Rebranding Case Study

A bottle of SS Split Spirits Barred Owl bourbon whiskey with a purple label featuring an illustration of a barred owl and descriptive text about the whiskey.
A bottle of SS Split Spirits Barred Owl bourbon whiskey with a purple label featuring an illustration of a barred owl and descriptive text about the whiskey.

Services
Brand Identity

Roles
Designer

Bottled spirit labeled as 'Single Origin Vermont,' with a landscape illustration of a mountain range and evergreen trees at the bottom, indicating it is made from grain maple wood with an alcohol content of 44% and proof of 88.
Bottled spirit labeled as 'Single Origin Vermont,' with a landscape illustration of a mountain range and evergreen trees at the bottom, indicating it is made from grain maple wood with an alcohol content of 44% and proof of 88.
Bottle of Vermont Creme Liqueur with a wooden cap, label featuring mountain and forest illustrations, and text indicating 17% alcohol by volume and 375 milliliters.
Bottle of Vermont Creme Liqueur with a wooden cap, label featuring mountain and forest illustrations, and text indicating 17% alcohol by volume and 375 milliliters.

Split Spirits partnered with Switchback Brewing to craft a Single Malt Whiskey that earned a gold medal at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

That kind of recognition does not happen by accident. It is the result of a small operation that refuses to compromise on quality or conviction.

To command a $75+ retail price point, a premium spirit needs more than a great product. It needs a brand that earns its place on the shelf. The challenge here was to build an identity system strong enough to stand alongside established premium competitors while staying true to what makes Split Spirits distinct. A climate-neutral distillery rooted in the landscapes and seasons of Vermont, small by choice and purposeful by nature.

Applications

Sign for Split Spirits, a liquor store, mounted on the exterior wall of a building. The sign has a beige background with the name 'SPLIT' in large white letters and the word 'SPIRITS' underneath. The building features large glass windows and beige tiled walls.
A clear glass bottle of Papilio Agave spirit with a beige label featuring green accents, placed on a gold-colored fabric backdrop.
A wooden tray with burlap cloth containing a bottle of bourbon whiskey, a jar of black peppercorns, and a small bowl of black peppercorns, all placed on dark soil.
A glass of whiskey with ice cubes on a wooden table, next to a circular coasters with the logo and name 'STEPS Spirits'.
A tasting menu from SS Spirits featuring descriptions of Vermont and Champlain Valley rye whiskey, bourbon, and malt whiskey, with illustrations of mountains and barrels, on a wooden table next to glasses of lemon-lime drinks with ice.
A collage of images including a smartphone displaying Split Spirits' social media profile, bottles of spirits, a group of friends enjoying cocktails, a distillery, And autumnal landscape

Logo

Logo for Full Mark Split Spirits featuring large stylized 'SS' initials with the words 'Full Mark' above and 'Split Spirits' below.
Logo for Full Mark Split Spirits featuring large stylized 'SS' initials with the words 'Full Mark' above and 'Split Spirits' below.
A sample brand logo with the word 'BRANDMARK' above a stylized overlapping letter 'S' in olive green color on a white background.
Logo for Splitting Sprits with the words 'WORDBARK', 'SPLIT', and 'SPIRITS' in greenish font on a white background.

The SS monogram became the foundation of the entire identity. Two interlocking letterforms built with classic swash details that nod to the process of separating and mixing ingredients when making whiskey.

Color Palette

Swatch card displaying a vintage color code #797C62 and corresponding color identifiers R121, G124, B98, C52, M40, Y64, K14.
Purple background with the text 'Barred Owl' and color code '#593F99', along with a series of color codes and their labels.
A label for Vermont Lush cannabis strain with color code #26413C and THC/CBD ratios
A graphic with the phrase "NITTY GRITTY" at the top, a hashtag "#F3EAE0" in the middle, and a series of alphanumeric codes separated by vertical bars below.

The palette was drawn directly from Vermont itself. Vintaged is the muted olive of aged barrels and forest undergrowth. Barred Owl is the rich purple of the brand's flagship whiskey label, unexpected and bold on the shelf. Vermont Lush is the deep forest green of the landscape Split Spirits calls home. Nitty Gritty is the natural cream of raw grain before it becomes something worth savoring. Every color earns its place.

Typography

Three typefaces carry the brand's voice across every touchpoint. Ermina brings the elegance and editorial weight of a heritage brand. New York grounds the system with a refined serif that reads with authority at any size. Andale Mono adds a technical, craft driven precision to supporting text and label details. Together they create a typographic hierarchy that feels premium without feeling cold

Typography showcasing the font styles Ermina, New York, and Andale Mono with alphabet and numbers, alongside a line art illustration of wheat stalks.

Other

A seamless pattern of vintage-style sketches featuring hay, a barrel, and a bag with a bottle, all arranged in a repeating design.
Illustration of a mountain range with jagged peaks in gray shades against a white background.
Silhouette of a mountain range with pine trees in the foreground.
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