Bols Blue 1575
The Opportunity
Bols Blue is one of the world’s most recognisable liqueurs. Its electric blue hue has featured on cocktail menus for generations. Despite its fame, however, it had become somewhat hidden, often kept out of sight in speed rails rather than displayed with pride.
Working within the premium spirits and alcoholic-beverage sector, Bols Blue 1575 set out to change this. The new product marked 450 years of distilling heritage with a bold, premium liquid and a redesign that reclaimed the brand’s legacy while reinvigorating its place in modern mixology.
Our challenge was to blend historical reverence with contemporary relevance, celebrating the brand’s origin story while confidently taking it into the future.
Services
- Product Innovation
- Brand Strategy
- Visual Identity
- Structural Packaging Design
- Label Design
- Brand World
True Blue
The design draws from the spirit’s birthplace: Curaçao, the Caribbean island synonymous with the once-common Laraha orange, the original botanical used in Blue Curaçao. The recipe honours that lineage with a higher ABV and a unique infusion of spiced rum and island botanicals. The liquid had evolved, so the design needed to follow.
To reflect this layered, celebratory spirit, we created a visual brand world that combines tropical richness with crafted refinement.
At its heart is a bespoke bottle structure inspired by a djembe drum, a symbol of rhythm, celebration and cultural storytelling. Its broad shoulders and flared base create a confident shelf presence, while deep glass faceting catches the light like crystal and elevates the blue liquid within.
Premium Detail, Functional Beauty
Every element of the Bols Blue 1575 bottle design was crafted to improve both presence and performance in the bar environment. The bottle’s faceted crown offers greater tactility for fast-paced bar work while catching the light to create maximum visual impact under back-bar lighting.
The label system was completely reimagined. A vertical layout creates standout, anchoring the design in a refined copper-foiled plaque. Scalloped edges evoke vintage postage stamps and historic distilling certificates, while a hand-etched island motif connects the design to Curaçao and the product’s botanical origins.
A distinctive collar band inspired by beach bracelets adds texture and grip. An embossed 450-year seal on the cap reinforces the brand’s craftsmanship and credibility, using heraldic styling to reference Bols’ Dutch distilling heritage.
The Outcome
Bols Blue 1575 has redefined the presentation of blue liqueurs, securing a prestigious position in premium mixology. It has evolved from a speed-rail staple into a back-bar showpiece, reinforcing Bols’ reputation for spirits innovation and strengthening its presence in the modern bar environment.
