Finding the correct closure is critical to keeping your olive oil, balsamic vinegar or other condiment at its best 

Even in the world of condiments, it’s essential to pay attention to the type of closure used to seal a product.

There are a variety of product types in the condiments sector, which is divided into segments based on quality and price. Some examples of products in the higher-level segment include balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil – the newest ‘ultra-premium’ oil category – and PGI products. All of which set themselves apart with their meticulous production processes and attention to detail.

In this context, where competitiveness is always on the rise and demand developing, packaging is then key to standing out from the rest. The bottle – and consequently the closure – are no longer mere containers. Instead, they have been transformed into sales and marketing tools. This is even more so for premium and ultra-premium condiments, making it essential that packaging can preserve the product’s sensory characteristics without damaging them in any way.

Take a step backwards

The first evidence of oil use dates back to 4,000 BCE, in Armenia and Palestine as well as in India. Only in 2,500 BCE did the Greeks begin to spread the cultivation of olive trees in the Mediterranean region. This was the starting point of condiment history as we know it today. More or less around the same time traces of vinegar production have been found.

Both of these traditions were driven forwards by the Ancient Romans, known for their love of feasting, through to current times where we have a strong connection to these traditions, albeit with the continued search for innovation.

Packaging in the world of condiments

Broadly speaking, condiments don’t enjoy light very much. Premium oils, in particular, are packaged in dark-coloured bottles to make sure that the contents are preserved over time. After all, they are delicate liquids that deserve the right care even when it comes to a closure.

Just for this reason, Tapì has created a range of pourer closures designed for use with premium and ultra-premium oils and vinegars.  Primarily they are T closures with a pourer integrated into the design to ensure the perfect pour, eradicating drips and waste.

Pourer closures – what are they and why choose one

As already explained, pourer closures are T closures that have an integrated pourer. Choosing this type of closure for condiments offers perfect portion control, with an exceptional user experience and also they offer the perfect preservation for the product. All this with originality of design and outstanding aesthetic impact.

Within the Collection range by the Tapì brand, you can find many types of closure with pourer fittings that can be entirely customised both on the head and the leg sections. Let’s have a look some examples.

Alu Mix

Tapì’s Alu-Mix is a bar-top pourer closure, with an aluminium head and leg in synthetic material. Some of the customisation options available:

• Top and / or side embossing,
• Top debossing,
• Top and / or side print,
• Wet effect
• Diamond side embossing.

The aluminium head can be customised in any colour and the pourer leg can be made from synthetic material or with Tapì’s innovative NEOS technology that uses renewably sourced polymers to reduce the product’s carbon footprint.

Ghost Charm

Ghost Charm is a bar-top pourer closure, with aluminium head and leg in clear synthetic material. It differs from Alu-Mix with its pourer material, but it can be customised with all the same finishes.

Ghost Classic

Ghost Classic is a bar-top pourer closure, with a wooden head and leg in clear synthetic material that can finish off any packaging with a minimalist design. Some of the customisation options available:

• Top and / or side print,
• Medallion,
• Laser,
• Fire branding,
• Top and / or side color filling.

Ghost Classic closures are available in beech, ash and oak with lacquer, soft touch or tumble finishes.

Ghost Crystal

Ghost Crystal is a bar-top pourer closure with head and leg in clear synthetic material. By its very nature, this type of closure doesn’t need any customisation.

Mono Mix

Mono-Mix is a bar-top pourer closure with head and leg in synthetic material. Some of the customisation options available:

• Top embossing,
• Top debossing,
• Top hot stamp,
• Smooth side.

You can also customise this closure with any colour in your personal palette and the pourer is also available in NEOS technology.

From Mono Mix we have created a Mini version with leg sizes 13, 14 and 16 mm.

Starlight Mix

Starlight Mix is a bar-top pourer closure with head in clear synthetic material and synthetic leg, which are ultrasonically welded.

Many customisation options are available:

• Top head and / or side print,
• Under head print,
• Top leg hot stamp,
• Medallion,
• Customized leg color,
• Transparent ring,
• Metallic ring.

You can also select the pourer version with NEOS technology. And you can create a distinctive shaded gloss look with the head as the starting point. Find out more here.

T-Mix

T-Mix is a bar-top pourer closure with a head and a leg in clear synthetic material.Customisations available are:

• Top print,
• Bordolese,
• Clear white.

This closure can be colour customised both on the head and the leg, which can also be made with NEOS technology.

W-Mix

W-Mix is abar-top pourer closure with wooden head and leg in synthetic material. Many customisation options are available:

• Top and / or side print,
• Medallion,
• Laser,
• Fire branding,
• Top and / or side color filling.

W-Mix closures can be shaped from beech, ash and oak which can have lacquer, soft touch or tumble finishes applied. W-Mix is available a Mini version with leg sizes 13, 14 and 16 mm.

Lastly, we recently launched a new product – a union of our two best-selling products – Starlight Mix and Ghost Edition. It is entirely made from transparent synthetic materials. Ask us for more information.

A final note

At Tapì we have created numerous pourer closures designed to be used in the condiments sector. Their advantages are that they offer a perfect, even and continuous pour, but they also offer the best seal and preservation for the product.

