White Rock Distilleries reduces costs with the reintroduction of Pinnacle Vodka in new, blue-hued PET bottle

The bottle had several unique design elements—it tapers in from the shoulder to the base, the base is footed and it has a taller profile than other commercial 1.75L PET bottles.

17/07/06 White Rock Distilleries, Pinnacle Vodka brand recently introduced its 1.75L size in a translucent blue PET bottle from Amcor PET Packaging. The new container helps trim costs while still preserving Pinnacle’s unique image.

Pinnacle originally launched its 1.75L size in a glass bottle, sourced from Italy. The bottle was then shipped to a facility in Montreal so that the distinctive translucent blue hue could be applied via a powder coating. In turn, the bottle was sent to United States for filling.

"The length of the supply chain was mandating the amount of inventory we had to hold. The European-sourced glass bottle, coupled with the decoration, made it an expensive package. We felt that we could get a high quality PET container to effectively represent the brand and give us significant cost savings," explains Joe Werda, director of operations, White Rock Distilleries.

In considering PET alternatives, White Rock wanted to make sure that the brand imaging would not be compromised in any way.

"We chose Amcor because of their ability to work with unique bottle designs. We gave them a design that we knew was difficult to replicate in plastic. Our goal was to end up with a bottle that was close enough in appearance to the glass version—but in PET," Joe Werda says.

The bottle had several unique design elements—it tapers in from the shoulder to the base, the base is footed and it has a taller profile than other commercial 1.75L PET bottles. Again, design and engineering parameters were pushed to achieve the desired geometry.

The company was also very specific in its color requirements. The end result was a slightly different shade of blue than the glass version.

"Getting the right color was another challenge. After several attempts, Amcor was able to manufacture a bottle with a blue color that was so pleasing that we converted our 750ml and liter size [still in glass] to match the PET," Werda says.

The conversion has also enabled the company to offer a more competitive retail pricing structure now that cost has been removed from the packaging.

"We are very pleased with the look and feel of the bottles—they are very high quality looking. Many consumers don’t actually know that it is PET until they touch it," notes Bill Dabbelt, vice president, sales, White Rock Distilleries.

"White Rock’s new Pinnacle PET bottle demonstrates Amcor’s ability to deliver a double-hitting, value-added solution. It offers significant supply chain cost savings and enhanced brand image via color and design," explains Fred Piercy, Amcor’s business director for liquor.

White Rock Distilleries is a leading manufacturer and importer of fine spirits and liqueurs. The company operates a state-of-the-art facility on ten acres in Lewiston, Maine. With six bottling lines, more than 150 brands and a capacity in excess of five million cases, the company looks forward to continuing a 67-year track record of success. During recent years, White Rock has introduced a wide range of new products with record-breaking results. Notable success stories include the launch of the Three Olives Vodka product line, Cabana Boy and the newly introduced Pinnacle Vodka. White Rock also has import agreements with several international distillers, including the acclaimed Morrison Bowmore Distilleries Ltd. of Scotland, Louis Royer Cognac of France and Quintessential Gin of England.

Amcor PET Packaging's Diversified Products division has been established to help consumer products companies achieve innovation, speed-to-market and product differentiation. The business unit focuses on bringing unique packaging solutions to market segments such as personal care, food and liquor.