Sneak peek at Palmetto Brewing’s fresh new look

This has been a long day coming. First came the purchase of its longtime brewing location. Then came its own acquisition by Catawba Brewing. Last year, it added a small batch program as part of a production expansion. Now, Palmetto Brewing, South Carolina’s oldest brewery (dating way back to 1993), is opening its doors to a new look in their downtown Charleston tasting room on Friday, March 1. The launch celebration of Palmetto Brewing’s rebrand will include live music and food throughout the two-day event, along with the debut of two new Palmetto beers to commemorate the occasion.

Refreshing an iconic brand

As the brewery is named for a pre-Prohibition beer company, the Palmetto aesthetic has naturally remained rooted in local history. When the modern day Palmetto opened its Huger Street business in 1993, the script logo was designed as an homage to the letterhead of its namesake from the late 19th century — evoking imagery of wrought iron gates and antique filigree.

After celebrating 25 continuous years in business last fall, the company set out to update its iconic branding and packaging. The new logo integrates the text-based script and the Palmetto tree icon into a unified badge. By retaining the familiar tree element, the brewery preserves a visual connection to its heritage. Meanwhile the script component represents a forward-thinking graphic evolution. With clean sweeping lines reminiscent of Charleston’s famous Ravenel Bridge, the new logo honors the Lowcountry industrial feel of the original, while looking ahead to a modern era of South Carolina craft beer.

In addition to the new Palmetto logo, the brewery has given their packaging design a significant makeover. Each beer label captures Charleston scenery in a unique, interpretive line art. Utilizing advancements in printing technology, the new designs showcase a free-flowing, multi-colored, shimmering aquatic motif. Fresh-look Palmetto cans will soon arrive in four-state distribution, following their debut in the Charleston tasting room.

New additions to the lineup

As part of the March 1 launch, the brewery is rolling out two new beers that are slated to become Palmetto mainstays.

Nice & Brite Gose (5.0 percent ABV) is a refreshingly tart German-style wheat ale brewed with lemon and elderflower. Palmetto’s first sour beer to be packaged, Nice & Brite, will be available year-round on draft and in six-pack cans.

Idle Speed Salted Lime Lager (4.8 percent ABV) is another crisp, easy-drinking session beer conceived to combat the South Carolina heat. Look for Idle Speed from March through September, draft and six-pack cans.

Also available at the tasting room, Huger Street IPA, Lowcountry Lager and Mango IPA make their first appearances in new packaging. Raspberry Rewind, a raspberry wheat ale, continues as Palmetto’s current “843 Series” seasonal release. And a rotating selection of draft-only beers from the brewery’s Small Batch Program are always on tap.