Founded in 2019 by retired Army Master Sergeant Norm Hooten, Hooten Young began as a tribute to the servicemen involved in Operation Gothic Serpent, the mission portrayed in Black Hawk Down. What started with handcrafted cigars quickly evolved into a premium spirits and lifestyle brand rooted in American heritage and craftsmanship.
As demand for Hooten Young whiskey grew, the brand needed packaging that could stand out in a crowded spirits market while supporting its expanding portfolio.
“We knew our packaging had to stand out,” said Courtney Teekell, Marketing Director at Hooten Young. “We approached the brand from a bespoke, small-batch perspective so every detail felt intentional, premium, and memorable.”
From Stock Bottles to a Distinctive Custom Packaging Program
Hooten Young initially relied on stock bottles, but supply chain challenges and growing brand ambitions pushed the company to create a more differentiated packaging experience.
That’s when TricorBraun Packaging Consultant Griffin Barron and the TricorBraun Design & Engineering team stepped in.
“The transition from stock packaging to a fully custom program was a huge step for the brand,” said Hallie Young, Director of Operations, Hooten Young. “TricorBraun made the process incredibly easy and helped us create something that truly felt like Hooten Young.”
Working closely with Hooten Young, the TricorBraun Design & Engineering team developed a custom bottle inspired by Nordic and Edinburgh bottle styles, featuring embossed branding and premium detailing tailored specifically for Hooten Young.
Designing a Bespoke Collector Release
The partnership reached a new level with Hooten Young’s ultra-premium Constitution Hull Reserve, a 19-year-aged bourbon inspired by the USS Constitution warship, known as “Old Ironsides.”
The release incorporated a piece of the ship’s original hull wood during the whiskey’s secondary aging process, creating a one-of-a-kind expression rooted in American history.
With less than six months to bring the project to market, TricorBraun coordinated every aspect of the bespoke packaging experience:
- Design ideation and refinement
- Crystal glass bottle with premium decanter closure, sandblasted ship artwork, and sequential numbering, making each bottle uniquely collectible
- Custom travel stopper and luxury presentation box with coin insert
- Coordinated supply chain management to support the bottling and release timeline
“The whole experience became the ultimate collectible,” said Teekell. “The shape of the bottle, the crystal glass, the ship artwork, the box, every detail worked together to create something truly special.”
The release sold out online in just 40 minutes.
Full-Service Support for a Lean Team
“As a lean team, having one partner manage every component of the project made an enormous difference,” Young explained. “The bottle, closure, travel stopper, shrink band, and presentation box all had to work together perfectly. TricorBraun handled those moving pieces for us, which simplified the process tremendously.”
That level of support allowed the Hooten Young team to stay focused on growing the brand rather than managing multiple suppliers and packaging logistics.
“Our partnership with TricorBraun has made everything easier,” Young said. “They understand our brand, they understand our vision, and they understand how to bring it to life.”
“We’re not just transactional packaging folks,” added Barron. “We really care about the brands we work with and helping them succeed.”
A Partnership That Continues to Grow
The Constitution Hull Reserve release quickly became one of Hooten Young’s most talked-about launches to date, generating significant buzz for the brand and its bespoke packaging design.
“People really connected with the story and the craftsmanship behind the release,” said Teekell. “It felt meaningful, authentic, and completely different from anything else on the market.”
Today, TricorBraun continues to support Hooten Young with custom packaging solutions across its growing portfolio.
“With TricorBraun, it feels like they’re part of our team,” Young said. “They’re fully invested in what we’re building.”
TALK TO A PACKAGING CONSULTANT
Whether you’re looking for a stock package or a groundbreaking custom design, TricorBraun’s proven process will guide your packaging decisions from napkin sketch all the way to the retail shelf.