BottleMark Goes to Press

BottleMark turns 4 today! To celebrate, we've got a new offering to bring you more of the custom caps and labels you love.

Stay in the know with the BottleMark Newsletter, featuring exclusive sales, new products, and design inspiration. I'm serial, guys! Special sale codes...only for newsletter members...in your inbox...

Okay, fine, it doesn't look like this.

Right now we're running an exclusive offer: sign-up in our birthday month of June and receive 10% off your next order. You know you've got something brewing. So make it great!

And don't worry: we hate spam, spam, eggs and spam as much as the next guy.

I love you, Eric Idle

We'll only contact you if it's something truly worth toasting. JOIN HERE.

Super-powered Labels

Custom bottle caps are great for keeping your beers straight, but you can only fit so much on a 1-inch circle. A true brewer needs a larger canvas, and so we are proud to bring you...

LABELS!

But these aren't just any labels. They're super-powered HOMEBREWER labels! 

Super powers include...

• Easy on and easy off—guaranteed! A crooked application is easy to correct, and when it's time to reuse your bottles, there's no tearing or sticky adhesive left behind.
• Waterproof! Go ahead. Put them in your cooler. 
• Sized at 4-inch x 3.25-inch, our labels work in landscape or portrait orientation.
• Rich, full-color graphics for the true professional look.

And perhaps the greatest super-power of all...

• A minimum order starts at just 6 labels--perfect for a 6-pack! Order just what you need, and don't waste your money on what you don't.

We've got our easy-upload tool working for labels and caps. And just like our caps, BottleMark is selling labels at a low, low price: $0.60 per label for edge-to-edge full-color graphics. With our many cap colors to choose from, you can now enjoy a fully customized bottle from BottleMark.

You don't go out to play naked. Why should your beers? Give your brew the respect it deserves with BottleMark Labels.

Three-Year Deal

While our blog may be a little stagnant, BottleMark is far from it! We've been hard at work, wearing ALL THE HATS, bringing you the very best custom bottle caps technology can offer.

Okay, it's possible this hat wasn't for work.

And BottleMark just turned 3!

We're wishing for more brewers like you!

To celebrate, we're offering you a sneak peak into our near future: something very special, very sexy, and done the BottleMark way.

Motley Brüe is ready to rock!

Like us on Facebook for an exclusive "beta label deal" available only to our Facebook fans.

One-Day Sale and Homebrewing Freedom

As of midnight this morning, Mississippi's bill to allow homebrewing became law. With this final step, everyone in the United States of America can now brew beer at home without fear of the beer cops. WOOHOO!

"Excuse me sir, I'm gonna need you to drop the hops."

No joke. This was totally legally feasible in our country until today.

Wait...what? I bet most of you find this fact surprising. You thought your country was the land of the free. Well, not so much! Following Prohibition--our favorite WTF event in American history--the federal government had some new laws to write. In 1933, it technically allowed brewing at home IF AND ONLY IF the homebrewer paid alcohol's excise taxes as well as a penal bond like any other brewer. Yet wine making at home wasn't subject to any taxes. Which is ridiculous. It took 46 more years for us to realize this was ridiculous, when Jimmy Carter finally made brewing beer in small quantities for personal consumption free from taxes by 1979. Coincidence that the 1980s were the start of the Great American Beer Revolution? I think not.

But the federal homebrewing law still left room for the states to decide. Not everyone jumped on the bandwagon. But through lots of grass-roots efforts and awesome organizations like Alabama's Right to Brew, people nation-wide have slowly yet surely convinced their legislatures to legalize this great American tradition (yep: GW and TJ homebrewed, as did almost every colonial wife). Oklahoma took until 2010 to convince, and up until this year, Alabama and Mississippi remained the final bastions of the 1930s. NO MORE!

Mississippi passed its bill on March 18 to go into effect today, and Alabama's governor signed his state's bill on May 9, 2013. Today's the end of an era (a stupid era). And it's the birth of a new one! We're a new nation, conceived in responsible consumption and dedicated to the proposition that all beers are not created equal. Americans everywhere are standing up and demanding good-tasting, well-crafted beer.

