The protagonist of this new edition of the Craft Beer and Design series is one of the great ones. And I'm not saying this just because Karl Grandin is the co-founder of one of the most famous and respected breweries in the world, the Swedish Omnipollo, but because from my point of view, he is part of that group of "chosen" artists who, thanks to their vision, have strongly contributed to the exploration of new dimensions and generating new creative universes within the craft beer scene.

I believe that we are who we are due to what we experience. The memories of those experiences help us build a personal identity, and without them, we would not even know who we are or where we come from. In that sense, I consider that a part of today's craft culture is strongly influenced by the innovative, unconventional, and exceptionally creative concept of the brewery founded by brewer Henok Fentie and graphic artist Karl Grandin.

Probably many of us would not be the same if years ago we had not discovered and tasted beers as disruptive as the mythical Yellow Belly in collaboration with Buxton, or the sublime and decadent Noa Pecan Mud Cake, to name a few examples. The memory of beers like this is not easily erased, nor is the ability they had - and still have - to open the minds of many brewers and enthusiasts at all levels.

Omnipollo was born in 2010 from the shared vision of its founders to forever change the perception we have about beer. Although most of their beers are made as nomads in brewery facilities worldwide, they recently opened their own brewery and taproom inside an old church located in Sundbyberg (Stockholm). Another work of genius that I'm looking forward to visiting one day.

Karl grew up near a mountain outside Stockholm and has been involved in all kinds of projects throughout his career: from conceptual pizza, album covers, music magazines, creating his own experimental study "Vår," clothing - he was one of the founders of the Cheap Monday brand -, and of course, beer.

Approaching the creative process of Karl Grandin through this article in C R A F T E D is a luxury. Those of you who have followed him for a long time and admire him will undoubtedly be as delighted as I am with this interview, and the rest, I can only encourage you to delve into the wonderful universe of Omnipollo since it is a core subject for any fan of the design and beer. You will not regret it. Thank you very much, Karl!

Ø: Omnipollo arose from the union between a brewer - Henok Fentie - and an artist - you - who met through a mutual friend. From that meeting, one of the breweries that had the greatest impact on our perception of what a brewery should, or could become, was born. Both at the level of recipes, and at the level of communication, visual identity and message.

How do you remember those first conversations with Henok and what was the process that led you to imagine a brand that, in addition to reinventing the world of craft beer based on experimentation, has been able to create such a unique, signature universe?

From the time I met Henok, I knew we had something interesting ahead of us and we became friends instantly. He had a way of introducing me to his dreams and ideas that I could really relate to. We talked about about the cultural expressions, dreams, art, fashion, music etc, that we are interested in, about what makes the stuff that we like special. I knew how I wanted to take on the project, how to dive into it, and our common philosophy made the birth of Omnipollo very enjoyable. Our ideas was about creating something new, something that we were looking for, so the only thing that made sense was to invent it the way we dreamed it.

Ø: As a passionate about craft beer and design, I recognize that in addition to loving your beers I am a fervent admirer of your work and the way you suggest, explain and tell stories through creativity. Could you define in a few words the leitmotif of Omnipollo?

The images, whether on labels, cans, bottles, in bars, in shows or wherever, are part of one world that is slowly changing, expanding and evolving. The drawings are very much reflections of my own mind but I also take the viewer, the consumer, into consideration, hopefully bringing her with me on the ride. With a medium that is as subjective as beer is, the person engaging with the brew (and the design) becomes part of the process.

Ø: Regarding your creative process when designing, what inspires you when you face a new job? Do you follow a particular type of routine and / or does the style and / or ingredients of each beer influence in any way?

It depends on if it is work for a client, if it is Omnipollo-related or some autonomous personal thing, as some projects need more preparations or interaction before the pen hits paper. Once I’ve started I go about it more or less the same way, trying to spill my mind onto paper, usually guided by memories or thoughts recorded in my sketchbooks.

Ø: In your opinion, what qualities do you think a good illustrator and/or graphic designer should have who is interested in working for the craft beer field?

Curiosity and courage.

Ø: If you had to choose a project from your portfolio for Omnipollo that you are most proud of, what would it be and why?

I’m usually most excited about the next upcoming project but a design that I’m happy with is the latest version of Gone that was released on January 20th 2021.

Ø: Do you prefer to face the creative process alone, or as a team?

There are parts of the process where working alone is necessary but I like bouncing ideas and thoughts around and see what happens. I currently share my time between working form my apartment, from my room in the Omnipollo headquarters and my own studio. Sometimes I crawl in to my dungeon to work in seclusion but I usually can’t stay away from the outside world for too many days. It’s important for me to be with people and creatures that inspire me and I think that’s one of the main reasons that I work on collaborative projects, such as Omnipollo, rather than just drawing and painting for myself only.

Ø: Which brands and / or graphic designers in the craft beer world do you admire?

Some artists who’s craft beer-related work that I like are Keith Shore, Martin Ander and Museum Studio, but there is a lot of good stuff out there. I like brands that dare to do their own thing. There is no set formula, we should be making up the rules as we go along.

Ø: Finally, can or bottle?

With Omnipollo I work with all types of formats and materials — printed bottles, printed cans, labels, sleeves etc — in and for different markets, with differents suppliers and different conditions. The different projects feed off each other. But I’ll never forget drinking my first Heady Topper straight from the can!