In most cases, we’re more concerned with the liquid inside a bottle than the bottle itself. If a whiskey, rum, tequila, gin, or vodka is high-quality, we don’t care if it comes in the ugliest bottle of all-time. We’d still drink it.
Serve our favorite bourbon whiskeys in an old hat and we’d still probably take a sip or two.
But while we spend most of our time focused on the spirits themselves, we can still find time to appreciate vibrant, unique, and overall cool bottle designs when we see them. Especially when they give off midcentury, Mad Men vibes. This is doubly true when the spirit also happens to be delicious.
We’ve rounded up twelve of our bottle designs ever created below. Consider these “investments in the look of your bar cart.” While we’re not doing our usual tasting notes, we vouch that the juice inside is definitely worth tasting, too.
R.L. Seale’s Finest Rum
ABV: 43%
Price: $25.99
The Spirit:
This expression from the island of Barbados was aged for a minimum of ten years in oak casks. This creates a nuanced, well-balanced nutty, and vanilla-filled expression that’s perfectly suited for slow sipping on the rocks.
The Bottle:
At first glance, the bottle image appears to be warped. But the bottle itself is warped and slumping to one side. It’s a tribute to the ancient, leather sacks pirates once filled with rum. And if you can’t appreciate that little bit of #brandstory, then you’ve gotten too jaded for your own good.
Savage & Cooke Burning Chair Bourbon
ABV: 44%
Price: $58
The Spirit:
Dave Phinney hand selects each barrel that goes into this blended bourbon. They come from three different distilleries — one in Indiana, one in Kentucky, and one in Tennessee. It’s matured in new, charred American oak barrels before bottling.
The Bottle:
The bottle itself is black and opaque, so you can’t see the spirit inside. It’s adorned with a black and white image of a literal chair on fire (hence the name). The “given to me by a wandering stranger” vibe is spooky, interesting, and perfect for showing off.
Anestasia Vodka
ABV: 40%
Price: $34.99
The Spirit:
This award-winning vodka was made from corn and water from the cascade mountains. It’s naturally gluten-free, distilled, and filtered five times, and comes in a sleek decanter instead of a regular bottle.
The Bottle:
The decanter bottle is designed by industrial engineer Karim Rashid and looks like one of those awards this vodka has been racking up.
Monkey 47 Gin
ABV: 47%
Price: $39.99
The Spirit:
One of the most awarded gins in the world, this German spirit is made using 47 botanicals and herbs found in the Black Forest. These include unusual ingredients like lingonberries and honey pomelo.
The Bottle:
At first glance, this bottle doesn’t seem all that interesting. But it’s the simplicity and classic old-timey look that make it special. The gin is encased in a brown bottle with a stamp-like label that features a coat of arms-like image with a monkey in the center.
I.W. Harper 15 Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 43%
Price: $79.99
The Spirit:
This Diageo-owned brand really moves around a lot before it reaches your bottle. It’s distilled at the New Bernheim Distillery, aged for fifteen years at Stitzel-Weller, and bottled in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
The Bottle:
This elegant, timeless bottle looks like an expensive decanter. Square, uniform, and perfect for a shelf. Pure Mad Men — that alone might be worth the price of the juice inside.
Cincoro Anejo Tequila
ABV: 40%
Price: $129.99
The Spirit:
This añejo tequila was aged between 24 and 28 months in Cincoro’s underground cellar. Aging for this amount of time, especially underground, imparts rich charred wood and vanilla flavors to this highly sippable spirit.
The Bottle:
Sure, you’re going to pay a little more to get your hands on this elegant, sleek bottle. But most of that is the juice itself — which is high quality. The bottle definitely grabs eyes, though — it’s tall, visually pleasing, and the perfect addition to your tequila shelf.
Citadelle Gin
ABV: 44%
Price: $23.99
The Spirit:
Citadelle is a French gin brand that’s been produced since 1996 by Maison Ferrand, a brand more well-known for its Cognac. This heavy juniper flavored gin also has 18 other herbs and botanicals to give it a unique, well-rounded flavor perfect for your favorite gin & tonic.
The Bottle:
There’s something classic and homey about the Citadell bottle. It’s blue, elegantly designed, and adorned with an eye-pleasing white label. Feels like something from a Gatsby party.
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select
ABV: 47%
Price: $34.99
The Spirit:
In the whiskey world, even though it’s one of the most popular brands, Jack Daniel’s doesn’t really get a lot of respect. Its flagship whiskey is cheap, sweet, and perfect for mixing. But its 94-proof Single Barrel Select with its robust, rich, subtly sweet flavor is more a sipper than a mixer — in fact, we’ve given it a lot of shine this year.
The Bottle:
Another whiskey that comes in a decanter, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select is simple, clean, and classic in its design.
Nixta Licor de Elote
ABV: 30%
Price: $31.25
The Spirit:
Nixta Licor de Elote is a corn liqueur produced in Jilotepec, Mexico. It’s sweet, rich, and was designed to be used by bartenders as a cocktail ingredient. As such, it’s well suited for mixing into tequila-based cocktails — though quite pleasant to sip on its own.
The Bottle:
Take one look at this bottle and you absolutely know what you’re in for. First of all, it’s shaped like an ear of corn. Secondly, there’s an image of corn on the label. It doesn’t get much cornier than that. But damn, if this doesn’t look cool.
KAH Reposado Tequila
ABV: 55%
Price: $58.49
The Spirit:
This 100% organic spirit is made using 100% Blue Weber agave. It’s aged for ten months in French limousine casks. The result is a refined, well-rounded, rich tequila with a nice mix of vegetal sweetness and buttery caramel.
The Bottle:
Each bottle is a work of art. The yellow skull with the fire and devil was created to pay tribute to the Day of the Dead celebrations.
Virginia Black Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Price: $31.99
The Spirit:
Yes, this is a celebrity whiskey brand. It was created by spirits entrepreneur Brent Hocking and rapper Drake. It’s a blend of high rye bourbons that were mixed to create a rich, balanced, easy to sip whiskey.
The Bottle:
This elegant, streamlined, futuristic-looking bottle might look more like a bottle of cologne than a whiskey. But that just means it will pop even harder when it’s displayed in your liquor cabinet or on your bar cart.
Chaquira Beaded Jaguar Anejo Tequila
ABV: 40%
Price: $289.99
The Spirit:
At first glance, you see all flash and no substance. But this award-winning 100% Blue Weber agave tequila is incredibly well-made. It’s double-distilled before aging to produce a mellow, sweet tequila perfectly suited for slow sipping.
The Bottle:
This extremely unique bottle is shaped like the head of a jaguar. It’s bright, vibrant, and decorated with chaquira beads. If you can afford to give this one away, it makes a gift that won’t soon be forgotten.