Australian spirits start-up A’Peel is using fruit waste peel including banana and citrus to create vodka and gin, and is relying on its packaging design to communicate the brand’s sustainability story and stand out in the market.
Developed by Alexander Bell of Milton Distillery in Brisbane, the spirits use waste feedstocks and is packaged in a bottle made from 100 per cent post-consumer recycled glass, manufactured by Estal in Spain.
Each bottle has natural imperfections, with the brand embracing the material’s variability as part of its sustainability narrative.
The label is made from 30 per cent post-consumer waste and is designed to peel off cleanly for recycling, while the stopper, called Corkcoal, is made from cork and activated charcoal.
Bell worked with Melbourne-based packaging design studio Studio Guild to develop A’Peel’s visual identity and packaging. Trish Dunstone, creative director and founder at Studio Guild, centred the identity around the brand’s core ingredient – fruit peel waste.
The design features a peel-like font, an organically shaped label that mimics the texture of fruit skin, and a fruit sticker-inspired tamper seal. Embossed dimples on the bottle surface also evoke citrus peel, offering a tactile connection to the ingredient.
According to Bell, who soft-launched the brand three weeks ago, more than 1000 bottles have already been sold.
“Had we launched with something half-baked in a generic bottle, I don’t think we would’ve had the same reaction,” said Bell. “Being able to tell the story through the packaging helps to create a brand story that people hold onto. Every element – from bottle to cork – reinforces the product story.”
He credited Studio Guild with helping him navigate a crowded spirits market. “There’s already so many gins and vodkas – lots use stock bottles. Studio Guild showed me a direction we could go in, and communicated it in a way that didn’t freak me out as a brand owner.”
A’Peel’s broader brand concept, which it describes as “waste-to-worth”, reflects its goal to create a product that is both environmentally responsible and commercially viable. The packaging strategy plays a central role in conveying that message to consumers.
While A’Peel is not yet available in retail, Bell said early responses from customers have been encouraging, particularly around the product’s packaging and sustainability positioning.
