Larceny Bourbon

Client: Heaven Hill Distillery
Role: Creative Direction, Naming, Story, Packaging

THE STORY

In 2012, Heaven Hill Distillery set out to revive a historic wheated bourbon once known as Old Fitzgerald. The distilling method would honor tradition. The taste profile would be modernized. What didn’t exist yet was a name, a story, or a visual identity strong enough to compete in a category dominated by heritage giants.

THE OBJECTIVE

Create a brand from the ground up — name, narrative, and packaging — that could stand confidently alongside Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark, and Jim Beam. It needed to feel authentic to bourbon history while carving out a distinct, memorable position on shelf.

THE MOVE

The breakthrough came from history itself. In researching Old Fitzgerald, we uncovered a lesser-known truth about John E. Fitzgerald. Contrary to legend, he was not simply a bourbon aficionado — he was a bonded treasury agent. At the time, treasury agents were the only individuals legally permitted to carry keys to barrel warehouses.

According to distillery lore, Fitzgerald used those keys to access — and quietly siphon — the finest barrels for himself. Those barrels became known internally as “Fitzgerald barrels.”

From that act of refined theft, a new name was born: Larceny.

The packaging became the storyteller. A die-cut keyhole pierces the label, revealing a golden key inset behind it — an immediate visual metaphor tied directly to the legend. The bottle doesn’t just sit on shelf. It invites discovery. The campaign and brand narrative flowed directly from the design system, reinforcing the myth at every touchpoint.

THE RESULT

Larceny launched as a distinctive, story-driven entrant in the premium wheated bourbon category. The design and positioning helped establish the brand as a credible competitor in a crowded heritage space, earning industry recognition and awards for both packaging and advertising.

Larceny didn’t just revive history. It reframed it.

AWARDS

Winner — Packaging — American Graphic Design Awards — 2015 1st Place — New Product Packaging — Beverage Dynamics — 2013 1st Place — New Product Advertising — Beverage Dynamics — 2013 Merit Award — New Product Packaging — Milwaukee99 Awards — 2013