Les Bonhommes: The first French moonshine

UPM Raflatac

Imagine living during prohibition when the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages are banned. In an era that has encouraged the production of moonshine or white lightning, like illegally distilled alcohols have been called. This time has served as a source of inspiration for the notorious non-conformist Leroux brothers. As a result, they have created the first French moonshine malt brandy, Les Bonhommes.

The appearance of the Les Bonhommes bottle has been considered down to the last detail. The shape of the bottle makes it easy to hide in the pocket when needed – an aspect that was very important during prohibition. The glass bottle, named Outlaw, is made by an Italian company VETROelite.

“The shape and the name took inspiration from the prohibition time, too. We created a bottle, outside the law, to recreate the sensation and the look and feel of the time. The result is something modern and vintage at the same time. This time, as said, moonshine is made legally but the feeling is to drink something prohibited, outrageous and special, “describes Arianna Morimando, Marketing Strategist, VETROelite.

The overall packaging conveys an artisan feel enhanced by certain refinements, such as the pure tin metal coin hanging from the neck of the bottle.

The choice of label material, UPM Raflatac Sabrage Blanc de Blancs Ice Premium, supports the design as well. The material is elegant and suitable for high embossing and debossing.

Gabriel Despagne from design agency Bold for Agence Millénium had previous experience working with the material. He knew it would be the perfect fit for Distillerie d’Escagnan’s Les Bonhommes.

“I had the chance to be one of the first to use and transform this material during my participation in the creation of the UPM Raflatac’s Rêverie 2 collection. I was able to imagine, experience, and understand all the capacities of this paper. It perfectly matches the requirements of the processing techniques that I like: mistreating the material, deforming it by debossing or embossing. But it also gives me a craft and authentic aspect while remaining premium. This is what we were looking for: rustic elegance,” says designer Despagne.

Rustic elegance has certainly been achieved for the Les Bonhommes bottle. The thickness and graininess give the label a crafty look and emphasize the graphics subtly.

This bottle does not need to be hidden in the dark alleys to keep out of prying eyes. The French moonshine can be enjoyed in broad daylight.

 

UPM Raflatac

Credits:

Design agency: Bold.fr for Agence Millenium

Label material manufacturer: UPM Raflatac
Bottle manufacturer: VETROelite

 

Client:
Distillerie d'Escagnan’s