PaperSpecsGallery.com Presents: EBD Whiskey Gift Box

Nothing grabs a client’s attention faster than a whiff of hand-crafted elegance. And if you can sweeten the deal with a bottle of premium spirits, so much the better. For its 2018 annual client gift, Ellen Bruss Design (EBD) used its recent branding and packaging work for client Branch & Barrel as the basis for a truly memorable gift.

“Inspired from the simple elegance of the brand, we wanted to create a gift box that would ... make a statement about the quality of this small batch whiskey,” the designers explain.

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Upon plucking the package from the shipping carton, my first thought is that they sure don’t make boxes like THIS anymore. “A Shot of Genius, a Barrel of Gratitude – Cheers to You” declares the laser-engraved black sleeve – the always-welcome Neenah Plike – tightly wrapped around the wooden box like a bellyband. Removing it reveals the full elegance of the box itself. It features the tree-and-barrel logo – which EBD commissioned Steven Noble to create for Branch & Barrel – actually laser engraved on the hinged lid.

Inside, I’m greeted by the same illustration, this time screen printed onto the whiskey bottle with Copper metallic ink. Tucked into a paper pocket inside the box lid is a smart-looking booklet digitally printed on International Paper 80-lb. White Accent Opaque, saddle stitched and crammed with witty, illustrated whiskey recipes, most paying homage to the fine people at EBD. The Plike cover boasts the same arrow motif as the bellyband, though with the laser-engraved words “To our friends we consider family.”

Unable to contain my enthusiasm a moment longer, I free the bottle from the box, only to find a final message at the back, also laser-engraved on Plike: “We are a branch of collaboration and a flask of fun. Bottoms up.”

The bottle itself is an unusual size, which required EBD to order a custom-made box from Wood Gift Box to hold it. One last detail cements the sentiment that the gift was meant to inspire: a laser-engraved tag hand-tied around the bottle neck, reading, “All our best, your family at EBD.”

Laser engraving adds a sophisticated-yet-hand-crafted feel to a wide variety of materials. PRO members, be sure to get the lowdown on this versatile technique in our exclusive PRO Tip, including:

• The differences between laser “engraving,” “marking” and “cutting”
• Sheet size restrictions
• How to work around the inevitable discoloration that laser brings