Exclusive | Beyond the Bottle: The Innovation and Storytelling Behind Neural Hinge’s Ceridwen Whiskey Packaging
In this exclusive interview, we dive into the story behind Ceridwen, Neural Hinge’s latest ground-breaking innovation in whiskey packaging.
Inspired by the ancient Celtic goddess of wisdom and transformation, Ceridwen is more than just a bottle—it’s an immersive experience that combines sustainability, tactile design, and storytelling.
Manisha Kohli, Director – Design & Innovation at
Neural Hinge shares how they blended cutting-edge materials, intricate craftsmanship, and eco-conscious design to create a product that resonates with modern consumers while elevating the whiskey experience to new heights. Join us as we explore the challenges, inspirations, and innovations behind Ceridwen.
Tell us a bit about Neural Hinge?
Neural Hinge: Performance Innovation as a Service
Neural Hinge is a cutting-edge service platform designed to facilitate high-velocity performance innovation while mitigating investment risks.
Our fundamental premise is that while industry professionals universally acknowledge the significance of high-speed performance innovation for business growth, traditional approaches involving various specialized teams often result in protracted timelines and inherent risks that jeopardize the overall investment.
We offer 5 differentiated value propositions
- Innovation at Speed – 6 weeks or less!
- Contextual innovation – customized to your ecosystem
- Relevant innovation – catch the wave on “what’s next”
- Strategic IP support – FTO & Patent drafting
- Sales & Marketing assets – position your innovation efficiently
We achieve this by utilizing systems and processes designed for interlayered interoperability (iLiO™). iLiO refers to the seamless collaboration of innovation teams within different layers of a complex knowledge structure, across multiple levels.
Why is it important for you to attend and exhibit at Paris Packaging Week 2025?
Exhibiting at Paris Packaging Week 2025 offers us an unparalleled platform to showcase our cutting-edge packaging innovations to a global discerning audience. As the epicentre of packaging trends and future technologies, this event aligns perfectly with our mission to drive sustainability and performance innovation within the beauty, skincare, and alco-bev sectors. By exhibiting here, we not only gain the opportunity to connect with industry leaders and high quality potential partners but also get to position our unique offering at the forefront of transformative packaging solutions that meet the evolving needs of consumers and businesses alike. It’s a chance for us to inspire and be inspired. We look forward to learning, and growing within a vibrant ecosystem of creativity and forward-thinking business discussions.
Will you be showcasing any new products, services or materials at Paris Packaging Week 2025? If yes, what?
We are excited to introduce several groundbreaking innovations at Paris Packaging Week 2025 across multiple categories.
One of the highlights is a revolutionary platform that empowers innovation teams with non-legal backgrounds to create patentable designs, transforming the way legal work is integrated within the packaging industry.
Additionally, we will showcase exciting partnership technologies that elevate sustainability and performance. Alongside these, our proven ability to execute performance innovation will be on full display, demonstrating our capability to blend cutting-edge materials, design, user insights and technology into transformative packaging solutions.
Give us a short introduction to Ceridwen
Ceridwen was translated into a whiskey bottle—it’s a story, an experience, and a journey through time and taste. Inspired by the goddess of wisdom and transformation, Ceridwen is designed to evoke the rich layers of a smoked cask whiskey, much like the stories told over a quiet evening drink. Every curve and detail was meticulously crafted, to capture the essence of the whiskey’s complexity.
The bottle’s layered design mirrors the whiskey’s deep, evolving flavors, inviting you to savor each sip with heightened awareness. The flocked logo adds a tactile softness, hinting at the whiskey’s smoothness, while the entire bottle wraps you in the comforting embrace of the biophilia trend—cozy, inviting, and designed for those small, joyful moments of solitude or shared discovery. Ceridwen is an intimate experience that speaks to your senses as you enjoy the micro moments of complete indulgence.
What are the packs main characteristics/its main essential features?
The Ceridwen pack embodies a blend of rich storytelling and design craftsmanship. Its key characteristics include:
- Layered Design: Reflecting the multi-dimensional notes of smoked cask whiskey, the bottle’s structure is designed with layers that invite exploration, just like the whiskey inside.
- Flocked Logo: A soft, textured logo that contrasts with the boldness of the bottle, symbolizing the smooth and velvety finish of the whiskey. This tactile element enhances the sensory experience.
- Biophilia-Inspired: The design taps into the biophilia trend, creating a cozy, nature-inspired aesthetic that encourages moments of self-joy and reflection, perfect for modern consumers seeking comfort and connection.
