Forbidden Bourbon

TricorBraun Pours Success for a Bourbon Brand in ‘Forbidden’ Territory

The Forbidden name “is like a song that means different things to different people,” according to Daniel Rickenmann, Co-Founder, Forbidden Bourbon. 

Forbidden Bourbon is a tribute to a time when, by Kentucky law, women were prohibited from pursuing careers as master distillers until 1974. The name also pays homage to co-founder Marianne Eaves, who repeatedly found herself treading along career paths traditionally dominated by men, eventually earning a degree in chemical engineering and then embarking on a journey at a renowned distillery dedicated to research and tasting. Eaves’ determination soon led her to become Kentucky’s first female bourbon master distiller since the era of Prohibition.

“Forbidden is also the first bourbon made from white corn and white winter wheat. Marianne and I went into ‘forbidden’ territory because there’s no other bourbon like this, bringing our journey full circle,” said Rickenmann.

Transforming a Nine-Sided Bottle Concept into an Eight-Sided Iconic Bottle

Forbidden envisioned a nine-sided bottle concept for its 750 ml Kentucky bourbon and brought its rendering to several manufacturers. 

“Our goal was to create a premium product with a unique structure as iconic as the Coca-Cola bottle, but for the bourbon market,” said Rickenmann. “However, TricorBraun was the first to counsel Forbidden that a nine-sided bottle design is not sustainable for creating a manufacturable glass solution that would sustain breakage. This was our biggest fear.”

According to Marco Serrano, Design Development Manager, Design & Engineering, TricorBraun, “With a conventional mold, it is critical to have a geometry that ensures uniform surfaces follow the parting line areas. Avoiding undercuts and complex geometry for certain features helps to mitigate demolding issues, prevent damage to the structure, and yields a consistent manufacturing process over time. TricorBraun wanted to make Forbidden's vision a reality, but their original design was not manufacturable in a sustainable way."

Therefore, said Serrano, TricorBraun proposed an eight-sided bottle design incorporating adequate draft angles for a mold that would remove any potential undercuts and allow for proper removal of the glass structure.

“We chose to collaborate with TricorBraun because they immediately presented us with a beautiful eight-sided solution that was executable and didn’t steer away from achieving Forbidden’s design and aesthetic goals,” said Rickenmann. 

The initial design concept by Forbidden and its design partner, Holotype, also featured a front brand label with a distinct appearance resembling metal molding. TricorBraun engaged a supplier to produce a diecast metal label part specifically tailored for application on the unique geometry of the glass bottle after molding. 

According to Scott Vargo, Product Design Engineer, Design & Engineering, Tricor Braun also had to choose a metal label type that would consistently adhere to the precise location of the bottle’s sharp edge — an element critical for protecting the structural integrity of glass to withstand the rigors of shipping and handling.

“Forbidden’s rendering also initially included a hexagon metal closure with knurled detailing,” Garrett Mager, Regional Sales Manager, TricorBraun. “However, the complexity of this detail on a metal closure proved costly, so TricorBraun recommended early in the process a unique hexagon wood closure, with a metal inlay on the top with the Forbidden logo debossed.”

Forbidden Bourbon Savors the Taste of Success 

“The limited edition, premium Forbidden Bourbon quickly sold out, and consumers loved the unique bottle design,” said Rickenmann. “I believe we successfully achieved our goal to develop our own iconic bottle for bourbon on retail shelves. You don't need bold, oversized branding to spot our bottle from a distance; the Forbidden bottle is unmistakable at a glance."

“The final bottle looks sharp, and it’s a testament to the heavy lifting that TricorBraun Design & Engineering and Garrett put in to identify the ideal suppliers for the bottle label and closure," said Dale Doyle, founder, Holotype.

Doyle adds that he’s a designer who has never created a bottle structure for spirits, so TricorBraun “was instrumental in guiding both me and the Forbidden team to better understand the importance of symmetry in facilitating the smooth release of molds during bottle production, ultimately enabling the creation of a beautiful and manufacturable product."

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