Spirits label design
Spirits labels drawn by hand, built on the brand's own story.
I'm Victor Tognollo, a Brazilian designer and lettering artist. For over 12 years I have designed labels and brands exclusively for spirits: whisky, cachaça, vodka and liqueurs. Every letter and illustration is drawn by hand from the brand's real story, and I supervise printing until the label is on the bottle.
At a glance
- Focus
- Labels and brands for spirits only
- Method
- Lettering and illustration drawn by hand
- Starting point
- The brand's own story, land and people
- Through to print
- Print-ready files and press supervision
- Experience
- 12+ years, whisky, cachaça, vodka and liqueur cases
- Where
- Based in Brazil, working with brands worldwide
Why story
A great spirits label tells where the spirit comes from.
On a crowded shelf, most bottles look alike. What sets one apart is the story only that brand has: the family behind it, the land, the wood it rests in, the details nobody else can claim.
My job is to find that story and turn it into an image. For Araukaria, the bottle glass echoes the bark of the tree the whisky is aged in. For Cachaça Cinquentenária, the label illustration came from a photograph of the founding grandfather. For Vodca 1912, a century-old farmhouse gave the label its name and look.
That is why everything is drawn by hand: custom letters and illustrations that exist in no stock library or ready-made font. The result is a label only your spirit can have.
Spirits cases
Labels I have designed for whisky, cachaça, vodka and liqueur.
Araukaria Whisky
A single malt aged for 8 years in araucaria wood in the Mantiqueira mountains. The bottle glass echoes the texture of araucaria bark, and the label, type and lettering were designed to age as well as the spirit.
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Audux Whisky
Identity and packaging for a Brazilian single malt. Custom lettering carries the brand's confident tone and keeps legibility and impact at shelf distance.
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Cachaça Cinquentenária
800 numbered bottles for the 50th anniversary of Alambique Caipira. The label illustration comes from a photograph of the founding grandfather, next to the family's original immigration document.
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Cachaça Delicana
Brand and label redesign for a cachaça sold in Europe. Six months of research kept its Brazilian DNA and produced a flexible identity for a line of nine cachaças.
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Cachaça Dom Trajano
A premium cachaça from the Brazilian Cerrado. Its mascot, the giant anteater, is the animal that wanders around the distillery.
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Vodca 1912
A heritage vodka named after a century-old farmhouse. The label carries the colours of Espírito Santo and visual elements found on the farm.
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Cachaça Reserva 1912
The house reserve of Alambique Caipira, with the architecture of the century-old farmhouse drawn into the label.
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Limoncello Della Nonna
A recipe that crossed the ocean from Sicily to Brazil. Every illustration on the label was drawn by hand, inspired by classic Italian design.
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How it works
From the first call to the bottle on the shelf.
The conversation
I listen to the brand's story: who makes it, where, since when, and what makes it unique.
Research
References, competitors and the product's origin. For Delicana, research took six months.
Hand sketches
Lettering and illustration start on paper until the right idea shows up.
Final artwork
Brand, front and back labels and mandatory information, ready for print.
Printing
I follow proofs, colours, papers and finishes such as hot foil and embossing.
What I deliver
Spirits only. From the name to the press.
- Brand name lettering and logo
- Front and back labels
- Product lines and special editions
- Redesign of existing brands and labels
- Custom hand-drawn lettering and illustration
- Print-ready artwork with mandatory information
- Proof and press supervision
- Direct contact with the designer
FAQ
Common questions about spirits label design.
Which spirits do you design labels for?
Only spirits: whisky, cachaça, vodka, gin, rum and liqueurs. Focusing on one category means every project builds on years of research into how spirits are bought, shelved and remembered.
Do you design the brand or only the label?
Both. I design the brand (logo and identity) and the labels, including special editions, full product lines and redesigns of existing brands.
How does the brand's story end up on the label?
Every project starts with a conversation about where the brand comes from: the family, the land, the region, the people. The label elements come from those details. For Cachaça Cinquentenária the illustration came from a photo of the founding grandfather; for Araukaria, the bottle echoes the bark of the tree the whisky is aged in.
Is the lettering really drawn by hand?
Yes. Every letter and illustration is drawn by hand and then vectorised for print. Nothing comes from stock images or off-the-shelf fonts, so the label belongs to your brand alone.
Do you supervise printing?
Yes. I prepare print-ready files and follow colour proofs, papers and finishes such as hot foil and embossing, so the label comes out as designed.
Do you work with brands outside Brazil?
Yes. The whole process runs remotely, with calls and online approvals. Delicana, for example, is a cachaça brand sold in Europe.
How long does a spirits label project take?
It depends on the scope: a single label, a new brand with its label, or a full line with several editions. The schedule is set in the proposal, right after our first call.
Every spirit has a story. Let's put yours on the label.
Tell me about your distillery, your family or your brand idea. I reply personally.
Updated October 2026.