Allied Glass has been shortlisted at the 2015 Luxury Packaging Awards in the Drinks Bottle category for its Jinzu bottle.
Jinzu is a super-premium, hybrid spirit that blends British gin, botanicals and distilled sake.
The packaging crafted by Design Bridge, has been created to symbolise both the British and Japanese influences that inspired the creator.
As a result the bottle shape is based upon a classic gin crock, yet the design also gives it a gently curving neck profile reminiscent of a sake decanter – premium gin with a twist.
The bottle is designed to build an emotional connection with the creation of a brand – the intricate print that covers three quarters of the bottle depicts a quirky bird carrying a black umbrella.
Cage birds were once typical in Japan, yet this one is holding a British umbrella. The image symbolizes that Jinzu is a gin with its head in Britain and heart in Japan. These birds now live in the cherry trees that grow on Japanese islands, hence the open birdcage and the intricate blossom.
This year’s short-listing follows the two companies’ successful partnership in the 2014 Luxury Packaging Awards, when they won the category with the superb Tanqueray No Ten container.