Corsair’s Curse
Rum Barrel Wheat Ale

Driftwood’s new sour is a departure from their regular sour series—a “dry-hopped fruit monster” soured on lactobacillus. For this design, we looked to the tropics for inspiration.

Corsair’s Curse is pure Pirate-tiki, inspired by rum-laden refreshments like the Wrecked Pirate, Maiden’s Downfall and Singapore Sling. Aged in rum barrels and emerging at around 9%, the bold, bright tropical theme is a jam on the coconut, rum and abundant fruit flavours powering this strong, sour ale.

This label makes liberal use of gold foil, a literal treasure trove of pirate booty waiting to be discovered. Whether what’s in the chest is a boon or a curse is anyone’s guess; the pirate’s expression leaves us wondering and evokes a sense of danger that invites further exploration.

Overall, the design is highly illustrative, a pulp-pirate caricature. Like the beer inside, the design is fun and fruity, but at 9.1%, it’s clearly not a beer to be taken lightly. In both design and contents, Corsair’s Curse is a contradiction—one that stays true to its influences.

Related Work:

Click any can or bottle to see the other packaging that we’ve designed for Driftwood Brewing.