We all have our favorite liquor-related stories. That time Beth tried to get into the wrong car and set off the alarm; the night Ted woke up wearing the wrong shoes. But custom-motorcycle maker Ehinger Kraftrad may have one of the best non-drinking liquor anecdotes: that time they included antique Harley-Davidson parts inside bottles of The Archaeologist gin! Naturally such a cool idea required a cool design idea, which was brought to life by creative agency Serviceplan Group and Studio Oeding. But first, a bit of background.
“For decades, [co-founder] Uwe Ehinger has been searching the most remote places on the planet for antique motorbikes,” Serviceplan Group explains, “and saving them for dealing or as core pieces for designing his own models. This earned him the nickname ‘The Archaeologist.’ “
Naturally when his company created a premium dry gin, they decided to insert original Harley engine parts in each bottle: in this one some 1939 Flathead camshafts from the Mexican desert, in that one some 1947 Knucklehead screw-nuts from Chile or 1962 Panhead rocker arms from South Korea.
Right about now you’re probably saying “How on earth can you make this any cooler?” The answer, it turns out, is with a whole lot of extras. Let’s start with this impressive label, complete with a little peekaboo window to give you a peek at the part inside.
As Serviceplan observes, “The entire look and feel recreates the original packing of the antique engine parts – using authentic materials and historic techniques. Packages are made using selected pieces of cardboard and colours, and printed on an original Heidelberg Tiegel printing press from 1931. Waxed wrapping paper tells the story of each discovery.”
“This unique design is completed by hand-stamped, tamper-proof seals and clenched hangtags, each bearing the unique serial number of the engine part in its respective bottle.”
What does an engine part do to the drinkability of gin? Who cares – each bottle is a gorgeous work of art, guaranteed to get your engine revving whether you drink it or simply stare at it in loving admiration.
