CF Napa Brand Design

2787 Napa Valley Corporate Dr, Napa, CA 94558, USA

Smuggling Nun came to CF Napa to develop the packaging for their Poitín [POT-cheen], the Irish predecessor to moonshine that is relatively unknown in the United States. The brand founder was passionate about bringing this traditional Irish spirit into the US, and when her family took a trip to Ireland in the ‘70s, she had one souvenir request – Poitín. Her cousin, Sister Mary, fulfilled this wish by smuggling a bottle of the (then illegal) Poitín onto the plane by disguising it as holy water. With this incredible story in our minds, we got to work bringing Smuggling Nun to life.

Inspired by gothic architecture and other classic Irish-inspired iconography, the label shape evokes the stained-glass windows of historic cathedrals. A detailed seal with the initials “SNP” was created and placed at the crest of the label, making it the focal point of the stained glass “window” artwork. This monogram was repeated on the inside of the label, allowing it to be viewed from the back of the bottle – adding a beautiful finishing touch.