DESIGN: Minoh Beer [BATON]

A new beer born from Minoh Beer in Minoh City, Osaka, called BATON.
It is a beer that is
aged in wooden tanks called foeders after being fermented in stainless steel tanks, and then undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle, making it truly a beer like a 'baton relay'.

The label design for this BATON was handled by OUWN's Ishiguro who expresses this unprecedented new flavor on the bottle as well!

Yeast that is fermented and passed on

Ishiguro: Minoh Beer is a famous beer brand with many fans, known for its delicious beers and catchy concepts and designs beyond just this "BATON." This time, I received the request for the label design from Keizo Mimura of MEETING.inc, who is a good friend of mine.

For regular beer, once the yeast grows to a certain point, the growth is stopped to stabilize the flavor, and it is released to the market with an expiration date. However, this beer is special in its production method because it continues to ferment inside the bottle. Therefore, it has no expiration date, and like wine, it ages and the flavor changes. I was told that it is fermented in wooden barrels, and these barrels are not available in Japan and are imported from overseas. It takes time and effort, and I think the flavor is something new.It takes time and effort, and I think the flavor is something new.

Ishiguro: The name BATON was an idea from Mr. Mimura, and it was decided because there are three fermentation points—the stainless steel tank, the wooden foeder, and the bottle—so it's like a baton relay. In addition, if the wooden foeder dries out, the yeast will die, so once you make a batch in that barrel and transfer it to bottles, you have to put the next beer into the foeder immediately. Because it's a wooden barrel, the aroma and flavor soak in, so if you had fruit in it, for example, that flavor will slightly enter the next beer. The elements of the previous beer and the yeast of the predecessor are passed on. Since the baton relay continues even within the foeder, I thought the name BATON was perfect.
There are two wooden foeders, so the first time, 01 and 02 are made in each barrel, and then 03 and 04 are made, and so on. 03 and 04 will have a different flavor from 01 and 02. It is a beer that continues with numbering.

— How many bottles of 01 and 02 were produced?

Ishiguro: I think it was 2,000 bottles per barrel. It seems they prepared half for liquor stores and half for the general public, but it looks like it sold out on the day of release. It has an image like wine, where the number of bottles for that year is decided. Since it has a special feel and is suitable for gifts, I considered a design that takes into account the gift and special aspect.

Expressing the "invisible baton"

— There are two types of label designs, right?

Ishiguro: At first, I thought it would be one label, but after proposing about five ideas and talking with Minoh Beer, the idea came up that "since there are two barrels, it would be nice to express them with two types of labels," so we adopted two types: a standard version and a future special version. It's not that the labels are divided between 01 and 02, but there are two designs.

— A design with the word BATON and a novel design with only the shape. Both have characteristic cuttings.

Ishiguro: When I thought about how to design the naming "Baton" and the fact that there are three fermentation points, I wanted to express the "invisible baton" on the label. Of course, the people at Minoh Beer design the flavor quite a bit, but because it continues to ferment in the bottle, the final flavor continues to change subtly depending on when you drink it, so even the makers don't know, and the flavor that will be born in the future cannot be predicted. To express "invisible," it is a mechanism where the surrounding square shape and letters are cut off, making it "visible" as if there is a square there.

— The other one doesn't have letters and has an impressive shape that expands the imagination.

Ishiguro: That's right. One has the name "BATON" on it, which is the image of a standard version. The other one is a more aggressive design, giving it a special feel.
This shape reminds me of the kanji character for "person" (人), and while imagining the chain by connecting three, I thought that the word "M" for Minoh could also be expressed with this baton. This beer itself enjoys changes and processes, and it is something to enjoy new attempts. So I thought about it on two axes: one that shows the product name and one that expresses the thoughts of the label, and divided the approach into two. I thought it was quite aggressive myself, so I was surprised and happy that the people at Minoh Beer said OK.

— The label part wrapped on top looks like a ribbon, which I feel increases the gift feel.

Ishiguro: There was also talk about having an atmosphere that makes you feel like a celebration or a gift, so I am conscious of that too. This part also contains the numbering and the explanation of the flavor, so the content changes for each number.

— The T part is deformed, which is cute as an accent.

Ishiguro: To tell the truth, the T part... when Mr. Mimura sent me the spelling of Baton, it was "BATTON." There was one extra T. Of course, he contacted me immediately saying, "Sorry, I spelled it wrong" (laughs). But thanks to that, the idea that it would be interesting to arrange two letters vertically was born in my head, and since there was one "T," instead of giving up on the vertical arrangement,
I thought it was a chance to extend the margin and depth of the design. This time, I was conscious of "stacking" or "erasing" in the character composition, so when I made the T horizontally long, it looked like a table, and I thought that putting (placing) two types of beer, "A" and "B," on the table also fits the meaning. As a result, I'm glad it turned out like this. By the way, the font is Eiko, which I've been using a lot lately.

— Do you decide the width of the label by applying it to see how it looks at first?

