CRYPTIDS & CREATURES
COCKTAIL MENU
MAPPING THE PATH TO MYSTERIOUSLY DELIGHTFUL TASTES
VISUAL DESIGN - PRINT ● ILLUSTRATION
Nightjar is an artisanal beer and cocktail bar in the heart of downtown Peoria that serves new and unusual flavors with whimsical fun. Their 2026 annual menu stars cryptids and creatures from around the world with each drink crafted using ingredients native to the cryptid’s origin.
This menu was created with the folding style and layout of a map, inviting the user to not only see but also reveal and experience it in the same way that one might discover a cryptid or embark on a journey. The color palette complements Nightjar’s branding of deep maroon and sandy brown while also adding the idea of marking (the idiomatic red ‘x’ marks the spot) and agedness like an old map. Continuing to play into this idea, the menu features a legend with symbols that guide the user’s palette and a glossary to explain uncommon processes, spirits, and ingredients used in and for the cocktails.
The wordmark is created using two contrasting typefaces: Cebada is inspired from Carolingian Calligraphic lettering from the medieval times that evolved to be contemporarily used in storefronts and markets, and Powell, an old-style serif typeface with textured edges modeled after early American printing. While Cebada exhibits oldness in a mystic and fantastical voice, Powell is a worn-and-rough-but-sturdy kind of old.
The decorative border and illustrations use angled strokes and loose movement that compliment Cebada and add cohesion to the abstract elements but are stabilized and grounded by the dotted lines in the background and solid lines around the smaller sections and edges of the composition.
