Commercial Commission: Craft Beer Can Design
WHEN CANS BECOME YOUR CANVAS
Walk down any drinks aisle and you’re treated to a miniature art gallery packed full of creativity and colour. So when ASDA approached me to collaborate on a new range of exclusive craft beers, my ears pricked up immediately.
ASDA has partnered with some of the UK’s most innovative and market‑leading independent breweries to create a standout series of small‑batch beers. One of those breweries sits right on my Devon doorstep: Utopian Brewing. Based in rural Mid Devon, Utopian specialises in high‑quality, locally sourced alternatives to mega‑brand lagers, taking classic international styles and reimagining them using only 100% British-grown ingredients.
Their No. 9 Dortmund Style Lager is a celebration of that ethos – brewed with heritage Hana malt from Norfolk, crafted using a double decoction mash for a rich, bready base, and balanced with UK‑grown hops for a light, floral aroma. Golden, crisp, and refreshing. The beer needed a label to match its character.
For this can commission, I placed my signature line art front and centre. The brief was to create something bold, modern, and unmistakable – a design that would hold its own among the kaleidoscope of cans competing for attention on the shelf.
I built a panoramic scene that wraps seamlessly around the label, blending iconic historic buildings, such as Exeter Cathedral and the warehouses along the Quays, with rural farm buildings and fields, tractors, malt and the rhythms of locally-made life.
Every element is delicately balanced, so the illustration feels both detailed and calm, structured yet free-flowing. A contemporary palette of greens anchors the artwork – fresh, clean, and instantly eye‑catching. The result is a statement can: cool, crisp, and ready to be drunk.
The partnership brought together Utopian’s commitment to quality, ASDA’s vision for an exceptional craft range, and my love for line art inspired by the place I call home. The final can stands confidently on the shelf, a modern piece of drinkable art that reflects the heritage and landscape behind the beer itself.
And for those who want a little extra magic: bring your can into Bert's gallery in Dartmouth and he'll happily sign it – transforming it into a miniature, deliciously drinkable masterpiece to enjoy or collect.