Pinhook Bourbon
Creative Direction | Art Direction | Design | Packaging | Photography | Digital
Pinhook approaches whiskey through the lens of winemaking, blending each annual vintage to express the best of its barrels. My role is to make that philosophy visible, building a brand that embraces change while remaining unmistakably Pinhook.
As lead creative, I oversee the brand’s expression across packaging, photography, apparel, digital, and social. I evolve the visual identity, direct and shoot imagery, and connect each new release to a larger brand story.
An identity built to evolve.
The whiskey changes every year. Its identity should reflect that.
Working within Pinhook’s established packaging system, I develop each vintage’s combination of color, geometry, and horse illustration. A consistent label structure anchors the collection, while patterns inspired by jockey silks give each release its own character. Illustrator Noli Novak brings the living thoroughbreds behind the bottles to life.
Together, the releases show how variation can become a recognizable signature.
Pinhook releases whiskey in annual vintages, each one a specific moment in flavor that will never be replicated. The Vertical Series takes that further, tracking a single set of barrels from 4 to 16 years, one of the only programs of its kind in whiskey. Every year I photograph a new set of tasting note imagery to capture each vintage's unique palate—a sensibility shaped by having a former sommelier as our Master Blender—and design the tasting kits sent to press and influencers to let the liquid speak for itself.
A deeper way to discover.
With new vintages arriving every year, the website needs to help people understand both the individual releases and the thinking behind them.
I collaborated with Decimal Studios to translate Pinhook’s identity into a digital experience, bringing product information, photography, and storytelling together. The result gives visitors a clearer way to explore the portfolio and discover the character of each whiskey. Visit pinhookbourbon.com to see the full site.
2025 Webby Award Honoree for Best of the Internet in the Food & Drink category.