Worthy Brewing announces rebrand with new cans

Worthy Brewing new can lineup

Bend’s Worthy Brewing is the latest brewery to announce a rebrand, with new cans as well as other company-wide marketing refreshes. The brewery sent out the press release this afternoon with the announcement. It’s a long one, and afterward I have some comments. Highlights:

  • New cans have a refreshed and consistent look;
  • Two new beers have been added to the year-round lineup: Secret Spot Pacific Pale and Sol Power Pilsner;
  • Sol Power features local Mecca Grade Estate Malt;
  • New mantra “Earth First. Beer Second”;
  • Worthy will host an Earth Day celebration release party on April 20;
  • 2019 production calendar included.

And here’s the full release:

On Monday, March 25, 2019, Worthy Brewing is soft-launching its new cans, new merchandise, and serious yet playful mantra ‘Earth First. Beer Second.’

“In the past, our cans have always been sort of stand-alone brands,” said Roger Worthington, Worthy’s Owner. “Now, they’re consistent and boldly portray the Worthy logo, making it easier for our customers to find the Worthy six-pack they’re looking for.”

Each can portrays Worthy’s mantra, ‘Earth First. Beer Second.’ on the label, along with Worthy’s commitment, ‘Worthy donates a % of sales to Earth-friendly non-profits,’ which speaks to Worthy’s dedication to environmental stewardship.

“I’ve always been an advocate for our planet and science education,” said Worthington. “We continue to take baby steps in the right direction. We all believe in it. And it just makes sense to communicate that commitment through our branding and cans.”

“Our new cans were hand-drawn by local artist and outdoor enthusiast, Paul Leighton, who is also a good friend of Roger’s,” said Meghan Hoey, Worthy’s Director of Marketing. “Each can represents a piece of Worthy’s identity – and together, they help tell Worthy’s story.”

Analyzing consumer insights and market trends, Worthy’s leadership team kept three of Worthy’s year-round styles in ongoing production: Worthy IPA, Lights Out Stout and its flagship Strata IPA. Brand new to the core line-up are: Secret Spot Pacific Pale and Sol Power Pilsner.

When asking Worthy’s Head Brewer Zach Brenneman about both Secret Spot and Sol Power, he said that both beers are lower in ABV but still boast all of the complex flavors and aromas that you expect out of great craft beers. On the Secret Spot he said, “It’s a beer you can drink after your trail run – and then have one [or two] more.”

And true to Worthy’s commitment in sourcing local, the Sol Power Pilsner features malt from Mecca Grade Estate Malts out of Madras, Oregon. “This Pilsner gets its flavor from Mecca Grade malts and a concentration of aroma hops,” Brenneman said. “You get more lemon, citrus and grassy notes, giving this pilsner a familiar local flavor.”

Speaking to the design of each can, Hoey shares that the Worthy IPA can represents Worthy’s commitment to source locally and support its Northwest neighbors first. She also shares that Worthy’s fan favorite, Lights Out Stout, showcases Worthy’s Hopservatory, a unique, one-of-a-kind observatory that lets its guests experience the humbling beauty and diversity of space, while inspiring those who visit to take care of our planet. Worthy’s other cans boast equally thought-provoking visuals and messages.

“At Worthy, we want to enhance the guest experience, and also do the right thing by Mother Earth,” Worthington said.

In addition to new cans, Worthy’s rebrand also includes new artwork throughout its pubs, noticeable updates to its website, refreshed and aligned marketing collateral, and overall brand strategy.

“Worthy has always been a proponent of green technologies and practices,” Hoey said, “but those efforts weren’t promoted consistently to our guests and community. Now they are and we’ve made it our mission to continue to operate as responsibly and sustainably as we can – and share our learnings and progress with our fellow craft breweries and pubs. It’s not enough that we’re trying our best – we want others to join in too. Together we’ll be stronger, and better poised to be responsible, active members of our community.”

On Saturday, April 20, 2019, Worthy Brewing is hosting an Earth Day Celebration party at its east side location to celebrate the release of its new cans and its mantra, ‘Earth First. Beer Second.’

“Our decision to release our cans around Earth Day is intentional,” Hoey said. “This release party is a great way to present our new cans, engage with our community, and enjoy fun and educational activities that connect us back to our land and our home. And of course, we can’t wait to have Precious Byrd take the stage!”

Worthy is partnering with The Environmental Center to give Bend an entire day’s worth of activities that are focused on Earth Day. Following The Environmental Center’s Earth Day parade and fair, Worthy invites you to head on over for a full afternoon and evening of entertainment.

One of the things that’s always bothered me about Worthy’s packaging is that there was never really any unifying theme to the designs — the Worthington quote about “stand-alone brands” is exactly right, and it applies to both the cans and bottles. So seeing these new cans with a unified and consistent branding is gratifying, and to my own non-design-background eye, I like the strong lines and stylized background artwork. It’s the right direction.

The environmental angle isn’t new, but it’s becoming more front and center.

And look, the two new year-round canned beers, Secret Spot and Sol Power, are billed as lower ABV but full flavored… no mention of low carbs though. Yet.

And, Worthy included its 2019 production calendar with this press release, which I’ve included below, and there’s a tidbit that wasn’t included in the press release: by September 1st, the brewery is transitioning from 22-ounce bottles to the refillable 500ml bottles being championed and popularized by Double Mountain, Buoy Beer, and others. That’s pretty big news as well.

Worthy Brewing 2019 production calendar

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