Hairy Cow Brewing Co.

Hairy Cow Brewing Company Logo

The “Hairy Cow Brewing Company” is the name of a micro-brewery located on the bank of the Rock River in Byron, IL. The brewery was named after an incredibly unique breed of cattle that the owner, Todd, raises on his farm. Highland cattle or “hairy cows” are defined by their unusual coats of long ginger hair. I was excited to meet with Todd and learn more about the project.

I always say that the best logos are the ones that design themselves and I am just along for the ride. That was definitely the case with this logo. As Todd was describing to me his cattle, his concept for the brewery, and the name I was literally drawing out the logo in my sketch book.

The first thing that we talked about was the most striking feature of the cows. Their long hair hangs down from the top of their head totally obfuscating their eyes. They have wide set horns that turn up. Their nose is the only part of their face that you can see. As Todd was describing them to me I was drawing comparisons to what a hop, one of the four major components of beer, looks like hanging off of the plant. The leaves of the hop could be tufts of hair hanging down over the eyes on the logo. If you are familiar with Byron, IL you know that there is a nuclear power facility that is a vital piece to the infrastructure and economy of the northern Illinois area. The nose of the logo incorporates a nuclear cooling tower like those that define Byron’s skyline.