I worked with Merchant House of Bow Lane to design and produce their drinks lists between 2015 and 2020. During this time we were awarded the much coveted Imbibe Magazine 'Drinks List of the Year' Award.
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Over the years their drinks lists evolved from featuring illustrated depictions of the cocktails to more evocative imagery portraying a sense of provenance and history behind the bars two favoured primary spirits - rum and gin.
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The spreads and details here are from the 'Female Icons of Empire' menu, featuring significant leading ladies from history portrayed as the face of each drink. A four colour palette identifies the flavour profile of the drinks whilst the illustrations also include patterns and textures inspired by traditional bank note artwork. This reflects the mercantile history of the bars, their position in the trading city area of London and of the significant influence of the characters portrayed.
I managed the job from concept to final print and production.
"I’ve loved this since the start of the judging. It does everything i want a menu to do. It’s well written, well presented and has a high level of production. It’s innovative in presentation, but the drinks themselves are very simple – never more than five ingredients. I’d drink all of these."
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MICHAEL BUTT
"It’s elegant, stylish and balanced. Concise, and never over the top. And even though it has a retro feel it’s not at all dated, rather it’s progressive."
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PETER DORELLI
"If it was music, this list would be classical. It’s pretty, structured, and aesthetically lovely, but there are layers of content, too. Despite this, there’s no bullshit at all. It’s educational but not boring, and playful without being silly."
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MONICA BERG
