Military Rations Inspire Hotel Tango Distillery's Visual Identity

Hotel Tango Distillery was founded and owned by a combat-injured veteran, and uses the NATO phonetic alphabet to combine the initials of owners Travis and his wife Hillary. The military-inspired rebranding by agency Young & Laramore moves past the usual patriotic and camo tropes, instead influenced by MRE (Meals, Ready to Eat) packs and attributes shared by distillers and the military, eg, discipline and precision.

"Hotel Tango is the nation’s first combat-disabled, veteran-owned distillery. In this rebranding effort, we wanted to create something that respected the company’s military roots, while still remaining broadly appealing to discerning drinkers. We found our solution by emphasizing the discipline and high standards that Travis (HT’s founder) learned while serving in the Marines—and then channeled that message through an aesthetic and tone inspired by military MRE’s (Meals, Ready-To-Eat)."