Blood x Sweat x Tears Vodka Branding

Brand identity and packaging for an uncommon new breed of distillery.

CLIENT

Based in Eugene, Oregon, Wolf Spirit Distillery is an independent distiller committed to sharing the best of independent premium spirits from around the world. Among their brands is Blood x Sweat x Tears, a Eugene-based small batch vodka brand that started with grit, determination, and a little fury in what used to be a laundromat.

CHALLENGE

Create a new kind of vodka for a new kind of consumer. The vodka category is in the midst of an identity crisis. On the one hand, the spirit has a reputation for being boring and tasteless. On the other, it’s a poster child for bottle service, with little substance to validate the pomp and circumstance. Blood x Sweat x Tears came to Moxie Sozo to put a face to the brand’s bold, unapologetic, and unconventional personality.

SOLUTION

A vodka for the misfits. The packaging takes cues from the distillery’s tattooed distiller, Ben Green, and even features his rescue pitbull, Mr. Pickles. The intricate artwork tells the story of the process and distillery with literal blood, sweat, and tears, as well as taking inspiration from Eugene, the landscape, and its fables. The brand identity harkens back to union badges of old, a nod to the grit, pride, and hard work that go into each bottle.

Everything about the brand was designed to invite a different kind of narrative. Even its opaque black bottle flew in the face of category conventions.

RESULTS

Within only 18 months of launch, and with a team of just six people, Blood x Sweat x Tears is already distributed in 30 markets with 3,000 accounts across the country—including major retailers like Publix, Kroger, Walmart, Total Wine, Albertsons, and more.

The brand credits its identity and packaging with playing a vital role in its success—and Moxie Sozo with helping to create a truly standout brand in an otherwise all-too-familiar category.