Bespoke Bottle Design 2025
Huacachina's Mystical Oasis
Overview
Stranger & Stranger, a packaging design and branding company with offices in LDN, NYC, and SFO, specializes in alcoholic drinks. Inspired by their portfolio, I've created a brand concept for Deseos, a pisco spirit crafted in Peru's Ica Valley. Deseos, meaning "desires" in English, is inspired by the tale of Inka Princess Huacachina.
Softwares Used
Blender, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop
ICA, PERU
Ica, Peru, is one of the country’s premier wine-producing regions, thanks to its sunny desert climate, minimal rainfall, and fertile soils. Warm days help grapes ripen fully, while cool nights preserve their natural acidity, creating balanced, flavorful wines. This unique terroir has supported viticulture since the Spanish colonial era, making Ica a cornerstone of Peru’s winemaking tradition.
DISTILLERY TOUR
In August 2025, I visited the pisco distilleries of Ica and witnessed the intricate artisan process behind their creation. Many local producers still honor the ancestral grape-stomping tradition—known as pisa de uva—a highlight of the March-time Vendimia (Harvest Festival). This method produces a smaller yield than modern pressing, as only the free-run portion (about 60–70 %) is collected before the rest is pressed.
Research on Huacachina, Ica, Peru
BRIEF ─ 01
The assignment tasked us with conceptualizing a mock alcohol brand as if we were designers at the Stranger & Stranger agency. For my concept, Deseos, it was essential to create a distinct identity that set it apart from conventional piscos on the market.
CHALLENGE ─ 02
The biggest challenge of this project was crafting a brand that not only preserved the folk story of Huacachina, but also conveyed it elegantly through the bottle’s design.
SOLUTION ─ 03
The final bottle design weaves together key elements of Huacachina’s legend of longing for her Inca warrior. She cradles her own teardrop, which doubles as the bottle’s cork, while the scales from her tale are embossed along the neck and punt, leaving a lasting imprint of her story.
Process