- Story-Driven: Ceridwen is a narrative of transformation, embodying the essence of its namesake goddess and the brand’s vision. Each element, from the design to the packaging, tells a deeper story of wisdom, complexity, and enjoyment.
- Extra-Flint Glass : A heavy bottomed decanter style crafted for ultra clarity.
What materials are the pack made of?
The Ceridwen pack is crafted from a blend of premium materials chosen for their sustainability, aesthetics, and tactile quality:
- Glass: The bottle and its topper is made from extra-flint glass, providing a planted, durable, and deep richness to the form that enhances the whiskey’s premium feel.
- Flocked Logo: The logo surface is created using a soft, velvety flocking technique, offering a tactile contrast and inviting interaction with the bottle.
- Cork: The topper and the neck are accentuated with responsibly sourced Flor-grade cork, bringing an unblemished natural warmth and tying into the biophilia trend, which emphasizes connections to nature.
Each material was carefully selected to complement the layered design and reflect the whiskey’s depth, while aligning with modern sustainability goals.
How sustainable and/or innovative is the pack?
The Ceridwen pack seamlessly blends sustainability with innovative design, making it as forward-thinking as it is beautiful:
- Sustainable Materials: From the glass body to the responsibly sourced cork, recycled nylon flock, every material in the Ceridwen pack was chosen to minimize environmental impact. The thermolustre coating free of harmful chemicals and rare earth elements further enhance the sustainability aspect, offering a premium finish without compromising the planet.
- Reduced Waste: Glass being infinitely recyclable, the durable design of the bottle and the topper ensures longevity, encouraging consumers to repurpose the bottle after use.
- Innovative Flocked Logo: The soft, textured flocked logo adds a unique sensory element to the packaging, creating a multi-tactile experience that sets it apart from traditional whiskey bottles.
What inspired the design?
The design of Ceridwen draws inspiration from the ancient Celtic goddess of wisdom, transformation, and rebirth. Just as whiskey evolves in flavor over time, Ceridwen’s design was crafted to reflect this layered complexity. The concept of transformation is woven throughout the bottle, from its multi-layered structure symbolizing the rich, evolving notes of smoked cask whiskey, to the velvety tactile experience of the flocked logo, which hints at the smoothness of the drink.
Additionally, the design taps into the biophilia trend, emphasizing a connection with nature and creating a sense of cozy intimacy. This aesthetic was inspired by the growing consumer desire for self-care and micro-moments of joy, offering an experience that is both modern and deeply rooted in tradition. The result is a bottle inviting you to experience interaction with it.
What technical challenges did you need to overcome to manufacture this pack, if any?
The manufacturing of the Ceridwen pack presented several unique technical challenges, particularly in crafting the extra-flint glass bottle with its subtle, yet complex curves. One of the key hurdles was ensuring the clarity and precision of the glass form, given that extra-flint glass, known for its ultra-clarity and heavy weight, is notoriously difficult to shape into intricate designs.
Achieving the graceful curvature of the bottle while maintaining structural integrity required precision in the glass-blowing process. The challenge was amplified by the need to control the refractive index along these curves and edges, so that the glass would catch and reflect light in specific ways when displayed on a bar shelf. Our goal was to create an optical effect that accentuated the bottle’s layered design, casting soft highlights that would draw attention to its premium craftsmanship and the whiskey’s richness within.
To meet this challenge, we collaborated closely with skilled glassmakers, using advanced 3D modelling and mold technology to guide the molten glass into its final form while preserving its clarity. Fine-tuning the cooling process was equally critical, as rapid temperature fluctuations could distort the delicate curves or introduce imperfections in the glass.
Additionally, we integrated a proprietary polishing technique to ensure that the edges remained crisp and clear, providing the right balance between aesthetic appeal and durability.
What reactions have you had from clients?
The reactions to the Ceridwen pack have been overwhelmingly positive. Clients are captivated by the bottle’s stunning visual presence, especially how it plays with light to create a mesmerizing effect on the bar shelf. The tactile flocked logo has been a particular highlight, with many noting that it adds a layer of sophistication and invites interaction in a way traditional bottles don’t.
Clients have praised the seamless blend of sustainability and luxury, appreciating how the design aligns with modern consumer values without sacrificing the premium feel. Many have also remarked that the layered storytelling in the design resonates deeply with their brand ethos, making it an experience worth experiencing.
Don’t miss Neural Hinge at Paris Packaging Week 2025 on stand number T120m.
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