Latitude 16 (L16°): Globally Recognised, Award Winning Australian Gin

Latitude 16 (L16°) Packaging Wins Gold + Earns International Design Features

Coast Distillery News — Latitude 16 (L16°) has received Gold recognition from the World Brand Design Society Awards for its branding and packaging, followed by international editorial features in World Brand Design Society and Communication Arts. Read the World Brand Design Society feature and view the Communication Arts exhibit.

Why this matters for stockists and venues

For boutique bottle shops, distributors, bar managers and hospitality teams, packaging isn’t a “nice-to-have” — it’s a commercial asset. The back bar and the retail shelf are crowded, and the brands that earn attention are the ones that communicate quality instantly and confidently.

L16° was built to perform in those real-world environments. The design system was developed to translate a specific sense of place into a premium cue-set that reads at a distance (colour and silhouette), rewards closer inspection (finish and texture), and holds up in-hand (material quality and tactility). The intention was always to create a bottle that feels at home in high-end venues and elevated retail.

A design language built around light, movement and restraint

As described in the World Brand Design Society feature, L16° was shaped by an experience on a secluded coral cay on the outer Great Barrier Reef — not as a literal coastal illustration, but as a sensory interpretation of light, colour and calm. The design brief wasn’t to depict a scene; it was to capture the way shallow reef water behaves and feels. That focus on “experience-first” storytelling is what gives the packaging its clarity and restraint.
Clay Andrews

Key design elements highlighted in the editorial coverage include:

Eye-catching in-store: Shimmering, layered label finishes that catch the light and create depth as shoppers move past (foil, embossing and fine detail work).
Premium, not “beachy”: A clean reef-inspired blue-green balanced with a soft sand tone, so it feels modern and upscale rather than tropical or cartoonish.
Quality you can feel: Thoughtful material choices—like the pale beechwood closure and subtle neck label—adding warmth and tactility that reinforces the premium cue.

The custom bottle: structural design that earns presence on shelf and back bar

Premium spirits packaging succeeds when structure and branding work together. The custom bottle is a key part of why L16° reads as a premium proposition in both retail and venue settings.

For bar and restaurant teams, L16° was designed to perform where it matters — on the back bar and in-hand. The pale aqua glass and sculpted shape catch light beautifully under venue lighting, so the bottle stands out in a lineup and looks premium in service and photos. There’s also a subtle embossed latitude and URL on the base — a small, tactile detail that reinforces provenance when guests pick it up or when you’re telling the story.

Independent design publications have highlighted the same thing: a refined, technically layered pack that captures the light and movement of the Great Barrier Reef, backed by an authentic founder connection to place — giving staff a simple, compelling narrative to share tableside without over-explaining.

Trade value: designed to support premium positioning

L16° has been developed for accounts that care about provenance, presentation and guest experience — the venues and retailers where premium cues influence trial and repeat purchase.

In practical terms, the packaging supports trade partners by:

Improving shelf and back-bar cut-through through a distinctive silhouette and colour system that reads instantly.
Reinforcing premium pricing through tactile finishes, material contrast and structural quality that feels “worth it” in-hand.
Supporting storytelling for bartenders and floor staff — the “sense of place” narrative is easy to communicate without being overly complex or niche.
Performing in content — the finish and glass colour photograph beautifully across trade announcements, menus, gifting and social.

Read the independent coverage

Stockist and trade enquiries

If you’re a distributor, bottle shop, bar or venue looking to add a premium Australian gin with strong shelf presence and a refined story of place, we’d love to speak. Please reach out via our Coast Distillery trade enquiry channels, and we can share availability, trade assets, and support material.