Before someone takes their first sip of a beer, they usually see the label first.
At Martin City Brewing Company, the artwork on the can is part of the larger process of bringing a new beer to life. But according to owner Matt Moore, the art does not typically come first.
“The beer usually drives the label or the process,” Moore said. “We don’t have a name and a label until we are putting the taste profile of the beer together and spitballing names and artwork.”
That means the creative process often develops alongside the beer itself. As the team works through flavors and the personality of a new product, ideas for names and visuals begin to take shape.
The labels also offer an opportunity to connect the beer to the identity of Martin City Brewing Company and the community it calls home.
“We try to bring the identity of our restaurants into beers always,” Moore said.
One example is Fountain City Hefe, a beer with a label that makes its Kansas City connection clear.
“Our Fountain City Hefe has the fountains incorporated into the label, and it’s fully KC,” Moore said.
The artwork behind a beer label may be small enough to fit in someone's hand, but Moore sees it as an important part of the overall product. Before a customer knows anything about the flavor or ingredients, the can is already making an impression.
What does he want people to notice when they pick one up?
“Quality, quality, quality and care,” Moore said.
Some labels carry a particularly personal connection to the company's history. Abbey, the brewery's first beer label, was designed by Moore's brother-in-law, Ryan Lamfers.
“It was our first beer label,” Moore said. “It is as interesting and neat a label as you’ll find.”
Lamfers, who is now the head of the art department at West Georgia University, is also a local connection. He graduated from Lee's Summit High School and was there during the early days of the business.
“He spent time in the trenches with us as we were getting our feet underneath us,” Moore said.
That history gives the Abbey label a significance beyond its artwork. It represents a time when Martin City Brewing Company was still finding its footing and building the business into what it is today.
As the beer industry continues to change, Moore believes the role of art and design could become even more important. He said fewer beers are now being developed simply based on what the market wants, which could allow more time and energy to go into the creative side of the process.
“I do believe the labels will have more time and energy put into them once again,” he said.
For a brewery, the label has to do more than look good. It becomes part of how people recognize the product and connect it to the company behind it. For Martin City Brewing Company, that connection comes back to the same values that guide its food and beverage offerings.
“We are a hometown company that’s been bootstrapped and always trying to do the best by our family, our fans,” Moore said.
That hometown approach is reflected in the people who have helped build the company, the Kansas City references that find their way into the products and the attention given to what goes into each beer.
For Moore, the goal is not simply to create something that looks good on a shelf. The label is another part of the experience and another opportunity to show the care behind the product.
“We care as much or more than the next guy and will continue to push the boundaries of quality and creativity in all things food and beverage,” he said.
From the first idea behind a new beer to the finished can in someone's hand, the process is a combination of flavor, creativity and identity. And while the beer may come first, the artwork gives it another way to tell its story.
For more information and locations visit https://www.martincitybrewingcompany.com/