Ishiguro: That's right. I hold the paper up to the bottle and steadily check the sizing. Since there was a fair amount of information I wanted to include, it wouldn't fit if the label was too narrow. In the first place, information doesn't suit this design, so I decided to separate it and place it on the shoulder label—not in a circle or on the back label—somewhere with enough distance to be clearly visible. The tasting notes (the beer description on the shoulder label) change depending on the numbering, so I've made it adaptable even if the content volume changes slightly.

Innovative design requires a high capacity for acceptance

Ishiguro: There are two types of box designs, and this one (↑ photo on the left) was created with the image of a baton being passed along and yeast moving around.The reason I included a circle in addition to the square that evokes a baton on the side of the package is that it also signifies circulation, as the appearance and taste change through fermentation, and there is a chain reaction of yeast.

— The clean lines on the design on the right side of the photo are very pleasing.

Ishiguro: In this design, I am more conscious of the part that is 'invisible.' You don't know, in a good way, what is happening to the yeast inside the barrels or bottles.Of course, the brewers check the taste along the way, and the quality and deliciousness are guaranteed, but no one knows what the taste will be like a year after it's put in the bottle. Since we don't know the taste of the next beer that will be created when it combines with the previous yeast, I designed it with the image of a baton connecting through invisible things, and enjoying that process, so I intentionally made the word 'baton' invisible.

Ishiguro: I included the word 'BATON' on the top for both, so it's compensated for somewhere. I think a label that expresses 'invisibility' wouldn't easily pass in a normal project, so I was happy that the people at Minoh Beer were so open-minded and accepted my proposal.

Ishiguro: I initially thought about using only black for the color, but considering it's sent as a gift, I thought it might be nice to use two colors to give it a sense of luxury. I chose brown paper for the base, imagining the feel of craft beer and the wood of the foeder.

Indescribable! A new taste

— How was it when you actually drank it?

Ishiguro: Well, this really changes the concept of beer!People say beer is about the throat feel, but rather than gulping it down, the bubbles are so fine that I imagine pouring it little by little like champagne. 01 is an IPA with a slightly higher alcohol content, and it was rich and delicious! 02 has acidity, and the aroma is clean and refreshing, which is also delicious.
Since this is the first time, I think these are standard, but I think there will be times when they are made by combining seasonal fruits or local specialties, so it will become a beer that makes the most of seasonal and regional qualities. The taste changes significantly depending on the barrel, so there is a difference between the odd and even bottles each time. The 01 and 02 this time are also completely different in color and taste.
Both are delicious, but I like 01 better (laughs). It's hard to explain the taste in words... so it's faster to just drink it! (laughs)

— I'm curious about the taste and aroma, but 01 and 02 are no longer available, right...! When will 03 and 04 be released?

Ishiguro: It's true that 01 and 02 cannot be purchased on the Minoh Beer website, but they are sold to many liquor stores, so you can still get them!
I heard that spring/summer is the image for 01 and 02, and there are two release periods per year. So I think 03 and 04 will be released in autumn/winter. I'm sure they will sell out quickly, but those who want to buy them should check the online store and SNS carefully. By the way, the sizes are 750ml for the large one and 375ml for the small one. It's an amount that a person who drinks alcohol can finish in one sitting.

Ishiguro: Also, you might be able to encounter them at restaurants that carry them.I also want to encounter them at a restaurant when I go out to eat somewhere. (I was moved when I encountered them the other day!)
On a separate note, I was also moved when I first encountered the Sake Miyoshi that I also designed at a restaurant. I was eating with AD Mr. Dei at a restaurant in Nakameguro, and when I asked if they had any recommended sake, they brought out Miyoshi, and I was like, 'Huh?' (laughs). I remember Mr. Dei and I getting super excited. I also became friends with the staff right away! By the way, Mr. Miyoshi has already tried BATON and raved about it!

— That's incredibly happy! It's rare for restaurant staff to meet the person who designed the label, so it's a happy experience for both sides.

Ishiguro: That led to us going to the restaurant together when the brewer, Mr. Miyoshi, came to Tokyo.
Oh, that's right. Changing the subject suddenly, the cursive writing on this part of the box says 'Baton,' but if you look at it a little differently... M, i, n, o, h... it's Minoh.

— You're right! I thought it was rough writing, but if you look closely, you might notice it...!

Ishiguro: When I was writing 'Baton' in cursive, the B looked a bit like an M, and I thought, 'Can I make this look like both Minoh and Baton?' Originally, it was an idea I had included when I was doing the first label design, but I finally slid it into this box. Kirin Beer also has the word Kirin in katakana on its package, so I thought it might be a small accent like that. I think that if you have a little topic of conversation at a drinking table, the conversation will flow better. So I would be happy if this also becomes a topic of conversation, and I hope people enjoy it!

★The next release of BATON is scheduled for after July! (As of May 2022)

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Interviewer/Writer: Narumi Hoshi / @castlru