Hotel Tango, a small-batch artisan distiller, is one of the first to use the new Forte bottle offered by Owens-Illinois (O-I), part of its Covet Classics collection.
Hotel Tango's owners found O-I's Forte design to be a perfect match for both their military inspired identity and for their small but growing business needs.
Based in Indiana, the distillery was founded in 2013 by Marine Corps veteran Travis Barnes, his wife, Hilary, and a small group of friends.
They have the distinction of being the first disabled veteran-owned distiller in the U.S.
As a start-up distillery, the Hotel Tango team ran into challenges with the minimum order and lead time requirements of the first glass packaging supplier they contacted.
As a result, they turned to O-I's Covet Classics collection, which offers speed-to-market and the convenience of ordering as little as a pallet at a time.
Hotel Tango is among the first to use the Forte bottle, which O-I introduced in February as a modern take on their classic Kaleido design.
The Forte bottle's updated silhouette and taller, prouder shape aims to create a more pronounced vertical canvas to take brand identities to a higher level.
After returning from three tours of duty with the Marines, Barnes took an interest in distilling as he and his wife attended law school.
Their studies helped draw their attention to a new state law that opened up a short window for new craft distillers to obtain artisan distiller's permits.
The name for the distillery came from the military alphabet phonetics for the Barnes' first initials, which is carried across to the company’s range of spirits, such as its Mike Moonshine (pictured).
All of Hotel Tango's spirits are packaged in 375 and 750ml Forte and Kaleido bottles from O-I.
