For distilleries, independent bottlers, cask owners and agencies
Sandblast engraving and gold infill for spirit bottles
From a one-off sample for a pitch to a 1,000-bottle limited edition. Engraved in our Clydebank workshop and sent on to your bottler or bond. Tell us your date and we will tell you straight away if we can make it.
- 10 to 1,000+ bottlesOne design, or a different name on each
- Samples in daysOn your own bottle, for approval or a pitch
- Runs in 4–5 weeksFrom artwork approval. Small batches in days
- Straight from your glassworksPallets or cartons, counted on arrival
- Sent to your bottlerRepacked in your cartons, ready to fill
- Quotes within a working dayUsually the same day
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How a bottle project runs
The same six steps whether it's 20 decanters or a full limited edition.
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1
Brief
Send us the bottle, artwork, quantity and your date. We quote within a working day.
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2
Prototype
We engrave one of your bottles and send photos or a short video, or post it to you or your client.
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3
Approve and book
You sign off position, size and finish. We confirm the price and a completion date in writing.
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4
Bottles arrive
Straight from your glassworks or by courier. We count them in and let you know about any breakages.
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5
Engrave and inspect
Every bottle is masked, sandblasted, gold-filled if needed and checked by hand.
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6
Repack and send on
Back into your cartons and off to your bottling hall, bond or event.
Finishes
Not sure which suits your bottle? We'll try it on the prototype.
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Frosted engravingA fine satin frost for wordmarks, crests and labels. Clean and understated.
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Deep sandblastCut deeper into the glass for a carved, tactile finish you can feel.
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Gold infillGold hand-applied into the engraving. We sample it against your label foil first.
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A different name on eachRecipient names, cask or bottle numbers, checked line by line from your spreadsheet.
Where we can engrave
Not just the front. If you're not sure your design will fit, send a photo or drawing of the bottle and we'll tell you.
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Front or back panelWordmarks, crests, cask details and label-style designs.
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Base and shoulderSmall, discreet marks, including dummy and sample-bottle wording.
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Decanters and stoppersCrystal decanters, stoppers and lids, with sets kept together.
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Coloured and frosted glassClear, coloured and frosted. We always sample coloured glass first.
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Filled, sealed bottlesPresentation bottles and gifts, labels on or off.
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Names and numbersA different name, cask or bottle number on each.
Logistics
From your glassworks to your bottling line
Most releases need empty bottles engraved before filling, so we plan around your bottling date, not ours.
- ReceivingPallets or cartons direct from your glass supplier, in the UK or abroad, or a few bottles by courier or taxi. Two smaller pallets suit us better than one tall one.
- Careful with valuable glassBottles counted in and out, sets kept together, and anything fragile or high value handled by hand. A few spare bottles help on big runs.
- Repacked as they cameEngraved bottles go back into your original cartons, ready for the filling line.
- Sent onCollected by your haulier, or we book delivery to your bottler, bond or event.
Recent bottle work
- 200 Decanters engraved with gold infill for an independent bottler's release Independent bottler
- 100 Whisky bottles engraved for a contract bottler's release Contract bottler
- 45 Whisky bottles engraved in a single batch, reordered through the year Scottish whisky distillery
- 25 Prototype and dummy bottles for a packaging team's new design Scottish whisky distillery
Prototypes
See it on your bottle before you commit
Not sure how it will look? For anything more than a handful of bottles we start with a physical prototype on your own glass. You see the depth, the detail and how the gold sits against your label. If you'd like, we video the first bottle of the run too.
Fine lettering and complex logos engrave well. If anything is too small to hold, we'll show you on the prototype and suggest a fix.
- Samples for pitchesA one-off engraved bottle for a sales pitch or client presentation, often within a few days.
- Kept on fileWe keep your artwork and settings, so repeat runs and new colleagues get the same result.
- Artwork prepared for youSend vector files (PDF, EPS or AI). We make the stencil and send a digital proof first.
Tell us about your project
We reply within one working day, and usually much sooner.
Questions brands ask us
Can you handle a run of several hundred, or 1,000 bottles?
Yes. We engrave runs from 10 to over 1,000 bottles. Once the prototype is approved we book a production slot and confirm the completion date in writing. January and February are the easiest months to schedule very large runs.
How long does it take?
A prototype usually takes a few working days once we have your bottle and artwork. Full runs are typically 4–5 weeks from artwork approval. Small batches, such as a dozen bottles with a different name on each, can often be done in 3–5 working days. If you have a fixed bottling or launch date, tell us at the start.
Can bottles come straight from our glass supplier, and go straight to our bottler?
Yes. Bottles can come to us direct from the glassworks, in the UK or abroad, and we send the engraved bottles on to your bottling hall, bond or event. We count and check every delivery when it arrives.
Do you engrave filled bottles?
Yes, for smaller numbers such as presentation bottles or gifts with a name on each. For releases we normally engrave empty bottles before they are filled.
Sandblasting or laser: what is the difference?
We sandblast. It cuts into the glass for a deeper, frosted finish with real texture, which is why it is used on premium and collector bottles. Laser marking sits on the surface and looks flatter.
Can you match gold infill to our label?
Gold infill is hand-applied into the engraving after blasting. If it needs to sit next to a foil on your label, we will send a sample so you can check the match before the run.
Can each bottle have a different name or number?
Yes. Send us a spreadsheet and we check every line on the proof before we engrave.
What does it cost?
It depends on the size of the design, the finish and the quantity, and larger runs are priced per bottle with volume breaks. Send us the artwork, bottle and rough quantity and we will quote within a working day, usually the same day.
Our bottles are very valuable. How do you handle them?
By hand, one at a time. We count bottles in and out, keep decanters and stoppers together as sets, and agree with you up front how breakages are handled. Tell us about anything especially fragile or high value before it arrives.
Can you engrave the base, neck or stopper?
Often, yes. Small areas limit how much text fits, so send a photo or technical drawing and we will suggest what works.
We are not in Scotland. How does it work?
Most of our bottle clients are elsewhere. Send bottles by courier or pallet, we send photos or a sample for approval, and we return or forward the finished bottles. You do not need to visit.
Can you send samples to our client or overseas offices?
Yes. We can post prototypes in the UK and abroad. If time is short, we send photos and a video of the engraved bottle first.
Can you help us choose or source a decanter?
Yes. We stock decanters and can source others, including cheaper alternatives to a design you have seen. For bottlings we check the capacity, so 70cl actually fills to the shoulder.
Will you sign our NDA?
Yes, if you need one. We never show or mention client work without permission.
What artwork do you need?
Vector files (PDF, EPS or AI). We work in CorelDRAW, so a PDF is easiest. We can redraw a logo if needed, and you approve a digital proof before anything is engraved.
How do we pay?
By invoice, against your purchase order if you use them. VAT invoices and BACS.
Can we visit the workshop?
Yes, by arrangement. We are at 80 Dumbarton Road, Clydebank, Glasgow G81 1UG.
Personal gifts
Engraving one bottle as a gift?
Bring in or post your bottle and we will engrave a name, date or message, usually in 2–3 working days. Ideal for retirements, weddings and milestone birthdays.
- Family run since 1975Engravers on Dumbarton Road
- Engraved in ClydebankIn our own workshop
- Free proof on logosSee it before we engrave
- Trusted by 350+ organisationsClubs, schools and companies