From marketing proposals to product launches and everything between, our team of digital marketing creatives can handle every aspect of your marketing. Read more about the benefits of working with a full-service agency.




Full-Service Creative & Marketing
Distilling & Drink Knowledge
Karen Locke, founder of High-Proof Creative has written about distilling, and food and drink since 2011. While she has written for publications like GQ, Bon Appétit, and Sip Northwest, her day-to-day has always been spent in creative and marketing agencies in Portland.
Custom Services & Consulting
Ongoing services can ensure the money you invest in a project has returns, but we’re also available for one-time projects as needed. Looking for a service not listed here? Contact us today! We’re the alcohol marketing agency you’ve been looking for!
Meet the High-Proof Creative Team

Karen Locke
Founder, Creative StrategyKaren is founder of High-Proof Creative, and believes the darker the bar the better. Karen wrote a book about touring Portland’s distilleries.

Cari
Content StrategistCari Sánchez-Potter has over sixteen years of marketing, event production, PR, project management and fundraising experience with food and bev, tourism and arts organiza

Olivia T.
DesignerOlivia has a BFA in Illustration from the University of Arizona.When she’s not working with craft beverage clients, you can find her playing video...

Clare G. S.
Content StrategistAs a marketer with a strong writing background, Clare Goggin Sivits has worked in the beer, spirits, and wine industries for nearly a decade.

Sophie L.
DesignerWhen not creating logos and craft spirits labels, you can find her tasting and rating chicken tenders, crushing 900-page books in a weekend, or...

Cassandra J.
DesignerCassandra has been designing for more than a decade. She has created for several craft beverage companies from coffee and craft cider to spirits....

Andie R.
Designer & IllustratorAndie has been designing and art directing for the craft beverage & cannabis industry since 2014. Her interests include cooking, roasting her own coffee,...
Want to join our creative team?
Send us your portfolio now and get the opportunity to work with the best.
Awards, Press & Testimonials

I've been working with High-Proof for the past year on a vodka brand I'm starting and I've had an awesome experience with everyone there. Karen and her team have done an amazing job of designing my labels, website, promotional materials, social posts. They've provided consulting on a variety on strategic questions, helped me find better vendors and in the process have saved me thousands of dollars. I can't imagine this brand coming to life with anyone else. They've been a partner at every step.
Arthur R., Zakuska Vodka,

Founder, Karen Locke was the lead source for article from iPonder: "What it’s like for women who make liquor for a living"
iPondr,

Founder, Karen Locke was the lead source for this BevNET.com article, " How Spirit and RTD Cocktail Brands Are Building on Social Media"
BevNET: Drinking While Posting,

Nominated and made shortlist for the WSET/IWSC ‘Future 50 Awards’ in 2019. Over 600 nominations for these awards.
Future 50,

Karen, Ashley and the entire team at High-Proof Creative are amazing to work with. They are not only creative and strategic, but very adaptable, easy to work with, they demonstrate market competency, and listen. If you need to get things done, on budget, and on time, they are your go to agency. They've made our products and creative shine not only in competitions but more importantly with our customers.
Yolanda,

FIRST (Double Platinum) - ASCOT Awards 2021 | New Category | 2700. Other -- Software
Ascot Awards,

PLATINUM - ASCOT Awards 2022 | 1740. Logo Bottle Design | 1846. Modern Appearance
ASCOT Awards,

GOLD - ASCOT Awards for Bottle Design 2022 | 1740. Logo | Liba Spirits
Ascot Awards,

Founder Karen Locke was featured in a Q&A in Sip magazine, "Locke in Success with High-Proof Creative," December 2021.
Sip,

Eater wrote about the software & movement we built in, ".. Database Helps People Find Women and Non-Binary Distillers Across the Country,"
Eater Portland,

Strange Times, Stay Creative: Eccentric Cocktails. Category: WEIRD - 1st Place for photography w/ Polara Studio.
Vega Awards,