Contact us for more information

The main trends I detect in the liquor market can be summarised in two words: differentiation and premiumization, meaning an increased demand for products of ever greater distinction.

This is demonstrated by our collaboration with major companies on the international scene, such as Owens Illinois in Colombia, which currently produces the best quality bottles available in South America. Such demand for quality products suits Tapì’s range, since design and personalisation for individual customer products are our strong points. This is a fertile field for our company, in a market which values this level of quality.

I see Tapì as a large, powerful business family, with great opportunities for expansion. In South America, 80% of producers still do not have a national or even a continent-wide solution for the supply of closures for their products.This says a great deal about the opportunities open to a company such as ours to identify and grasp on the continental market. In Brazil for instance, the largest country in South America, the production of distilled spirits is greater than that of all the rest of the continent’s countries put together. Here, the challenge is that 99% of the output of products such as cachaça and aguardiente is intended for internal consumption, so the level of brand awareness is very low across the range. If these high alcohol content drinks could escape the medium to low range product sector, we could begin a very fruitful dialogue with their producers. Other valuable opportunities are Chilean pisco, brandy distilled from Chilean grapes, for which there is a high demand. And then there is rum, always much sought-after abroad.

Tapì has to take a gamble, by converting all its branches from local to global. I think we need to give the various parts of the company a single corporate image, bringing the potentiality of the brand and the services of the various production areas in line with each other, no matter where they are based.

A customer in the United Kingdom should not mind asking for the services of Tapì Italia, or Tapì America or South America. We are an international business, and so we have to ensure that our products are also international, through a stronger, consistent branding strategy.

Keep up with all the latest news from Tapì and other market issues. Request a copy of our magazine.

Spirits, liqueurs, wine and more. Premium products will be the darlings of 2021.

Not only is the ever-current Covid-19 pandemic influencing our everyday and professional lives, but also the global markets including that of the alcoholic drinks sector.  Over the last few years, the trend had already tended towards premiumization with increasing research into raw materials and the creation of innovative blends. But with Covid-19 now have an impact on developments in various sectors, these trends have become even more pronounced in the spirits, liqueurs and wine sectors.

Recent market analysis in a global report by IWSR examines the change agents and drivers that are moulding the entire alcohol industry. This research has identified a number of key macro trends to watch. So, let’s take a look at them.

Sophistication and premiumization

The search for authenticity has been made possible through consumers’ improved awareness and their spending power. These days the trend is to drink less but better. And the following data points have emerged from the report:

• Premium and super-premium alcoholic drinks will increase their market share to 13% by 2024, as consumers continue to favour quality over quantity.
• In value terms, China is shown to be the biggest world market for premium wines and liqueurs – and the United States is close behind.
• Both countries are expected to see premium alcoholic drink brands grow their market share in terms of volume by about one percentage point between 2019 and 2024.

All of these data points tell us that premiumization is far from a declining trend. Quite the contrary, it will take centre stage in 2021 and the near future.

Evolving traditions

Tradition has increasingly gone hand-in-hand with innovation until now. But in recent years we have seen a generational change in buyer behaviour. Today, millennials are leading the market – a consumer category born into the era of globalisation, that’s committed to ethics and values.

The IWSR report highlights several factors that show how the pandemic is altering purchasing behaviours.

Adaptation to restrictions and the closure of bars and restaurants has held consumers back, especially younger generations, in forming new consumer habits. These trends will linger in the near term with takeaway drinks that are in conveniently sized packaging.

We find tequila among the alcoholic drink categories that should continue to benefit from the premiumisation trend, which has grown by 15% per annum between 2015 and 2019. And there are other spirits such as rum and gin that are already popular as well as aperitifs, ready-to-drink products and wine. 

Health and ethical consumerism

Lastly, premiumisation is an easy fit with health and ethical consumerism. Covid-19 has led consumers to pay greater attention to their personal health, but it has brought an awareness of the environmental impact of every choice made.

Consequently, the consumer is becoming more moderate, reducing the volume and frequency but also favouring superior quality drinks with the idea that they are healthier. With the ever-growing low or zero alcohol drink offering, buyers have more opportunity to pay attention to their health these days.

Talking of these types of drink, non-alcoholic beer will increase its market share to 4.45% by 2024, just from the consumer’s desire to experiment.

Organic wine is worth a mention as it will gain even more ground in the territories of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States.

The bottom line

Premiumisation in the alcoholic beverage world is a trend that has been around for a number of years. And Covid-19 has only served to highlight the demand for better quality from the end consumer.

It’s clear that spirits and premium wines merit unique packaging to set themselves apart from the rest. This is why, at Tapì, we are constantly looking for new closure solutions dedicated to the people who work in this sector. Starting with our Signature collection, made up of closures produced in the finest quality materials, typically wood and ceramics, that can be customised with artisan finishes. Through to our Collection range where design, innovation and technology come to life in exclusive closures offering the perfect seal for any type of product packaging. Then we come to Revò, Tapì’s creative lab, that designed Mekano – the cutting-edge mechanical closure. And right up to LEI, Tapì’s sustainable core that encompasses our eco-friendly products, technology and business best practices.

Get in touch to find out more about our closure solutions!