The Blog

We heard you loud and clear: More Pistachio Cream Ale. So beginning February 15, Pistachio Cream Ale will be one of our core offerings with year-round availability and distribution across Minnesota and Wisconsin. With that comes a new, permanent can design.

The original label, which was only planned for a limited on-off run in May 2020, was concepted and designed by Indeed’s in-house Creative Director Andy Kiekhafer. “One-off brands allow Indeed to be nimble, experiment, and innovate. It’s a really fun opportunity to do the same with labeling and branding,” says Andy. “The [label] design was simple and inspired by vintage Pyrex motifs. I grew up with a lot of vintage Pyrex around and have some of my very own in rotation at home. It’s just timeless and utilitarian design and I really think that fits with the profile of the beer.”

To transition Pistachio Cream Ale into a core brand, Andy then worked closely with Chuck U. “This was a first for a printed can label, going from the minor league to the majors, so to speak. The beer was a pretty big hit out of the gate, so we knew we had to get Chuck involved ASAP to translate it from labeled can to full-on printed can. We wanted to keep some essence of the can people knew and at the same time update it in the world of Chuck U. The new can elevates the experience and translates the design to fit with the current Indeed printed can shelf set.”

We also picked Chuck U's brain on what it’s like working on the artwork of his new favorite Indeed beer:

Can you tell us a little bit about the design process — your initial vision for it and how it changed from your first draft to the final?

My first idea was to do kind of a pattern, like the patterns on old Pyrex dishes, with a bunch of pistachios and other design elements to kind of compliment the original design, but it didn’t quite work. The second idea didn’t change a ton from concept to completion, it kind of just evolved organically while I was drawing.

We’ve heard that you love the beer. And this is a little different than our normal design process, where you don’t necessarily know what the beer tastes like before designing the can artwork. How did already tasting this beer influence the design?

Yes! I love this beer. It might just be my favorite Indeed beer of all time ... although I loved the Sarah Jane's Maple Sticks Stout, too. Anyway, having tasted and love the beer before hand definitely helped inspire the design. It's light and festive and that’s what I wanted to capture.

We love the little pistachios and that they have their own personality. What’s their story? Have you ever drawn tree nuts before?

Lol, no I haven’t drawn nuts before. But fairly early in the sketching process I realized that the nuts on their own looked a bit boring and thought it would be fun to give them personalities.

What do you hope fans of Pistachio Cream Ale, who have loved this beer for the past year, will now get from its new artwork?

I just want people to enjoy it, think it's fun and looks cool. I want the art to enhance the experience of drinking the beer.