Courtesy Main & Mill
Which comes first: the beer or the label? Typically, it's the former—but a project underway at Main & Mill reverses the equation.
"We feel a label is an expression of the beer we produce and take a lot of pride in not only the liquid but the art that represents the beer," says Denny Foster, owner and head brewer of Festus-based Main & Mill Brewing. "Every label we produce takes tons of thought on the overall concept before a pencil goes to paper. As we flesh out the idea of the beer, it helps steer the direction of each specific label."
Earlier this year, Main & Mill began its Artist Spotlight Series, based on the brewing team's love of nostalgic movies, games, books, music—"whatever makes you think of growing up when things seemed much easier," says Foster.
They wanted to bring nostalgic-driven fun to their labels in a way that allows the artists to pick the muses. "Our process has been pretty simple," explains Foster. "We want to use what they create and inspire a beer that we feel fits that label as perfectly as possible."
The initiative kicked off with the Rocco Series, featuring Boston-based artist Joe Dellagatta, whose goal was to create designs riffing on some of his favorite games as a kid. The most recognizable was inspired by Super Mario Bros. "He created a scene that shines on a Mario sibling, Rocco, who ended up in the brewing industry instead of plumbing," says Foster. "Instead of brick blocks, we have wooden crates floating above the characters, among the smiling clouds. And of course, we have some sudsy beers." The pixelated text also conveys a classic video-game vibe.
The resulting beer, dubbed Rocco Gets His Chance, is a hazy IPA brewed with Hallertau Blanc, Simcoe, and Nelson Sauvin.
Courtesy Main & Mill
The second label in the series features Rocco's reptilian antagonist and harkens back to Mario's nemesis, Bowser. The resulting sour beer, named The Wort & The 8 Bits, is fermented with cherries, lemons, and a small number of red raspberries before being blended with sea salt to add a refreshing finish. It pours light red in color, with flavors of cherry jam and lemonade.
As for the next game-inspired installment? "Rocco is still plugging away at the brewery," says Dellagatta. "We’re in the process of designing another label or two to expand on Rocco’s adventures in brewing."
Courtesy Main & Mill
The second installment in the Artists Spotlight Series, The Jaws Series, is the work of New York-based artist Andrew Krahnke and will feature a dozen labels telling the story of the great white shark.
The series debuted with a Galaxy Pilsner. The first label pictures a tranquil beach with happy vacationers as a monster lurks in the clear water. "For the first few cans, I tried to come up with scenes or angles that we don’t see in the film," says Krahnke. "I’m trying to keep the drawings fun and interesting, even if you’ve never seen the movie."
Courtesy Main & Mill
The story continues, aptly, with the Blood Orange Berliner and a label reminiscent of Krahnke's bright, punchy beach scene. The beer is made with more than 400 pounds of fresh blood oranges, leading to a brilliant hit of orange and lighter notes of raspberry and citrus.
But Krahnke's terrifying tale has just begun. "I’m working on the next four illustrations as we speak," says Krahnke. "The ideas I have roughed out follow pretty closely with the action in the movie, so expect the shark carnage to ramp up."
Courtesy Main & Mill
The brewery is currently working with seven artists and has roughly 24 labels planned. Teasing the forthcoming sequels, Foster says, "We have more in the works."
