Spirits Meet Angels & DevilsSpirits Meet Angels & Devils

Collectible tequila packages feature bold graphics and high-end details, and the master distiller signs every bottle.

Kate Bertrand Connolly, Freelance Writer

July 19, 2024

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Tequila Cayéya - Angel & Devil

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Tequila Cayéya

At a Glance

  • Limited-edition spirits packaging leans into angelic and devilish imagery.
  • Pewter and suede components elevate the bottles and gift boxes.
  • Tequila Cayéya used race-car paints to create colorful bottles with a high-gloss finish.

The packaging design for Tequila Cayéya’s new El Diablo’s Elixir and The Spirit of an Angel uses an array of unusual materials and finishes to position the limited-edition tequilas as luxury spirits with signature aging processes.

The two single-barrel products comprise the "Angels vs. Devils" themed release, which debuted in June. The brand owner produced only 1,200 bottles of each tequila. The products are available online and at select retailers, with a suggested price of $150.

El Diablo’s Elixir, an Añejo Cristalino tequila, is packaged in a red bottle finished with suede accents, a pewter label, and a glass topper. The product’s gift box features devil-inspired graphics and a magnetic closure.

An 18-month aging process for El Diablo’s Elixir includes six months in American white oak, six in French oak, and another six in American white oak. The unique 6-6-6 process inspired the product’s name and resonates with the devilish visual details.

Packaging for The Spirit of an Angel Añejo tequila is a dark blue bottle and a white gift box decorated with blue graphics. Finishing touches resemble those on the El Diablo’s Elixir packaging except with angelic, rather than diabolical, imagery.

The numerical shorthand for the angelic tequila’s aging process literally turns things upside down. It is a 9-9-9 process, with nine months of aging in American white oak, nine in French oak, and a return to American white oak for the final nine months.

Related:Brands Unleash Year of the Dragon Designs

Adding to the artisanal quality of both expressions, Tequila Cayéya master distiller Zandra Gomez signs and writes the barrel/batch number on each bottle’s label.

In this exclusive Q&A, Tequila Cayéya cofounder Sam Hirsch answers our questions about the provocative packaging for El Diablo’s Elixir and The Spirit of an Angel.

Was there a particular inspiration for the package graphics, or a story the brand wanted to tell?

Hirsch: We wanted to bring the unique process behind El Diablo’s Elixir and The Spirit of an Angel to the packaging designs. El Diablo’s Elixir is a fiery red bottle, which represents the name of the tequila and the unique 6-6-6 months’ aging process that was used to make the Añejo Cristalino. The gift box includes the phrase “El Diablo’s Elixir” and includes graphics inspired by the name and bottle.

The Spirit of an Angel is packaged in a navy blue bottle, which represents the opposite of the fiery red in El Diablo’s Elixir. The name of the tequila was inspired by the unique 9-9-9 months’ aging process used to make the Añejo. The gift box includes the phrase “The Spirit of an Angel” and includes angel-inspired graphics, which are inspired by the name and bottle.

Does the packaging explain the 6-6-6 and 9-9-9 processes to consumers?

Hirsch: Yes, we included a poem inside each gift box that details the 6-6-6 and 9-9-9 aging processes in a creative way for the consumer. This way, they’re able to learn about the unique process when they open the box.

Did Tequila Cayéya work with a design agency on these packages?

Hirsch: The bottles for all single-barrel expressions, including Devils vs. Angels, were designed by packaging designer Audrie Kapinus and renowned tattoo artist Rukus Tattoo. Audrie created the general shape and labeling of the bottle, and Rukus Tattoo hand-drew the Aztec-style wolf insignia used on all of the bottles. [The wolf] serves as the brand’s primary logo.

Who created the packaging graphics for El Diablo’s Elixir and The Spirit of an Angel?

Hirsch: I drew the illustrations for the Devils vs. Angelsartwork using Adobe Illustrator. 

What decorating and printing techniques do you use on the bottles and gift boxes?

Hirsch: The bottle shape was designed to look like an old apothecary bottle. We wanted a timeless, elegant shape that would look great on every backbar. Each of the bottles includes an authentic suede necker to complement the pewter label below it. The wolf insignia is cut from real pewter and has a patina finish for a vintage look and feel. The pewter addition gives the bottle a rustic, vintage look, which is the brand’s main intention.

As for the bottom label, it's an ode to our limited-edition single-barrel strategy. When Audrie designed the label, she wanted to make it clear that the brand had areas to designate each barrel/batch, ABV/proof, and it was then sealed with a signature from our distiller, Zandra Gomez. This was intentionally done to showcase the handmade, small-batch aspects of the product.

For the custom gift boxes, each single-barrel bottle comes in a custom, magnetic gift box with foil stamping, foam inserts, and a poem inside, which talks about the brand and liquid.

How do you achieve the red and blue bottles?

Hirsch: The bottles were sprayed with paints used on high-performance cars to achieve the effect and high-gloss finish. The paint finish on these bottles was inspired by colors used on Formula One cars.

Is it difficult to separate the various packaging materials prior to recycling? Or are these packages intended as collectibles, so recycling isn’t a concern?

Hirsch: Our hope is that people keep and save these bottles as collectibles. We’ve intentionally designed them to live as art pieces.

How have consumers reacted to the products and the packaging?

Hirsch: The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Our distributor partners and many consumers have written to us both about the package and the liquid. We spent a lot of time aiming to make this an impactful experience for our consumers and fans.

Our goal is to continue to keep pushing the boundaries on the packaging and liquid-aging processes. This is what the Tequila Cayéya Single Barrel Series is all about. The Devils vs. Angels release is just the beginning of what will become an annual tradition.

About the Author

Kate Bertrand Connolly

Freelance Writer

Kate Bertrand Connolly has been covering innovations, trends, and technologies in packaging, branding, and business since 1981.

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