Wolf Hound Nitro Beer

Published October 1, 2026

The first client project I led at Thought Matter was this rebrand. At the time, Wolf Hound had been around for a couple of years, but they needed an identity that could secure taps across New York City, from those at historic Irish pubs to high-end bars.

A core truth informed our design: New York City’s Irish craftspeople and laborers didn’t build only infrastructure; they built belonging. Wolf Hound’s identity honors that legacy, blending the warmth of a 19th-century Irish pub with the boldness of contemporary craft beer. At the brand’s center is Red, a slightly grizzled canine mascot, hand-drawn by Brooklyn-based design Ryan Wattaul to convey loyalty, grit and pride of heritage.

We used Chiswick Grotesque for the wordmark and supporting copy, and VC Henrietta Condensed Black for headlines.

Within weeks of unveiling its new design, Wolf Hound was facing down Guinness at the Old Town Bar and Restaurant and O’Keefe’s Bar and Grill, two of New York’s most storied Irish pubs, as well as at The Smith, a nationally recognized brasserie chain with locations in New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC.

The new brand continues to open doors. Now, they’re available in cans across the Country in stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes, and IMHO the bold designs translated nicely to packaging.

Creative direction by Able Parris, illustration and design by Ryan Wattaul, strategy and copywriting by Dylan Stiga and 3D renders by Jeff Donlan.

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