Principia Brewery

Principia is a brewery whose main drive is to create a beer that awakens a sense of wonder and discovery through meticulously crafted beers.

About

Established in 2019 in Monterrey, Mexico, PRINCIPIA takes its namesake from Isaac Newton’s revolutionary work, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. This brewery was born from the shared passion of its founders for science and their commitment to crafting well-made beers.

Challenge

By embracing science as their main core inspiration, and walking away from artisanal and crafty references, Principia Brewery aimed to defy traditional craft beer concepts; this was the challenge for the TORO PINTO team. As such, after research and strategy, we found out that the concept of ‘discovery’ is the true motto of science, becoming the brewery’s central principle. This would later translate into the brand’s visual and written messaging.

Solution

As a metaphor of the sense of scientific discovery, a visual brand system was developed to represent the essence of thinking and thought, composed of playful, subtle abstract shapes that harmoniously come together, reflecting the relation between the mind and the universe. One of our inspirations was the iconic film 2001: A Space Odyssey and its profound message of scientific progress as a form of consciousness evolution that sets the stage for humanity’s future. We also take cues from classical Greek culture and the concept of knowledge, golden rays illuminating the human intellect from the darkness of ignorance, this way the brand´s messaging is timeless, inspiring and evocative.

The master brand icon is based on a wheat spike inscribed into a star map. A reminder of our place in the universe. Next to this main identifier, other icons were created to represent different fundamental elements of our interpretation of the universe as a space or dimension, light and dark, and space and time.

Each of the beer style labels is inspired by a physical phenomenon. The American Wheat label honors Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Session IPA pays tribute to Michael Faraday’s work in electromagnetism, Oatmeal Stout pays homage to the Large Hadron Collider, Craft Lager is a reflection of the infinite expansion of the universe, and the Fruit Sour label is inspired by radioactivity and Marie Curie. While these are the core beers for the brand, they also serve as an example of what specialty beers the brand could offer in the future.

As a brand mascot, we created a cosmic brewer-thinker. Together with the brand’s manifesto, this mascot serves as an homage to the scientists and philosophers who helped us understand the world as we know it, and for that, we are able to enjoy beer here today, in this place in the universe we call home.

Curator’s Insight

The design captures the essence of scientific thinking and exploration in a visually captivating way. The abstract shapes used throughout the branding represent the connection between our minds and the vast universe. Now, let’s talk about the beer labels. They are more than just labels; they’re works of art inspired by significant scientific contributions. One thing that really stands out is the master brand icon—an intricate combination of a wheat spike and a star map. It’s a powerful symbol that reminds us of our place in the vast universe. It’s a reminder that beer, like the stars above, is a part of something much greater.