Hatching a new generation

But the fight's not over, my friends, not by far. Some states make it illegal to consume your homebrew away from your home (I really have no idea what justifies this), thus making homebrew clubs and competitions criminal. And then there's South Carolina, which says you're illegal if you're brewing beer over 5%. And don't even get me started on alcohol laws in general! I fondly remember the 9 pm lock-down on beer at Wisconsin grocery stores. And why is it that I always need to go to the liquor store on Sunday? And then there was the time I was in Oklahoma, and all the grocery-store beer was "beer water" reduced to 4%: what the--?

Imprisoned.

The beer cops are still out there. 

Find out about your state's homebrewing laws here, and consider becoming an advocate for sane alcohol laws in your state. Seriously. Advocacy works! Texas recently had a major triumph for small brewers (who can now sell their beers on site, can you imagine?), thanks to craft beer drinkers like you coming together in groups like Open the Taps.

Tomorrow's another fight, but today, let's celebrate this moment. It's your moment, the homebrewer's moment, so we're giving you 10% off all orders of 50 custom caps or more ALL DAY TODAY until 12 am Pacific Time. Order one cap for each legal state, and celebrate!

Why? Because nothing's more American than a sale, of course! WAY TO GO, HOMEBREWERS OF AMERICA! (And our international friends? You can join the party, too.)

10% OFF 50+ CUSTOM CAPS TODAY ONLY
COUPON CODE: homeofthebrew

Freedom! (And a Sale): Coming July 1st

Get excited. Monday, July 1, 2013 will be a truly historic day in the United States. After way too many years of prohibition-esque inanity, all fifty states (yes, even you, Mississippi!) will have explicit laws on the books permitting homebrewing. Brewer activists in Alabama and Mississippi have been hard at work for years to de-demonize a hobby many in their states were pursuing anyway despite the illegal status. This legislative session, they finally met with success in both states.

To celebrate this watershed moment for our favorite avocation, BottleMark will have a One-Day Celebration Sale: 10% off orders of 50 custom caps or more on July 1. That's one cap in honor of each state! For we are about to become the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brew.

Check back first thing on July 1 for the special coupon code.

I may disagree with your beer, but I will defend to the death your right to brew it.

2 Years and Growing

BottleMark officially turns two today!

And we're (ahem) pretty excited about it.

We're very busy printing caps and destroying cakes today, but we wanted to take the time out to invite you to celebrate with us. So we'll let you in on a little secret...

Yellow Labs: Coming Soon

SHHH! It's a secret to everybody.

Blemished White Caps

We don't custom print on ugly caps, so over the last two years we've collected quite a number of rejects. Now we're passing their unique look and top-notch bottling qualities on to you!

If you're looking for a good deal and a perfect seal, these caps are for you. Available here (while supplies last!) for $0.01 each.

Kickstarter: LA Ale Works

You know the dream: good homebrew grows up into a great brewery. One of our favorite customers, LA Ale Works, is enjoying those fabulous growing pains right now. Help turn them into a brewery!

Want better beer in LA? Go donate to their kickstarter NOW! Pledges start at only $1.
LA Ale Works Kickstarter

When you help fund LA Ale Works, they'll send you a certain amount of "vote" tokens, redeemable for awesome things later. These tokens are our very own flattened custom bottle caps with the LA Ale Works logo. Very cool!

There are lots of other great prizes at different levels, from getting your name engraved on their fermentor to hand-made bottle carriers to naming a special release beer after you. You know you want some of that action.

If you'd like to enjoy beer like the Buttress of Windsor Coffee Rye Porter or Das Kolsch (a real traditional kolsch) among many of their award-winning other brews, support LAAW today!

Real gift cards are here!

Designing for yourself can be lots of fun, but designing for someone else? Uhh...thanks, but no thanks. Even my husband and I aren't that close. While it may be "the thought that counts," sometimes it's the font that counts.

Because nothing says legit brewer like Comic Sans.

So instead of spending hours over a Ouija board and Photoshop trying to divine their perfect brewing logo, why don't you save some time this holiday season, and give them what they really want: creative freedom!

Seriously. Nothing's as much fun as coming up with your own brand. That's the joy of BottleMark. While we've had digital gift certificates available for purchase since last year, we've just added a new and even better option for the savvy gift-giver: the REAL gift card.

