I was searching for a fun gift for a friend and because she has a bit of a fascination with the green fairy, I tracked down a bottle of Trillium Absinthe online. When it arrived, I was struck by how absolutely beautiful the bottle is in both shape and graphic design. Everything about it, from the shape to the wax covered top, makes me want to try it, even though absinthe has never been of interest to me.

Trillium Absinthe is one of the first legally produced absinthes in the United States. Its from Integrity Spirits in Portland Oregon and the bottle was designed by ID Branding.

Package design may not have played a direct role in my purchase decision this time because I ordered Trillium online after a specific search. But, had I seen this package at retail, it would have caught my attention and pulled me in.

And with the ever increasing number of choices we have, that’s critically important.

Recently while shopping at Brix, a local spirits store with nearly 1000 wines, 800 international and domestic beers and a 100 single-malt Scotches (my personal favorite), it became clear just how important great design is when faced with a sea of possible options.  Especially for a consumer who may not have detailed or intimate product knowledge.

Inevitably I spent more time looking at and considering products when package design caught my attention.  And in the case of the beer my husband and I purchased, it was the packaging that clinched our choice, because we knew absolutely nothing about beer options from the Czech Republic and didn’t have the patience nor inclination to talk to the store’s beer expert.

What I didn’t see on the Trillium label until I looked closer was the alcohol content.  No wonder Van Gogh and Hemingway were so inspired and creative.