Drinks and spirits packaging
Custom wine, gin and spirits gift boxes and bottle packaging
Rigid gift boxes, printed bottle cartons and corrugated shipping packs for UK wineries, distillers, drinks brands and retailers. Every box is built around the bottle you actually use: its height, base diameter, shoulder and closure. Presentation boxes carry foil, embossing and soft-touch finishes; shipping packs carry fitted dividers. Orders start from 50 boxes.
Overview
Two jobs: presenting the bottle and getting it there
A drinks box has to answer one question before any other: is it shipped, handed over, or sold on a shelf? A presentation box is judged when it is opened, so the wrap, the finish and the way the bottle sits in its insert carry the value. A shipping pack is judged by whether the glass arrives whole, so flute grade, divider layout and fit do the work.
Many briefs need both. A gin gift box sold online usually travels inside a plain or printed corrugated outer, so the gift box stays pristine and the outer takes the knocks. Specifying the two together means the inner fits the outer snugly and the recipient's first view is the one you designed.
The bottle sets every dimension. Bordeaux, Burgundy, sparkling and flask-style spirits bottles differ in height, shoulder shape and base diameter, and a stopper or wax seal adds height again. We cut dividers and inserts to the bottle you send details of, not to a nominal 70 cl or 75 cl size, so it cannot rattle or lean.
Challenges
What goes wrong with bottle packaging, and how we specify against it
Glass touching glass
Bottles that touch each other or the outer wall break when a parcel is dropped or knocked. Multi-bottle packs use corrugated dividers cut from the same board as the box, so each bottle sits in its own cell away from its neighbours and the walls.
Drop height and loaded weight
A full wine bottle is heavy, and courier parcels are handled, stacked and occasionally dropped. We specify the flute grade for the loaded weight of the pack, moving from single wall to double wall as bottle count rises, rather than using one board for every format.
Bottles sliding in a gift box
A presentation box that is a few millimetres too big lets the bottle slide when the box is tilted, which scuffs labels and feels cheap. A fitted card, EVA or foam insert holds the bottle centrally, with a cut-out for the neck where the shoulder needs support.
Label and wrap scuffing
Printed wraps on rigid boxes and dark cartons can rub in transit. Soft-touch or matt lamination protects the surface, and an outer shipper keeps the gift box out of direct contact with courier handling.
Seasonal volume and storage
Gift packaging for Christmas, Father's Day and corporate orders often arrives in one delivery and must be stored before it is packed. Collapsible rigid boxes and flat-packed cartons take a fraction of the space of assembled rigid boxes, which helps when storage is tight.
Recommended packaging
Recommended packaging for wine, gin and spirits
Product
Custom rigid boxes
Greyboard wrapped in printed or specialty paper, for single-bottle gifting and premium spirits where the box is kept.
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Magnetic closure boxes
A hinged lid that closes on concealed magnets, the most common format for gin and whisky gift boxes.
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Lid and base boxes
A two-piece rigid box for bottle and glass sets, tasting sets and gift packs where the lid lifts off to reveal the whole set.
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Collapsible rigid boxes
Rigid presentation that is delivered and stored flat, useful for seasonal volumes and gift orders packed in batches.
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Crash lock bottom boxes
A printed single-bottle carton with a locking base that carries the weight of a full bottle on the shelf.
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Printed corrugated boxes
Shipping packs for one to twelve bottles with a fitted divider grid, printed simply for trade or with full branding for direct-to-customer orders.
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Custom box inserts
Card, EVA or foam inserts cut to the bottle, plus corrugated dividers for multi-bottle packs.
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Materials
Board and materials for drinks packaging
The board follows the job: rigid board for presentation, carton board for the shelf, corrugated for transit. Figures are typical and vary by supplier; the exact board is confirmed once we know the bottle count and whether the pack ships.
| Specification | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Greyboard (chipboard) with printed wrap | 2–3 mm | Rigid board for gift boxes that carry a full bottle; heavier bottles and larger sets use the thicker end of the range. |
| Folding boxboard (FBB) and SBS | 350–450 GSM | For printed single-bottle cartons and miniature cartons sold on the shelf, usually with a crash lock base. |
| Single wall corrugated | E, B or C flute | For single-bottle and two-bottle shipping packs and printed mailer-style gift boxes. |
| Double wall corrugated | BC flute, about 6–7 mm | For six- and twelve-bottle cases, where the loaded weight calls for more stacking and crush strength. |
| Specialty papers | — | Textured, uncoated and coloured wraps that give a rigid spirits box its character before any print is added. |
Finishes
Finishes that suit the sector
Foil blocking (hot foil stamping)
Metallic foil on the brand mark and product name, the defining finish of most spirits gift packaging.
