Strikeout ALS
Illustrating a can design for a great beer and an even greater cause.
Mar 2026 ✱ Illustration, Packaging
Overview
In collaboration with Wormtown, a Worcester-based craft brewery, I illustrated a can design from concept to print-ready production. Wormtown partnered with the Pete Frates ALS Foundation, raising funds for those affected by Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS.
The can showcases the tight-knit New England baseball community and Pete Frates’s legacy as a local baseball player and ALS activist.
Process
The craft brewery’s pattern in its can designs comes from the Worcester-born smiley face, which is featured in a unique way in every can design. I incorporated a baseball as the face of the can, with a focused and sharp expression just as a pitcher would have.
My creative team and I were inspired by the Americana visual style, with baseball as a cultural symbol of New England’s baseball legacy.
Another Hazy IPA?!
The craft brewery’s pattern in its can designs comes from the Strikeout ALS is also one of many New England IPAs in the market, so I prioritized readability from a distance and using contrast to create a striking design, quite literally.
For a liquor store with dozens of cans grabbing your attention, I understand the importance of making Strikeout ALS recognizable.
My original sketch on Procreate and alternative layouts throughout my creative process. I like how the middle layout looks like a firework!
Outcome
Strikeout ALS made it to the big leagues and was sold at the Worcester Red Sox’s Polar Park on Lou Gehrig’s Day, raising funds for the Pete Frates Foundation. The can also hit shelves for a limited time in over 100 liquor stores and bars across Massachusetts – you can imagine the look on my face finding it in my neighborhood!
Combining heritage with advocacy, this project put my illustration skills to the test and heavily fuels my passion for print production. I’m thrilled to see my design come to life and contribute to the ever-increasing amount of New England IPAs.
