Payette Brewing

Pioneering craft beer in Idaho.

Two women sitting by a river holding and toasting with cans of Payette Brewing Co. beer, featuring flavors like Rustler and Sofa King Sunny.

Our Role

Purpose + Positioning

Brand Identity

Design

Payette Brewing helped put Idaho craft beer on the map. As the first in the state to can their beer, they defined a new frontier—bold, adventurous, and unapologetically local. Their legacy is more than just hops and barley; it’s a story of staying true to your roots while expanding your reach.

The Opportunity

A brand that could go anywhere.

Payette was doing something different from the start. Cans instead of bottles. Adventure over tradition. They didn’t need a flashy brand—they needed one that could hold its own as they grew, without losing their roots.

The opportunity was to define a clear purpose and visual system that could scale with them—built around the same no-nonsense, independent spirit that shaped the brewery.

Payette brought the beer. We gave it the shelf appeal it deserved.

The Solution

Cans as distinctive as the beer inside.

Payette’s lineup was already full of personality. Our job was to make that come through with more clarity and cohesion—without sanding off the edges that made it great to begin with.

We built a visual system that let each beer speak for itself while still feeling unmistakably Payette. Strong typography, punchy color palettes, and playful, unexpected illustrations gave each can a presence on the shelf—and in people’s hands. It was less about reinventing the brand, and more about turning up the volume on what was already working.

Key Deliverables

  • Scalable packaging system built to support a growing lineup.

  • Refined design elements that balance structure with character.

  • A cohesive shelf presence without losing individual flavor.

Payette Brewing Co. Rustler India Pale Ale can with cowboy illustration on red background.
Multiple Payette Brewing Co. North Fork Lager cans on a turquoise background.
Three cans of Recoil India Pale Ale by Payette Brewing Co with a dark, rustic background. The can design includes a coiled snake graphic, text detailing the beer's flavor profile, and branding information. The label highlights Idaho as the origin and suggests serving in a pint glass.
Can of Embers S'mores Porter beer by Payette Brewing Co. next to ingredients like graham crackers, chocolate, roasted marshmallow, mint, and a glass of dark beer with a frothy head.
Lineup of beer cans from Payette Brewing Co. featuring various flavors including IPA, lager, and sour ale, displayed against a gray textured background with the brand name in bold.
Collage featuring a can of Sofa King Sunny hazy pale ale from Payette Brewing Co., a lineup of cans in a production line, and graphic elements with the name and branding on a yellow and blue background.
Urban Surfer Citrus Wheat beer cans from Payette Brewing Co. in green packaging with a processing line visible.
Composite image featuring a hand holding a Payette Brewing Co. North Fork Lager can, showcasing stacks of similar beer cans. The background includes a nature scene with people rafting on a river and an isolated beer can graphic with wood texture and logo.
Person holding a Payette Brewing Co. beer can, sitting by a body of water, with bracelets on wrist.
Cans of Ember's S'mores Porter by Payette Brewing Co. on a table.