Tavern captures PDT speakeasy’s essence in its limited batch cocktail label

Design agency Tavern has designed labels for New York based cocktail bar Please Don't Tell's to-go cocktails. The renowned speakeasy allure extends beyond its hidden walls by introducing limited-edition cocktails that masterfully capture the essence in its packaging.  

Reflecting the 2021 rebranding led by creative director Mike Perry, the design seamlessly blends a contemporary take on speakeasy aesthetics with handwritten typography and a sophisticated black-on-black approach. The up-cycled Hibiki bottles exude simplicity and refinement, reminiscent of the elevated bar experience. Cloaked in an enigmatic black box, the label unveils subtle raised graphics upon closer inspection, echoing the secrecy of prohibition-era speakeasy membership cards. 

The best part of a speakeasy is the thrill of being in on a secret, being in the know. But at Please Don’t Tell, one of the most famous best-kept-secrets around, it’s the drinks that steal the show. Now, bridging the gap between its bar and bar cart, the world-renowned speakeasy is making its celebrated cocktails available to-go.  

For a super-premium brand like Please Don’t Tell, not just any to-go cup will do. Tasked with translating the spirit of the speakeasy into bottle form, Tavern, PDT’s agency of record, toes the delicate line between show-stopping and understated. The design builds off of the branding system that Perry, creative director and founder of Tavern, and his team created when he led the rebrand of PDT back in 2021.  

Echoing the elevated experience of the bar itself, the up-cycled Hibiki bottles are simple yet refined. And just like a speakeasy, the label doesn’t give all of its secrets away at first glance. From afar, it may seem like a simple black box but upon closer inspection, one discovers subtle raised graphics printed black on black. The label is a contemporary take on the forgotten speakeasy membership cards patrons once used during prohibition.   

The combined effect of all of the design choices mean that no matter where you are, this bottle will transport you, in spirit, to Please Don’t Tell. 

This article was sourced from the Dieline and published with persmission.