Beer labels

Beer labels (also called brewery labels) are labels that are attached to beer bottles.

Depending on their position on the bottle, beer labels can be divided into three different types:

• Neck bow label: in this case, there is a neck loop on the neck of the bottle that serves as a decorative label. Some breweries also use the neck loop as a safety label or beer seal.
• Chest label: also known as belly labels or belly stickers, chest labels are located on the front side of the bottle. Above all, they have the function of sales promotion and are used for branding.
• Back label: the so-called back labels are on the back of the beer bottles. The legally required information such as filling quantity, alcohol content, best-before date, ingredients and manufacturer's information are usually printed on them.

From a technical point of view, beer labels are expected to comply with a series of requirements. These include the following:

• Wet strength: before, during and after the beer bottles are filled, they are exposed to different temperatures - especially cold. The labels not only have to withstand these temperature fluctuations and the resulting condensation in terms of their dimensional stability, but they must also not peel off and crease.
• Abrasion resistance: after filling, the labeled bottles come into contact with one another on the conveyor belt, so the beer labels have to be abrasion-resistant. This also applies to onward transport and distribution in six-packs or boxes.
• Alkali resistance: alkali resistance is another requirement for returnable bottles. Because when reusable bottles are returned to the dishwasher or lye bath, they not only have to come off quickly, they also have to stay “in shape”. They must not disintegrate so that they can be disposed of as a whole and do not clog the filters of the cleaning systems. The same applies, of course, to beer keg labels.

The gluing process of a beer label largely depends on the type of label that is used. Here it is possible to distinguish between wet glue labels and self-adhesive roll labels.

With regard to the former, wet glue labels make up the largest proportion of beer labels. Different paper qualities and types of glue are used here. While in the past only casein glue from whey products was used, artificial glue substitutes are increasingly being used today. These synthetic glues are considered vegan because they do not contain whey.

Self-adhesive roll labels, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly popular for the brewing industry. Here, too, different papers, but also foils made of PVC, PP or polyethylene are used. Self-adhesive roll labels are not only easy to apply by machine and cleaner when labeling, they also have better adhesive properties when they condense and can be easily removed when recycling.

The first aspect that needs to be considered when labeling beer bottles is what information must the label contain from a legal point of view. Usually, data such as the production line, filling date, lot number or best-before date are mandatory in order to guarantee quality assurance, product traceability and consumer production. Note, however, that the specific information that should be contained in a beer label is established in the law of the country where the bottles are intended to be sold.

With regard to the labeling method of beer bottles, this is usually done with inkjet printing or laser marking, either directly on the bottle, on the bottle label or on the sleeve film. There are, however, some challenges when using these labeling methods, such as high line speeds, condensation or limited space.