Balholm Handverkcider

Design Agency: OlssønBarbieri
Photo: Sigve Aspelund (Tinagent)
Painting: “Indre Fjaerlandsfjord i Sogn” Hans Gude ,1857
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Packaging Content: Beer
Location: Oslo, Norway

Balholm is a family owned distillery and cider maker with their own orchard located deep inside the beautiful Sognefjord on the west coast of Norway. The steep mountains, famously depicted by artists during the national romantic period provides a shield from the north sea ideal for fruit growing. Even records from the viking age talk about the great fruit in this region. The Eitungjerde family are the first to graft and grow english and french cider trees in the Norwegian climate.

Cider is bitter and a suitable alternative to beer and as the first Norwegian cider brand with no clear category language to fit into, it was important to transmit the micro brewery method and to borrow cues from the beer category. The blue colours are inspired by the atmospherical transformation of the colours in the fjords as seen in the national romantic paintings which transmit delicate and food friendly associations, while the pragmatic use of typography express a genuine sense of detail and craft inherent to the small scale production. The oval label format is also a nod to the beer category. The front labels carry short texts about the fruit type, method and taste description together with the symbol of the fruit press surrounded by 5 apples representing the 5 generations. The small transparent bottles also have a family portrait from the 1960´ies printed in the glue of the front labels to celebrate the personal commitment behind the product.