Craft beer conquers France

New diversity for label printing too

Craft beer often has a stronger, more pronounced taste than the standard varieties from the big breweries. The word “Craft” is English in origin, meaning “handicraft”, and as a verb, “to work in an artisanal way”. Like so many other trends, this one originated in the USA. In the 1970s, the first microbreweries there began to produce beer in a traditional and careful way, using old and new recipes. The initiators were often students looking for a good beer and disdaining mass-produced products. Annual production rarely exceeds five or six million hectolitres. Small breweries are independent of the industry giants and have succeeded in finding niches where mass-produced products have no place. In the United States, their market share already exceeds 8%, and the trend is upwards as new companies continue to emerge and new beer brands are introduced.

The craft beer scene in France

The phenomenon finally crossed the Atlantic from the USA, and established itself fairly rapidly in Scandinavia, Belgium, Italy and Great Britain. In France, the trend has been similar for some time. Far from the mainstream, there are now over 2000 breweries throughout France. Many small breweries have their own outlets for trendy beverages, while others simply produce and distribute them through third parties.

Some companies also have their creations made by other producers as part of a contract brewing process, and then only handle distribution. Although beer consumption in France has been steadily declining since 1993, craft beer breweries are experiencing ever-increasing growth. As with other consumer products, the French attach greater importance to the individuality and high quality of beer. However, craft beer is rare, if not non-existent, in local drinks stores. This market is largely served by the big groups in the sector. The only way to get a taste of craft beer is to visit a brewery or a trendy bar.

Beer labels also stand out

Traditional beer labels look the same in some ways. New microbreweries take a different route. The companies themselves, and the names of their beers, are often unusual, or contain ironic and amusing puns. This creativity is also reflected in the beer labels. Craft beer bottles often feature original and unusual labels to emphasize the drink’s individual touch. Special formatting, selective varnish or hot foil stamping are used to embellish beer labels and set them apart from the competition.

Selective varnish and hot foil stamping for even greater creative freedom

Selective varnish and hot foil stamping, in particular, are popular design methods for ennobling roll labels. Even small print runs can be produced in this way at low cost, without the customer having to make concessions on quality. Absolutely professional manufacturers like labelletiquette.fr have mastered the use of finishing processes, and also attach great importance to optimum results when it comes to printing and choice of substrate. For roll labels, only high-quality printing should be a consideration. This is particularly true for beer labels, as refrigerated bottles become covered with condensation water at room temperature, and the labels become damp. Other processes, such as inkjet or flexographic printing, do not have the characteristics required for beer label production.

Self-adhesive labels on rolls

Roll labels for beer already have glue on the reverse side. This enables the brewer or bottler to apply labels directly to the bottles or cans. The choice of printing substrate is not limited to paper. Colored or transparent films made of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) or PVC are also often used, enabling highly original designs.

Craft Beer, a growing trend

Beer labels can be designed and produced in many variants. However, production quality should be the main criterion to ensure good durability and easy further processing when bottling barley juice. Good advice means – yes, exactly: good advice. For this, you don’t need to visit a printing works in person. Our online print shop offers a competent and friendly service for all questions relating to the production of beer labels.