Pete Bishop
All design work

Stickler Shrub Cocktails

2022

Okay first off, I did not design the can on this one. The brand and the camera designed by the very talented. Scott Steele at ZGM. I was the product manager So I invented the liquid, chose the brand, and figured out sales and operations for the first year. I was able to play client with the agency, which was an interesting perspective and understand how to bring a beverage to market.

The shrub is a very old process that dates back to the 1600s, where vinegar was used to preserve fruits and vegetables . In the 1900s, it became popular in cocktail culture when they realized that vinegar is actually makes for a great drink and is remarkably refreshing. The process is you take fruits or vegetables and break them down with sugars and then infuse them with vinegar over time.

The impetus for this was in a bar in Brooklyn called The Bink, where a friend of mine and I sat all night drinking with the bartender. It was a magical night, at least in my memory And at one point, I got to try a new one for the menu, which was a sweet potato cocktail. At first I thought it was going to be disgusting, but it was one of the most complex and delicious drinks I've ever had. Turns out the base was a sweet potato shrub, which got me going into shrub making ever since that night.

I wore a lot of hats on this one but had a lot of support from the agency . Including help from my partner Ric Williams who stepped in and helped with operations after a year or two. The brand was super fun to work with as you can see below, and it was non-stop building sales and materials.

Within the first year we were in over 200 stores in Alberta and are now sold across the Western provinces .

View the project
Stickler Shrub Cocktails
This became our hero image for the stick out campaign where we stabbed all our cans with... well sticks
Stickler Shrub Cocktails
We ended up with four flavors. Blackberry lemon and grapefruit out of the gate followed by pineapple jalapeño, and cranberry orange. But blackberry lemon was the all time favourite
Stickler Shrub Cocktails
Later the 8 pack mixer became our top seller in the bigger chains like Safeway and Sobeys.
Stickler Shrub Cocktails
I was super proud of the boxes. although they were unbelievably annoying to build with all the rules and regulations . Who knows if you get so excited about a cardboard box
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Building out sales materials was fun. This was an example of a brochure we had printed for a select audience.
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Social media wrote itself, especially as AI came out in the middle of this and allowed us to create images that would have taken forever in Photoshop.
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This is a shot of my kitchen where the shrub was first conceived . A lot of nights feeling gross from the amount of vinegar I consumed .
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Here is a handful of photos from festivals and whatnot. Our booth is always a hit.
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Finally, this is what made it all worthwhile seeing your product on a shelf after so much work .
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