GOLD from Hermes Creative Awards 2020 for Print Media | Design | 52. Packaging/Label
Hermes Creative Awards,

FIRST PLACE - Hermes Creative Awards, 2020 for Interactive Media | Social Media | 136. Instagram
Hermes Creative Award,

Beverage Master included us in their print February/March issue for Small-Batch Maps, along with other innovative tech for the industry.
Beverage Master,

Marketing Gold Winner: Best Website - Gin Farallon from the John Barleycorn Awards, 2019.
John Barleycorn Awards,

We recently hired Karen to build a new web site for us. Karen started with a lot of thoughtful questions that helped her get a strong understanding of what we were looking for and what our aesthetic is. Karen offered wonderful suggestions and was open to our ideas throughout the process. Karen was very patient with us and our crazy schedules. We own two businesses and this is our busiest time of year but Karen kept us on track and completed the project on time and on-budget!
Amy Bohner, Alchemy Distillery,

High-Proof was just what we needed when we launched our Hazelnut Bourbon Whiskey in Oregon. Karen was instrumental in setting up events, arranging social media influences and introducing us to potential clients. A bonus was that we found her creative writing skills exceptional and ended up hiring her to write our back labels for our Pecan infused and Pecan Barrel Strength bourbon whiskey which just hit shelves last month. I highly recommend Karen, the staff and services of High Proof Creative!
Gloria Z., Wicked Harvest,

People's Choice - Voted BEST BRANDING/DESIGN EXPERT by readers of Spirited magazine. Summer 2019.
Spirited magazine,

Founder Karen Locke was recognized on April 13, 2019 for her contributions to the spirits industry.
Wine Whiskey and Women,

Thanks to Spirited mag for publishing our press about the launch of High-Proof Creative in 2018. Read more about the launch of our company at Spirited magazine.
Spirited magazine,

Thanks to BevNet for publishing our press about the launch of High-Proof Creative in 2018. Read more about the launch of our company at BevNet.com.
BevNet,

Our founder Karen Locke was featured as a source in the article, "Our Favorite Women-Made Whiskeys," which was published by Outside magazine.
Outside Magazine,
Discover Our Latest Website Feature
Help Consumers Find Your Products
Created by High-Proof Creative, and Jacob Eastman, Small Batch Maps is a web-based feature for displaying your distillery’s product to potential customers. Your distillery, tasting rooms, and even bars that carry your product can be added to the map.

High-Proof Creative News
Creative portfolio ready made templates are ready on one-click.

About Karen Locke
Karen is author of “High-Proof PDX: A Spirited Guide to Portland’s Craft Distilling Scene” and has been a food and drink writer for nearly 10 years. Karen has been published by GQ magazine, Bon Appétit, Thrillist, Sip Northwest, and more. She has 15 years of marketing agency experience in Portland as a content strategist and project manager, holding senior level positions at companies Staffing Robot and Advanced, Inc. Additional experience includes positions at NIKE, Inc., Left Brain DGA, and Direct Marketing Solutions. She spent time as a bartender, and has even taken whiskey-making classes. Karen joined the Women’s Distillery Guild as a board member in 2018.
Our Timeline
- 2018 - High-Proof Creative was founded by Karen Locke, longtime drink writer and marketer
- 2019 - High-Proof Creative builds and launches Small-Batch Maps
- 2020 - Women in Distilling is founded by High-Proof Creative
- 2019 - Awarded Best Branding/Design Expert 2019 by readers of Spirited magazine
- 2019 - Best Website - Gin Farallon from the John Barleycorn Awards
- 2020 - 1st Place for photography with Polara Studio - Awarded by Vega Awards
- 2020 - FIRST PLACE - Platinum from Hermes Creative Awards for Interactive Media | Social Media | 136. Instagram
- 2020 - GOLD from Hermes Creative Awards for Print Media | Design | 52. Packaging/Label - Design by Chad Witzel
- 2021 - Small-Batch Maps wins Double Platinum from ASCOT Awards by Fred Minnick