Tequila Cayéya’s tattoo inspired pewter labels

Tequila Cayéya, a brand known for crafting small-batch, additive-free, single-barrel tequilas, blends tradition with modern innovation. Its distinctive packaging stands out thanks to elegant pewter labels that reflect the brand’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship.

Crafted at Destiladora Distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, the brand offers four tequila variants: Blanco, Blended Reposado, Single Barrel Reposado and Single Barrel Añejo. Each of them produced under the guidance of Zandra Gomez, Tequila Cayéya’s esteemed female master distiller who ensures uncompromising quality and exclusivity in every limited-edition release.

The unique brand's packaging is inspired by the classic shape of an old apothecary bottle, adding a touch of vintage charm, and setting the brand apart from competitors.

Co-founder of Tequila Cayéya Sam Hirsch says: ‘We loved the look of it and wanted to achieve a timeless, elegant shape that would look great on every backbar.’

For the Devils vs Angels duo, the designs were inspired by the unique ageing process behind ‘El Diablo’s Elixir’ and ‘The Spirit of an Angel’. El Diablo’s Elixir’s is a fiery red bottle that represents the name of the tequila and the unique 6-6-6 months ageing process that was used to make the Añejo Cristalino tequila. The Spirit of an Angel is packaged in a navy-blue bottle that represents the angelic theme and the unique 9-9-9 months ageing process used to make the Añejo.  
The product features a pewter label, a wolf insignia, that was hand-drawn by a tattoo artist of Rukus Tattoo. It’s cut from real pewter and features a patina finish for a vintage look and feel. 

‘We chose a pewter label instead of paper/film because it gives the bottle a rustic vintage look that complements the timeless shape of the bottle,’ Hirsch notes.

Creating a unique packaging design is not without its challenges. 

‘The mix and match of materials was by far our greatest challenge. The fact there are so many different components to the packageing design – such as suede bottle neck, pewter label and gold foiling made it tricky to color match and combine these design elements. We went through about twenty rounds of revisions to arrive at our final packaging. It was incredibly frustrating to say the least!’ Hirsch explains.

Each of the elements on the bottle is applied at different stages of the production process. The last component is the label with signature to avoid any smearing or liquid content after the bottlea are filled with tequilas. Everything else is pre-applied before filling intentionally. In fact, the pewter label sits within an embossed area of the bottle. 

‘It takes a lot of time to effectively line up these labels exactly within the debossed area, so this is done almost a month before we fill any bottles to ensure there are no unnecessary production stops or delays. These are the little things that make a major difference in our supply chain in terms of making it most efficient,’ Hirsch adds.

The bottles are packaged in a custom-themed artwork on magnetic gift boxes, created for each single-barrel release, including Devils vs Angels. The exterior of the Devils box features the phrase ‘El Diablo’s Elixir’ on one side and devil-inspired graphics on the back of the box. The exterior of the Angels box features the ‘The Spirit of an Angel’ phrase on one side and includes angel-inspired graphics on the back of the box. The boxes come with a poem inside that explains the brand and the story behind the tequila. Inside the Devils vs Angels boxes, customers can find a poem detailing the unique 6-6-6 and 9-9-9 ageing processes.  

Hirsch adds that the packaging has garnered positive feedback from customers. ‘It feels luxurious. All of the bells and whistles, and a great amount of detail we put into it are noticed and acknowledged. Everything from the poem within the gift box to the pewter label - we get a ton of fan mail through our website which makes us happy. This is why we do it!’