I inherited the love for a gin and tonic from my English parents, and had convinced all of my friends in college that it was worth asking the bartender for a lemon to go with it.
I designed Redwood out of pure passion for gin, characterized by the femininity and modernity of many popular gin-based cocktail drinks.
redwood gin
During my year bartending at a tea-based cocktail bar in Boulder, I became a mixology enthusiast. I always had a stocked bar for when friends came over, brimming with bitters, syrups, and citrus juices for them to try out.
I learned the types of gins I loved, which often were distilled with local ingredients (like the Japanese Roku gin made with 6 different Japanese botanicals). I even developed a preference for the kinds of tonic water I liked, my favorite being the refreshingly light from Fever Tree.
The problem was, I didn't feel like I resonated with any of these brands I bought, which has always been important to me as a consumer. I feel like if I connect with the branding, the founder, or the flavors of a liquor product, I genuinely fall in love with the experience of purchasing the product and creating a cocktail with it. I resonated with brands making other liquors and seltzers, like Kendall Jenner's 818 Tequila, Bon Viv seltzer, or Belvedere vodka, but didn't find that connection in the gin industry.
The gin industry is seemingly dominated by male founders often telling a story around familial tradition or patriotism - think Hendrick's Gin, Bombay Sapphire, and Aviator. I wanted a brand that was more modern, feminine, and communicated that it was a simple, local, shareable gin.
I had just moved to San Francisco when designing this product, and decided to go down the path of the Northern California, Pacific Northwest vibe for the branding.
I envisioned woodsy colors and flavors inspired by the PNW, which led me to name the brand Redwood with the redwood tree motif as the logo. For the font, I chose something rounded with short ascenders to mimic the fluidity of a forest and the boldness of a redwood tree. The sans serif and uniqueness of the 'e' and 'w' was important in communicating that this is a modern brand, telling a new story for the gin industry.
I used copy to soften the product and add that touch of femininity, so I added "made with love in San Francisco" directly into the product description, along with a production number. The back of the label tells a story of my love for a gin & tonic with a lemon, and the romantic feeling of walking through the Redwood forests. I wanted the brand itself to express its love for its local roots, so I included "10% profit invested into California local projects" on the label as an example for how the product could give back.
In addition to the gin, I wanted to launch a seltzer line as I felt like premade gin & tonics that are easy to drink and have softer flavors didn't seem to exist. I went with a classic gin & tonic (made with lemon), a lavender vanilla flavor, and an earl gray vanilla. These flavors felt soft and feminine, attracting an audience that might feel underserved by the gin industry like I did.
