Rooster’s Unveils New Look for Flagship IPA
Rooster’s Brewing Co. has unveiled a new look for Baby-Faced Assassin, the Harrogate-based brewery’s flagship American-style IPA. Hand drawn by Manchester-based artist David Bailey, the new design is the second Assassin-related artwork Rooster’s and the industry-renowned illustrator have collaborated on following the successful launch of Hazy Faced Assassin in May.
One of the first beers to be canned by an independent craft brewery in the UK back in December 2014, Baby-Faced Assassin has gone on to become synonymous with the Rooster’s brand, collecting an enviable range of awards along the way; a gold medal in the small pack at the 2017 International Brewing Awards being chief among them.
Brewed with 100% Citra hops, Baby-Faced Assassin was first conceived as a homebrew recipe in 2011, inspired by the bold, hop-forward IPAs coming out of the US at the time. It has since become Rooster’s biggest-selling small pack product and is currently stocked in Yorkshire and the North East by Sainsbury’s and nationally by Morrisons and ASDA in 440ml cans, with ASDA also stocking the beer in 330ml fourpacks since April 2024.
Speaking of the collaboration, David Bailey said: “It's a huge honour to design the artwork for this seminal IPA. I've been drinking Baby-Faced Assassin since Rooster's started brewing it and it's one of those rare higher realm UK beers that are buy-on-sight whenever you see them. This is a dream commission for me and I hope Rooster's drinkers enjoy the new artwork.”
In world seemingly being driven by the rise in AI content, design and marketing materials, Rooster’s purposefully set out to achieve an eye-catching and bespoke re-design of Baby-Faced Assassin with the help of a skilled, independent artists who was able to create a unique and tailored new look for a beer and brand that still thrives in an ever-changing market that champions change at a relentless pace.
Tom Fozard, Rooster’s Operations Director, said: “I never could have imagined the scope of success BabyFaced Assassin would go on to achieve when I first brewed it on a ramshackle homebrew kit all those years ago and, while the beer has gone on to become the flagship brand it has for Rooster’s, it’s fair to say it properly looks the part now too. Working with David has been great fun, with more to come in in the future.”
The revamped design is the latest evolution in the Assassin brand’s journey. What began as a cultfavourite single hop beer has grown into a wider family of styles and sub-brands, including Hazy Faced Assassin, a 5.7% hazy IPA, and Easy-Going Assassin, a 4.3% American-style session IPA that’s a scaled down version of its namesake. Both beers form part of Rooster’s core range alongside Baby-Faced Assassin, with other limited release beers having been brewed previously and further additions planned for future release.
The new-look Baby-Faced Assassin will begin to be rolled out across trade and retail channels from early July.
