From 573 names to an award-winning brand: Coit Spirits
Renowned winemaker Gerry Rowland and partner Susan Doyle wanted to launch a spirits company in one of the world's most crowded markets. They had the gin — they needed a brand. DigiVino built one from a blank page.
The challenge
Entering distilled spirits as a startup is brutal: the shelf is loud and the giants are entrenched. Gerry and Susan needed a name, a bottle, and an online presence that could stand beside spirits they were only just beginning to produce — all of it echoing who they were.
What we did
We generated over 573 candidate names before landing on Coit Spirits — a nod to San Francisco's iconic Coit Tower and the trailblazing Lillie Hitchcock Coit. Our label designer Mandy (20+ years' experience) created a striking "peek-a-boo" bottle that reveals the tower through the spirit itself, plus a canned-cocktail line for a younger audience. Then we built a conversion-focused brand site with analytics to learn and refine.
The results
The brand didn't just launch — it won:
- 2021 USA RTD Distillery of the Year — Berlin International Spirits Competition.
- 2020 California Gin Distillery of the Year — New York International Spirits Competition.
- 2021 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition honoree.
- Now stocked in numerous locations across the USA.
Common questions
Can DigiVino build a brand from scratch?
Yes — DigiVino created Coit Spirits end to end: 573+ candidate names, an award-winning bottle and packaging design, a canned-cocktail line, and a conversion-focused website.
Does this only work for spirits brands?
No. The same naming, identity, packaging, and launch process applies to any startup entering a competitive market.
Launching something new?
We built Coit from scratch. Let's talk about launching yours.
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Respecting your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime. See our Privacy Policy.Source: DigiVino Coit Spirits brand-creation case study. Results reflect this client's specific program and are not a guarantee of future outcomes.