The Carry On Cocktail Kit is the result of a collaboration between W&P Design, the Brooklyn-based food and beverage design company, and PUNCH, an online magazine focused on wine, spirits and cocktails. With the goal to elevate the in-flight cocktail experience, each Carry On Cocktail Kit includes the tools and ingredients necessary to mix two cocktails at 30,000 feet. To date, there are four varieties, including the Old Fashioned, Gin & Tonic, Moscow Mule and Champagne Cocktail.
The packaging design references the golden age of airline travel, when cocktails were once mixed by flight attendants mid-flight. The Carry On Cocktail Kit’s sleeves that encircle the brushed metal tins are consistent in design with adjusted text to reflect the four varieties. The back of the sleeve identifies the tools and ingredients included in each kit through the use of icons and text. The striking feature that differentiates each kit is the color of the tin that houses the tools and ingredients, which symbolizes the particular variation. For example, the Moscow Mule comes in a copper tin, mirroring that of the traditional copper mug that a Moscow Mule cocktail is served in. For consistent branding, the vintage airplane brand mark used on the kit’s sleeve is incorporated on the tools throughout the kit.
Each kit is designed with user experience in the forefront of the design process. The tools and ingredients provided in each kit were designed for each kit’s specific recipe, as well as to meet FDA, FAA and TSA standards. For example, for the Old Fashioned kit we designed a combination mini bar spoon and muddler that would fit within the tin packaging, as well as developed a small-batch, glycerin-based aromatic bitters recipe that is filled into 7ml bottles to meet FDA and FAA regulations.
