The Metaxa logo reflects a wonderful mix of two favorite alcoholic drinks. The taste of wine and cognac creates a special golden bouquet worthy of attention. The emblem invites you to try a heady herbal infusion with hints of nutmeg.
Metaxa: Brand overview
Founded: | 1888 |
Founder: | Spyros Metaxa |
Headquarters: | Greece |
Website: | metaxa.com |
Meaning and History
Metaxa was the first alcoholic beverage to set foot in space. And it was also drunk by the leader of the Cuban revolution Fidel Castro when he sailed on his Greek friend’s boat to land on the Cuban coast. Imperial courts of Ethiopia, Bulgaria, Germany, Serbia, Russia, and many other countries, where the glory of elite cognac reached, were also admirers of this brand.
The company owes its creation to Spyros Metaxa, an avid traveler, and wine enthusiast. He founded the distillery in 1888 and named it after him. The word “Metaxa” translates from Greek as “silk” because many generations of the Spyros family traded in this textile material. Now it symbolizes the silky taste of drinks, to which Mediterranean plants, wine distillates, and Muscat wines give a rich softness, and French oak barrels give a typical velvety flavor.
What is Metaxa?
This is a distinctive Greek alcoholic beverage, occupying a special place between cognac and brandy. It is made from distillates of local grape varieties Savatiano, Sultanina, and Black Corinth, blended with a unique mix of Mediterranean herbs and rose petals. A key production feature is that after blending, the drink is aged in Limousin oak barrels, giving it a characteristic golden hue and rich aroma. The range includes premium Private Reserve and AEN varieties and aging options from three to twelve stars.
Bottles with luxurious labels underscore the elitism of the brandy. Each star marks one year of aging, with the drink’s maturation process taking at least three years. In addition, the label features the company’s logo. It varies from bottle to bottle, but the official version is just one: the black word “METAXA” with yellow and olive outlines and “THE GREEK SPIRIT” underneath. In the upper right corner is a large registered trademark mark.
Rumor has it that while building the first distillery in Piraeus, Spyros found an ancient Greek coin. It had been in the ground for many years and was found when the excavation work was carried out. It was decorated with drawings depicting the victory of the Hellenes over the Persians in 480 BC. This event, known as the Battle of Salamis, determined the course of history in Europe. And the relic became the basis for the Metaxa emblem. It now depicts a belligerent man, nicknamed the Salamina Warrior. He stands on board the ship and holds a throwing weapon in his hands – a bow. There are also two owls. These birds represent wisdom, erudition, and discernment, and in Greek mythology, they represent the goddess Athene.
The boat with three oars is steadily on the water: the artists have detailed the waves and added a symbol of hope in the form of the rising sun, which covers the entire horizon with its rays. According to Greek mythology, the sun-god Helios sailed across the river on a golden boat.
The graphic sign is stylized as a seal, as it has a round form and is placed in a double ring with inscriptions. At the top is the Greek phrase “APO TO 1888”, indicating the year the company was founded. And at the bottom are the name and surname of the man who founded it: “S. Metaxa.”
Font and Colors
The typography of the word mark Metaxa is ambiguous. On the one hand, the slogan is written in a bold serif typeface, similar to Goudy Handtooled FS Regular by FontSite Inc. or Nyte Book by DSType. On the other hand, the brand name is also in Antiqua, but it features thicker lines and shorter serifs. Most likely, it’s just a set of individual glyphs. As for the round emblem, the designers used two fonts for its inscription: bold with serifs and thin handwritten one.
In the main logo, black is combined with olive-yellow, which surrounds the letters in the word “METAXA.” White serves as the background. At the same time, all the logo outlines are dark blue, and the gaps are white.
Metaxa color codes
Mustard Yellow | Hex color: | #e0ae00 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 224 174 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 22 100 12 | |
Pantone: | PMS 124 C |
Eerie Black | Hex color: | #1c1c1b |
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RGB: | 28 28 27 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 4 89 | |
Pantone: | PMS Neutral Black C |