Spirit Lees
How To NOT Make A GenieThe inspiration for this cremation service we call Spirit Lees comes from a friend who is a bit of a wine connoisseur who wants his adult children to receive his cremated remains in the spent bottles of a wine that is special to him.
Reverence for his request and his family – any family that requests something of this nature – is of paramount importance. Is there an element of cheekiness in the eschewing of traditional disposition methods? Absolutely. Regardless, tread carefully while honoring the memory.
Obviously, this may not be an option that you keep at the front of your showroom, but there may be a family here or there who is overwhelmed with appreciation for your efforts and consideration by having a sample made up as a point of inspiration.
Spirit Lees by Chris Harvan of Aril Memorial LLC (formerly Memento Memorial) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://aril.memorial/spirit-lees/.
SIDE NOTE
This friend and patron who inspired this service/product is a baby boomer, Italian, Catholic. Not conservative, by any means, but note the lack of concern for the church’s rules of burial and holy ground.
The name “Spirit Lees”, service, and act of transferring any quantity of human or pet cremated remains to previously used or new beer, wine, liquor bottles that are sealed/resealed to act as cremation urns further described below are under the protection of the creative commons license.
This service/product are for use by anyone commercially or privately as long as attribution is given to Chris Harvan of Aril Memorial LLC (formerly Memento Memorials LLC) in any publication on or offline.
Anyone may adapt this concept as long as they share alike.
New bottles present an opportunity for significant customization. Supplies for all the options below are easily obtained online. Grieving family members may feel overwhelmed with all of the possible variations. So it may be best to start with a simple solution for which supplies are kept on hand and let the needs of the family guide how much variation is presented. For your consideration:
WINE BOTTLE TYPE
Wine Folly’s content is copywritten so go check out this infographic for yourself.
WINE BOTTLE SIZE
10 points to Ravenclaw if you know what an 18 Liter bottle of wine is called, other than obscene.
BEER BOTTLE SIZE/TYPE
Get a leg up on snooty craft beer friends with this sweet infographic at VinePair.
Adult human cremated remains will require at least:
5 Wine Bottles
Five 750 ml wine bottles for flame based cremation / 6 – 7 for Aquamation
10 BEER BOTTLES
Ten 12 oz beer bottles for flame based cremation / 13 – 14 for Aquamation
5 Liquor Bottles
Five 750 ml wine bottles for flame based cremation / 6 – 7 for Aquamation
CORKS
Natural cork is more authentic, while a synthetic cork will last longer.
Match your cork and bottle size! Check the fit before the expected service.
SEALING WAXES
Sealing waxes come in many different colors to match the design of your project.
An electric melter and cutting wax into bits is recommended.
WAX STAMPS
Full alphabetical stamp kits plus custom options are available all over the interwebs.
3/4” monogram wax seal stamps recommended for wine bottles.
BOTTLE CAPS
Demonstrate your commitment to remembrance by having them printed online.
Work with a designer for best results…
ABOUT WORKING WITH DESIGNERS
This deserves its own article (outlined but not yet written), but there is a reason projects that have good designers behind them are more successful: possibly talent and for sure practice.
The fact that our minds dream convincing realities are evidence that we are all sculptors who can do much more than “draw a stick figure”. The difference between a “lay” person and an artist/designer is that they were willing to suffer through being bad at something long enough to become good at it. If they are trained, they may have learned how to consider culture in a ways that are thoughtful and sensitive. If they they are practiced, there are tricks and hard lessons that they have endured so that you won’t have to.
Aril will be offering Spirit Lees as a service locally in the Cleveland, Ohio area and is developing customizable online components for others outside Northeast Ohio. However, there is likely a qualified person in your town who can assist with taking this concept and running with it for you. Pay them well and treat them with respect and you night have an ally who comes to bat for you at short notice and dire need.
CUSTOM DESIGNED LABELS
Engaging with local designers and printers is the best way to get the most professional results for labels. There are “trip hazards” when it comes to design and printing without professional help. If you do not have a local option for this service, Memento is growing stable of customizable labels to choose from as well as offer full service label design and printing.
There are online options for uploading your own label design, although we cannot speak to the end product.
We recommend the label states that the contents are cremated remains. If not possible, consider an additional wax seal stamp or rubber and ink stamp for the cork top that states “contains cremated remains”.
SPIRIT LEES PRESENTATION BOXES
Potentially laser engraved, options here are myriad but picking one box style as a base product will serve most patrons and provide a springboard for those that have something different in mind.
The used bottle scenario is in some ways simpler to produce as the original branding becomes part of the celebration of life. Memento’s label design service or customizable labels or your local graphic designer will have to sit the bench on this one. Ceremony around the consumption of the beverage prior to the bottles becoming cremation urns could be a poignant touch-point. “Pouring one out for your homie” and then “pouring one homie in” isn’t for every baby boomer, Italian, Catholic but if there is one, there are legion who would consider it if it was presented as an option.
DON'T FORGET
Both options will require a bottle corker/capper available online for less than $30
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