Beer launch celebrates 18th-century dandyism

A beer-loving design agency is celebrating the trend-setting creativity of the 18th-century dandy with the launch of a ‘Beau Nash’ craft beer.

The label for JDO’s Beau Nash beer features an ambigram illustration – one which reads the same way whether the bottle is the right way up or upside down

JDO Brand & Design partnered with local microbrewery Moodley’s, owned by Yudhistra Moodley, a self-taught brewer in Penshurst, Kent, to create its ‘Beau Nash’ Kentish ale. The beer has been brewed using locally sourced elderflower and honey to create a light beer celebrating the local area.

The aim of Tunbridge Wells-based JDO was to develop its own beer brand which showcased both the team’s knowledge of the beer sector and traditional design skills to create the beer’s label and branding.

The inspiration for the beer was the celebrated 18th-century dandy and fashion icon Beau Nash. Nash was a failed barrister and celebrated figure in Bath who went on to become the self-appointed Master of Ceremonies in Tunbridge Wells in 1735. Reputed to have been a trend-setter and notorious gambler, Nash became the subject of a biography from the Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith.

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Seeing this as fertile ground for creative exploration, JDO’s designers came up with a playing cards concept, creating a Beau Nash ambigram label – an illustration that reads the same way whether the bottle is the right way up or upside down.

The label features intricate filigree and highly stylised lettering, with an almost continuous illustration acting as visual metaphor for the “rich tapestry” of Nash’s life, JDO said.

Ben Oates, JDO executive director commented: “This is a fantastic opportunity to put our money where our mouth is creating an exquisite brand idea and beer with an equally exquisite design.”

Dan Bowstead, designer at JDO, added: “The aim was to create something that was completely unique. The idea, the beer taste profile and the bottle design all reflect the agency with the other influences drawn from our locale. It’s been great to develop a brand through brew to design and production.”