5 More Designs Where Can Becomes Canvas - Beer Art #2

5 More Designs Where Can Becomes Canvas - Beer Art #2

22 Jan 2022

by Mick Wust

Craft brewers are artists, and their beers are their masterpieces. So isn’t it fitting that what’s on the outside of the can matches the quality of what’s on the inside?

This series is about celebrating the artistry and creativity that goes into can design, five beers at a time. This second instalment brings together five can designs joined by one theme: Aussie.

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Sobah - Wattleseed Gold

It’s fitting we start with a Sobah beer here - it’s Australia’s first Aboriginal owned and led brewing company, and the cans carry eye-catching Indigenous art pieces. I almost picked the Finger Lime Cerveza for its green and gold colour scheme, but then I saw the earthy palette on the Wattleseed Gold and I was hooked. 

Like all of Sobah’s beers, it’s alcohol free, so you can knock back as many as you like. And like all of Sobah’s beers, it contains bush tucker among its ingredients. With roasted wattleseed in the brew (the golden wattle being the floral emblem of Australia), the label showing a bird carrying a wattle twig, and the earth tones capturing the colours of the land, this summer ale is about as Australian as you can get.

Sobah - Wattleseed Gold 

Springside - King George West Coast IPA

This beer is named for Sydney’s King George Park, but it’s the English monarch himself who dominates the can’s label… with a Springside twist. The design shows George, the kangaroo who appears on each of Springside Brewing’s beers, dressed in British regalia, lounging on his throne with a tinnie, and wearing ‘KING GEORGE’ bling.

I’ll be honest - I don’t know anything about King George that I didn’t learn from watching Hamilton. But this artwork makes me smile. It marries great branding, a fun comic style, historical references, and humour. What more could you want? (Other than the classic West Coast citrus and pine bursting out of the can, that is.)

Springside - King George West Coast IPA

Hawke’s - Lager

Come forward two hundred years from pompous King George III to laid-back Bob Hawke. Hawke’s Brewing doesn’t just use the ex-prime minister’s image; Bob himself was involved with the founding of the company, and loved drinking this very beer. It’s a down-to-earth drink for a down-to-earth legend, with a down-to-earth design to match.

Hawke’s Brewing uses clean branding with a traditional feel that takes you to the 80s, and its iconic logo is masterfully done. Drawn by Kevin O’Donnell, it captures Bob’s portrait with etching style line work, similar to that you see on bank notes. When Bob Hawke himself saw this logo for the first time, he said, “Who’s that handsome bloke?”

Classic Bob. Classic design. Classic beer.

 Hawke’s - Lager

Yulli’s - Norman Australian Ale

This one’s a no-brainer. Yulli’s beers are home to a gallery of very Australian characters, and Norman is the Aussiest of the lot of them. With his wide-brimmed hat, he reminds me of Wal from Crocodile Dundee. He’s just the right man to be the face of Yulli’s Australian Ale, a thirst-quenching session beer made from all local ingredients.

And here we’ve got our green and gold entry, too.

 Yulli’s - Norman Australian Ale

Grassy Knoll - Pacific IPA

This one’s close to my heart. At the time of writing this, I’ve just moved back to my hometown of Brisbane, and while Grassy Knoll is mostly a NSW based brewing company, the Pacific IPA label shows the Story Bridge and Brisbane city skyline in all its glory.

This all-Australian beer is pumping with tropical hops, and Grassy Knoll describe it as having a ‘sunburnt hazy finish’. I can confirm that ‘sunburnt’ is Queensland’s favourite colour, so they’ve done just about everything right with this one. And since the pink and green on the can are so pretty, I’ll even forgive the artist for not showing the actual colour of the Brisbane River - murky brown.

Grassy Knoll - Pacific IPA 

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Which is your favourite? Grab a case from Only Craft Beer and share it around - just like beer, art is always more enjoyable when shared with friends.