Building a Brewery Brand, One Illustration at a Time.
I’ve collaborated with Royal City Brewing Co. since the very beginning of their story, working with the founders to help shape the brand from the ground up. Over more than ten years, I’ve created an evolving visual world for the brewery – from their earliest growlers and bottle labels to their current can designs, merchandise, and environmental graphics.
Nearly everything you see inside their beer hall carries my hand in some way:
- glassware and growlers
- early bottle labels
- modern can designs
- merch and staff apparel
- packaging systems and boxes
- sub-brands and seasonal beers
- in-hall signage and environmental graphics
- a large mural in their Ward Room
The brand’s visual identity has grown alongside the brewery itself, shifting from small-run craft beginnings to a fully realized system with strong recognition in the Guelph community. My illustrations and design direction focus on warmth, craft, and a sense of place – something that feels unmistakably “Royal City,” rooted deeply in the character of Guelph.
This long-term collaboration has allowed the brand to stay cohesive while evolving across formats, mediums, and trends. It’s been one of the most meaningful and creatively expansive relationships in my practice – the kind of partnership that shows what’s possible when illustration and design grow with a business over time.
