this beer label’s brand identity doesn’t shy away from its holy creation story.
“Standing in a gorgeous monastery full of Benedictine Sisters, getting ready to sample some craft beer. It felt just the slightest bit odd. Though St. Benedict’s Brew Works is housed on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Benedict Monastery in Ferdinand, IN, we soon learned that it’s the perfect place for some great beer.”—Mark Lasbury, Indiana On Tap.
When I was contacted by Andy Hedinger and Vince Luecke they wanted us to create a brew brand that respected the beer-making traditions of 17th century Benedictine Monks while modernizing the design to attract youthful craft-beer aficionados. Brew lovers should know, by brewing on the grounds of the monastery this beer is truly authentically Benedictine. The solution: start with a logo based on the seal of St. Benedict. Aesthetically we retained the round shape of the original St. Benedict medal but rearranged the symbology to include the saint, the local abbey (The Doomer), and the company’s motto, ‘Pray. Work. Brew.‘ The brand further extends this theme of brew tradition with their beer names i.e. Sister Mary Kölsch, The Pax Pale Ale, the Prioress Porter, and the William Tell Alt.
The design retains simplicity much like the life of the Benedictine Sisters. The logo stays at the center of the brand while all labeling is reliant on clean elegant typography. Since on-site monastery and brewery tours are an important part of the brand experience, the logo was applied to souvenir merch such as growlers, beer glasses, and apparel.