Branding agency Afterhours has created the logo and packaging for recently launched drinks brand, Xachoh.

Founded by Mohamad Djahanbakhsh, whose family has reportedly been making health remedies for six generations, the drinks label currently has two offerings, dubbed “Blend No. 5” and “Blend No. 7”.

The plant-based drinks, which are not only free from alcohol but also contain no sugar, sweeteners, calories, fat, gluten or extracts, are claimed to be distilled using a method influenced by that of Ibn Sina, the famous tenth-century Persian alchemist and philosopher who later became known in the West as Avicenna.

The company’s business name also alludes to the brand’s Persian-Muslim heritage; pronounced “Za-Ko”, it comprises two elements, with “Za” standing for Zakariya Razi (b. 854), one of the greatest figures in medieval medicine; and “Ko” representing, firstly, the three constituent elements of most herbs and spices, namely, carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O), and, secondly, C2H5OH, a chemical formula used for alcohol (ethanol) – which was first discovered by Razi.

From a visual perspective, the brand’s logo takes the form of a gold-coloured bird inspired by the zoomorphic calligraphy of Islam, while the pack design alludes to the distillation process by way of a series of stylised icons that represent the combination of herbs and spices used to create each blend.

“This purposeful range of premium, alcohol free spirits crafted from Silk Road herbs and spices is inspired by centuries old Persian herbalism and required a luxurious and exotic new identity equal to its illustrious roots,” explain the designers.

“Our brand concept of ‘The Enlightened Spirit’ captured both its progressive, scholarly heritage and the more subtle, sensory uplift the spirits offer. This was expressed through the calligraphic brand mark which is a depiction of the mythical Simurgh”.

The latter is also hot foiled using 24 carat gold directly onto the glass bottles used for the packaging.

Afterhours
www.afterhoursdesign.co.uk