AleSmith Brewing Company Taps Fans for Bottle Art Ideas

The San Diego-based craft brewer is holding a contest now through May 9 in search of artwork to feature on its Evil Dead Red Ale beer bottles

AleSmith Brewing Company is tapping the talents of brew enthusiasts, asking fans to submit artwork that could land on a batch of beer bottles.

For the first time ever, AleSmith is holding a contest calling for artists to make their mark on the company’s hoppy, crimson seasonal beer, Evil Dead Red Ale, which has been brewed every fall since 1998.

Starting Friday, AleSmith will accept submissions of art created by fans. Ultimately, one design will be chosen to be included on the 22-ounce bottle of this year’s batch of Evil Dead Red Ale. The winning artist’s name and signature will also be included on the bottles.

The contest runs through May 9, and the winning entry and artist will be announced during American Craft Beer Week, which runs May 16 through May 22.

AleSmith Marketing Manager Brandon Hernandez says entries should be submitted via email to creative@alesmith.com. Designs must meet the following criteria to be considered:

• All entries must be produced using Adobe Illustrator and submitted in an Adobe PDF file no larger than 3MB

• All entries must fit on the front of the bottle in an area 3 inches wide by 3.5 inches tall.

• All entries must include the beer name “Evil Dead Red Ale” or “Evil Dead Red”

• All entries must consist of exactly two (2) colors matching the beer’s existing red-and-gray color scheme

• All entries must be free of inappropriate language, vulgarity or unsavory imagery 

AleSmith Brewing Company
The winning artwork will mark 22-ounce bottles of Evil Dead Red Ale.

Currently the Evil Dead Red bottle label boasts a zombie motif. Hernandez says the ale is known for its "eerie" vibe, so fan artwork should follow suit.

"With zombies and walkers being so en vogue these days, we expect to be overrun with stunning, bottle-worthy submissions like delectably plump survivors of the apocalypse cornered by a mob of flesh-seeking, reanimated corpses,” he said. "We’ve shared our art for brewing with fans for 20 years, so it’s exciting to turn the tables and allow AleSmith enthusiasts to share their art with us."

Artists can submit as many entries as they would like. The contest rules state that by submitting their work, participants acknowledge their design becomes the property of AleSmith.

The winning artist will receive a case of Evil Dead Red Ale, as well as brew bragging rights.

AleSmith Brewing Company was founded in 1995 and celebrated its 20th anniversary in production last year by opening a new, upgraded brewery and tasting room in Miramar, located at 9990 AleSmith Ct. – formerly known as Empire Street. The 105,500-square-foot brewery boasts an 80-barrel brewing system with the capability to pump out more than 100,000 barrels of brew per year.

The company is currently working to build an official Tony Gwynn Museum at the facility, too, which will pay tribute to the late, beloved Mr. Padre.

Earlier this year, the ratings website RateBeer.com, dubbed AleSmith Brewing Company among the top 10 breweries around the world, ranking it No. 2.

Contact Us