Embossing and debossing
A raised crest, logo or pattern on the wrap that adds depth without extra colour.
Soft-touch lamination
A velvet surface on dark wraps that feels premium and protects the print from scuffing.
Spot UV
A gloss highlight on a matt wrap for botanical illustrations, patterns or the brand name.
Simple one- or two-colour print on kraft
The usual choice for shipping outers, which are handled rather than displayed.
Wine boxes
Wine boxes run from a single-bottle rigid gift box to six- and twelve-bottle corrugated cases. Single bottles for gifting and premium retail usually sit in a rigid or printed carton with a fitted insert. Two- and three-bottle packs are the common gift and mixed-case format, with corrugated dividers between bottles. Give us the bottle height, base diameter and count per box.
Gin gift boxes
Gin brands lean heavily on presentation: botanical artwork, coloured wraps, foil and embossing. A magnetic closure or lid and base rigid box with a fitted insert suits a single bottle, and a wider insert can hold a bottle with a glass, tonic or miniatures. Distinctive bottle shapes are common in gin, so we always cut the insert to your actual bottle.
Whisky and spirits gift boxes
Whisky, rum, vodka and liqueur gift boxes are usually rigid, often with a book-style or magnetic lid and a neck-and-base insert that holds the bottle upright. Heavier bottles and stoppered closures need a thicker greyboard and a deeper lid. A printed information panel inside the lid can carry tasting notes without cluttering the outside.
Bottle boxes and shipping packs
Bottle shipping packs are corrugated boxes with a divider grid that keeps bottles apart and away from the walls. We specify the flute and wall for the loaded weight, and whether the pack goes through a courier network or to a trade customer on a pallet. Direct-to-customer packs can be printed inside and out so the parcel doubles as the gift.
Miniatures and tasting sets
Miniature bottles and tasting sets suit a drawer box, a lid and base box or a window carton with a card insert holding each bottle in its own cavity. The insert layout is set by the bottle diameter and number of bottles, and a printed insert or lid panel can explain the tasting order.
Drinks and spirits questions
Questions buyers ask
Anything not covered here, put it in the notes on your quote and we will answer it directly.
Ask on your quoteCan you make a box for a specific bottle shape?
Yes. Dividers and inserts are cut to the bottle you actually use. Send us the bottle height, base diameter and shoulder shape, or the bottle supplier's drawing, and the layout is built around it.
Will the box protect bottles in the post?
Shipping packs use corrugated board with fitted dividers so bottles do not touch each other or the outer wall, and we specify the flute grade for the loaded weight. No packaging removes all risk, so tell us how the parcel travels and we will specify for it.
Can a gin or whisky gift box be posted on its own?
A rigid gift box is built for presentation, not courier handling. For direct-to-customer orders we recommend the gift box travels inside a corrugated outer, which keeps the wrap and finish in the condition you designed.
What finishes suit spirits packaging?
Foil blocking, embossing and soft-touch lamination carry most spirits gift boxes, often on a dark or textured wrap. Spot UV can pick out an illustration. Shipping outers are usually printed simply in one or two colours on kraft.
Can the same design cover single, three and six-bottle formats?
Yes. Where a range runs several formats, the boxes are specified together so the artwork and board stay consistent across the sizes, while each format gets its own cutter guide and divider layout.
Do you check the alcohol labelling on my packaging?
No. The content of any labelling or information on the packaging is the brand's responsibility. We print the artwork you approve and place it on the dieline where you specify.
What is the minimum order for drinks packaging?
Orders start from 50 boxes. If you need gift boxes and shipping outers together, tell us the quantity of each and we will quote them as one specification.
How long does a drinks gift box order take?
Rigid boxes take longer than cartons because they are wrapped and assembled by hand, and finishes such as foil and embossing add steps. Tell us your required delivery date and our team will confirm whether the timing is achievable.
Ready to specify your packaging?
Our team replies during business hours, 10:00–18:00 UK time.