Wine & Spirits

Wine and spirits have been sold almost exclusively in bottles for ages. But glass bottles are heavy and fragile, and, like many kinds of rigid packaging, they take up a lot of space. Many other kinds of beverages - sodas, juices, water, etc. - have been successfully transitioned to lighter, more durable plastic packaging, including flexible pouches, so why not booze?

The primary challenge is that the “alcohol” in all alcoholic beverages is actually ethanol or ethyl alcohol, which is a solvent. Ethanol breaks down many plastic and rubber materials over time; even metal containers like aluminum cans are not completely safe, since ethanol corrodes soft metals (albeit very slowly). It does not corrode glass, which explains the long lasting appeal of glass bottles for wine and spirits.

So the primary challenge involved in replacing bottles for wines and spirits is in finding a material that will not be degraded by ethanol. Fortunately, packaging engineers working in the flexible film space have discovered laminate structures that safely resist corrosion from ethanol with no chemical leeching or odors. And of course, pouches made from these materials are lighter, sturdier, and take up far less space than glass bottles.

Enter the SpoutPAK™

In response to customers who have have wanted to reduce their costs by putting wine or other alcoholic beverages in flexible packaging, we at IMPAK have developed several iterations of our SpoutPAK™ liquid packaging products specifically for that purpose. The most popular version is the BarrelPAK™, a style of stand up spouted pouch with a convenient tap or spigot style dispenser located near the bottom of the bag.

Simply fill a BarrelPAK™ pouch through its spout (or through a convenient filling cap on some versions), secure the tamper-evident Vitop® tap spout fitment, and your beverage is ready to go on a shelf or to be taken to a party. The wide gusset on the bottom of the bag ensures that it will stand up straight while the tap spout dispenses 1.5 L (2 standard wine bottles) or 3.0 L (4 standard wine bottles) of your favorite beverage.

IMPAK's testing indicates that our proprietary laminate structure for these specific pouches easily withstands up to 14% ABV (alcohol content) with no delamination or corrosion. For beverages with a higher alcohol content, we recommend rigorous testing to ensure that this product will work for your application.

As with the pouches shown in the images above, IMPAK will produce custom printed BarrelPAK™ bags with your artwork. If you are an established winery or a startup with a new beverage to bring to market, the BarrelPAK™ provides much more surface area for your branding, your images, and your story than traditional wine bottles. We can also produce these pouches in different sizes and with different features. Contact us to discuss the possibilities for how a custom BarrelPAK™ can make your product stand out.