Because nothing says legit gift like plastic.

Give the gift of custom caps in a tangible, wrappable, stocking-stuffable form. Cards come with a redeemable code, a gift card sleeve, and a LOTR reference on the back. You know you want to see one for yourself! Shipping's a cheap $2 in the USA.

Get them here: BottleMark Gift Certificates and Gift Cards

Dec. 7: New Christmas Deadline

Here at BottleMark, we don't like to make promises we can't keep. We calculated our original Christmas deadline assuming a heretofore unprecedented daily order volume. But it seems even that number wasn't high enough. We have grossly underestimated how much you guys want custom bottle caps.

When bottle caps attack!

Our new deadline for Christmas delivery is FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7 @ 11:59 PST. That means you've got two more days to place your order! DO IT NOW!

Christmas Guarantee

We're very happy to be very busy here at BottleMark. With the holiday season upon us, we're churning out custom caps as quickly as the machines can go. But we're not Amazon. We're not pulling from a warehouse.

Not us.

Want to give the gift of custom caps? Order by December 10, and we'll guarantee your caps will arrive before Dec. 25. In other words, order now!

Missed the deadline? Consider giving a gift certificate to the homebrewers in your life--it's the gift of custom caps and creative freedom! Because, let's face it: they probably won't like your font choices anyway.

Check out BottleMark's December shipping details here.

Happy holidays to you and yours! Cheers!

Design Resources

Check out our new and improved Design Resources page. We revamped all the material and put everything on one single page. From templates to screencasts, we've got all the information you need to create a fantastic bottle cap, all in one place!

Design like this!

Not like this.

Review from Bull City Homebrew Shop

Over the last year, BottleMark has been causing a bit of an online stir among homebrewers. I've seen a lot of reviews on blogs and forums--and then there are those 438 five stars of feedback from our customers (enough to make even George S. Patton blush)--but I can't help but shout out a special thanks for the recent BottleMark review on the Bull City Homebrew Blog.

Located in Durham, North Carolina, this homebrew store ordered some logo caps to sell as promotional magnets. And I think they liked them!

Magnety goodness.

We've also got an in-store coupon available for patrons of Bull City Homebrew, so if you're near Durham, go get thee some yeast, hops, barley, and a special custom cap offer.

What with passionate homebrew shops and custom caps for homebrewers, revolution is indeed brewing.

Gift Receipts, Epoxy Stickers, and Local Pickup for the win!

We've made some exciting changes to our offerings here at BottleMark.

Giving the gift of custom caps? Now you have the option at checkout for a gift receipt! This special packing slip leaves off the cost of the goods and also provides ample space for a personal message.

He loves me so much!

You can opt for a gift receipt and a gift message at Checkout under "ADDITIONAL OPTIONS" (it's to the left).

For all you bottle cap crafters out there, BottleMark now sells Epoxy Domes aka Epoxy Stickers aka Epoxy Dots aka magical little sticky shields that protect interior bottle cap decoration or exterior custom cap designs. Want your BottleMark handcrafted keychain to last years of abuse on your enormous, 2 lb. set of keys? Buy one! Protection for the low price of $0.15 each.

I'll defend you, fair bottle cap!

And for you Houstonians out there: you asked for it, and now you've got it! Local pick-up is now available at our office. It's a great way to save a few bucks on shipping if you live nearby, but be warned...often gas and time combine to make First Class shipping more affordable. You can check out the details on our shipping page.

Please note we recommend against Local Pickup during a hurricane evacuation. But the choice is yours.

So if you're giving the gift of caps for crafts and want to wrap it up for that special person yourself, these three services are for you!

You...uhhh...shouldn't have.

BottleMark in Denmark

BottleMark recently received the honor of a feature in the April/May Danske Olentusiaster. That's right: the Danish Beer Enthusiast Magazine!

The cap on this cover could use an upgrade!

I confess I can't make heads or tails of the article, but our trusty Dane Tim Karll reassures me the content's positive. Who knows? Maybe we'll open a European branch someday. So here's to our international friends. Skål!

Bottle Caps Prevent Soap Slime

There's a life pro-tip circulating around the Interweb that BottleMark just had to share.

