Hotel Tango Distillers

This branding blew me away when I stumbled across it. It is the epitome of American-style liquor packaging design.

The story of Hotel Tango starts on April 14, 2002, when Travis Barnes, profoundly affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11, enlists In the U.S. Marine Corps. He travels 2,000 miles to Recruit Training and School of Infantry (a.k.a. Boot Camp) in Southern California. He is eager and anxious, scared and determined. His training begins.

At Boot Camp, Travis quickly learns that there is only one acceptable way of doing things: the right way. Tying his boots, folding his shirt, and cleaning his rifle, he performs all these tasks repeatedly until they’re hardwired into his muscle memory.

Travis attends and graduates from law school. He meets Hilary, his future wife, and marries her in August 2012. He begins making whiskey, applying the same rigour, precision and unwavering commitment he learned while serving his country. His whiskey is a resounding success. He wonders if it’s good enough to build a company on.

With plenty of encouragement, Travis, Hilary and some friends started Hotel Tango in 2014. To honour Travis’ military service, they name it based on the NATO phonetic alphabet; Hotel for Hilary, Tango for Travis. Surrounding themselves with exceptional people at every level, they focus on crafting equally remarkable spirits. Spirits that reflect Travis’s exacting standards. Spirits that are fit to serve and made to share.