Granite Roots Brewing
Steam Train Beer Label
Client
Granite Roots Brewing
Product
Cheshire Czech 12° Lager
Scope
Packaging Design & Illustration
Recognition
2025 GDUSA Package Design Award
Local heritage, bold presence.
Granite Roots Brewing commissioned this label to celebrate the town of Troy, New Hampshire's acquisition of a historic steam train. The goal was to create packaging that honored local pride while delivering strong visual impact in a competitive craft beer market.
The final design blends regional landmarks with a bold psychedelic aesthetic, creating a label that feels both rooted in place and immediately eye-catching on shelf.
Recognized in the 2025 GDUSA Package Design Awards, the project stood out in a highly competitive national field for its integration of local storytelling with a confident, shelf-ready visual approach.
Psychedelic art meets local story.
The visual direction draws inspiration from 1960s psychedelic poster art, with subtle influence from the work of Peter Max and the era's iconic graphic language. Vibrant color, rhythmic pattern, and strong illustration work together to create movement and energy across the can.
Key elements were carefully integrated to maintain authenticity — the train station was illustrated from reference photography, Mount Monadnock anchors the composition as a recognizable local landmark, and the beer name signage echoes Troy's welcome sign.
Color and pattern were balanced for both character and shelf clarity. The result is packaging that celebrates place while maintaining strong retail presence.
Design Features
- Custom illustrated beer label
- Psychedelic 60s-inspired aesthetic
- Local landmark integration
- Mount Monadnock feature
- Steam train centerpiece
- Shelf-aware color strategy
- National award recognition
Reference — Troy Train Station, NH
On shelves across New Hampshire.
The finished can is now distributed across New Hampshire, successfully capturing the spirit of Troy while helping the product stand out in a crowded craft beer environment.
The project demonstrates how locally rooted storytelling and strategic packaging design can work together to create memorable shelf presence — and earn national recognition in the process.
Award
GDUSA 2025
Package Design Award
Distribution
Statewide
New Hampshire retail locations
Recognition
National
Competitive national field