Redditor "Pavement_ist_rad" recommended twisting a metal bottle cap into a bar of soap so that the bar rests on the cap, thereby preventing the accumulation of soap slime.

From bar to bar soap: the life cycle of a bottle cap.

And of course what would look better than a custom bottle cap on that bar of soap? Make your bathroom decor complete!

We're mostly kidding. Mostly...

This is a great way to reuse caps, custom or not. Remember to change out the bottle cap every once in a while before it begins to rust, and recycle when they've had it!
(Credit to awesome friend Nathan W. for pointing out this story.)

New Hops and Barley Caps

Just added two new, ready-to-order beer series to the BottleMark library of designs. A tribute to the key ingredients of beer: hops and barley!

Hop to it!

The wonderful flavors of barley need love, too!

BottleMark loves printing photographs, and these new caps really show off the awesome photo-quality printing we do every day.

Now I expect some caps will be more popular than others in this series, but it could inspire some really interesting, unexpected brews. Why not make a hopped-up stout?

If you do, you obviously need this cap.

Or my personal favorite, a hop scotch?

Too punny.

See the caps for yourself in our design library: http://www.bottlemark.com/shop/cap-library/design

New Caps in Design Library

Here at BottleMark, we've been hard at work expanding our little business (not to mention fulfilling orders), and now the design library reflects our all-new printing process.

Lookin' good, dawg.

White caps. Matte finishes. Colors that pop. All at the same ridiculously low price. Whether you're ordering from the library or creating your own custom masterpiece, check out just how good our bottle caps look: BottleMark Design Library.

We've also added a few new designs...
Our Brew Date design features the beer style, a barley graphic, and plenty of space to date your beer with a sharpie. Great option if you brew a lot!

Because you still like using sharpies on your caps.

New Homer Simpson beer quote cap:

Because it's a classic.

If I had my way, I would spend my whole day adding meme caps to the library. But for now, I limited myself to only one:

Because we're all brewing beer better than Dos XX.

Got a great idea for a library design? You know where to find me.

Blank caps, magnets, and more, oh my!

BottleMark recently added some new fun stuff to the shop.

We've got blank caps for those of you without any custom cap ambitions. Fully lined white and silver caps for $0.03 each.

Our bounty is as boundless as the sea

We're also offering these totally bizarre bullseye caps. We printed a whole heap of these to help calibrate our printer. They're raw caps, so the design may scratch a bit. But they're perfectly good for capping!

Won't you give one a home? Only a penny each.

Our favorite new product: practically-perfect-in-every-way bottle cap magnets. At 3/4" they nest exquisitely inside of a bottle cap. Ideal for crafting or displaying your custom cap. Order a magnet for each of your designs!

Made for each other.

Crafting with bottle caps? Check out our new services...
If you don't own a capper ($15-$60 bucks) but still want the "finished look" of a bottle cap, let us cap your caps for you!

Uncapped vs. capped (definitely a crafting-only service).

Making bottle cap jewelry and need a hole for a jump ring? We're punching small holes in caps for our customers, too.

Go explore the whole store! 

Design Templates are here!

If you're not quite a design whiz, or say, you love one of our beer style caps in the library but you're making a cream ale or a steam beer, never to fear: BottleMark's Design Templates are here!

Soda Shop Template saves the day. Whoosh!!

Now you can download just what you need to get your design started. Templates include: a blank cap canvas, a complex design with graphics and circular text, and templates of all our beer style designs: Soda Shop, Bar Code, Comic Pow, Heavy Metal, Graffiti, and University of Homebrewing. I've also added links to the (100% free) fonts featured in the library designs.

Complex template is complex.

The templates are in SVG form, which open in a number of design programs, including our favorite, Inkscape (Totally free, you say? Totally free, I say.)

Some basic tips about the templates:
1. Download fonts first, then download the templates so the fonts display correctly.
2. Some of the templates feature a thin black circular stroke that represents the bottle cap. It's useful as a design guideline. Set the stroke to transparent if you don't want an outline around your final design. You can also set the fill of the circle to a color if you want a background color.
3. When you're done designing, export your design as a PNG, upload the PNG on the BottleMark website, and congrats! You've achieved custom cap perfection.

Try them out: http://www.bottlemark.com/svgtemplates
Got design questions or requests? You know where to reach me.