This content was originally published by The Hop Review, a digital magazine that joined the Hop Culture family in March 2020.
This piece was written by Jack Muldowney.
GENEVA, IL
Penrose Brewing does Belgian-inspired beers well. Really well. Penrose Brewing also does branding really well. Their “Requisite Collection” houses some of the heartiest and tastiest Belgo-pale ales you can find, anywhere. And housing those beers is some packaging that has likely caught your eye already, but you maybe didn’t know the approach to the brewery’s identity. Built around a distinct tiling pattern, the Penrose brand has a strong, consistent foundation. And as the designer behind the brand (Ian Law of Mighty Few) describes, the approach and name for the Geneva brewery is all part of a deliberate schematic:
“The name and logo for Penrose Brewing were inspired by a geometric tiling pattern that illustrates an intersection and balance between art and science. This seemed fitting for a craft brewery in pursuit of a similar equilibrium.
The geometry of the Penrose tiling pattern serves as a design filter for all the packaging and visual brand elements. It creates a structure to build upon and serves as a foundation for a consistent branding system. Sometimes the pattern is used in a more straightforward method like it appears on the Requisite packaging; however in other instances, like the Wild labels, it is employed as a jumping off point. In the Wild labels, it (the pattern) serves as an underlying grid that helps create a system of organized chaos through a combination or organic elements and geometric lines. Overall, the pattern works well for the brand because it is very identifiable and provides flexibility for the ever-expanding visual system that Penrose will utilize as it continues to grow.”
Well, whether we catch a glimpse of the Penrose branding on a 6-pack of Proto Gradus, their amazing Wild Series labels or in the taproom…we dig it all.
“The name and logo for Penrose Brewing were inspired by a geometric tiling pattern that illustrates an intersection and balance between art and science. This seemed fitting for a craft brewery in pursuit of a similar equilibrium.”
Photography provided by Penrose Brewing & design by mightyfew.com