Two Pull Tab Cans To Perfect Your Beer Pouring

Have we been drinking beer from a can wrong all along? Or rather, have can manufacturers made their beer cans with a design flaw since the start? Beer heads are considered essential for having beer taste better, at least in Japan, but we might go so far as saying this is a universal thought irrespective of nationality or culture - if a beer is presented without a head, you question it's freshness; too much head, you question the barista.

The primary reasoning for having a head beyond aesthetics is that a layer of foam with adequate thickness acts as a lid to prevent beer from coming into contact with the air, and keeps it from releasing aroma, flavour and carbonation. In the domestic beer market, beer for commercial use is usually shipped in bottles or tanks, while most beer for home consumption is canned. In the latter case, however, it is difficult to create an ideal foam when pouring from a can into a glass. Until now, enter Nendo's revolutionary beer can idea.

The Principles Of Beer Bubbles

There are two main principles of bubbles that form from canned beer, besides the factor derived from its raw materials: the sudden drop in pressure inside the can when it is opened and the friction that occurs between the can and the liquid when pouring. Through Nendo's study, it has been found that if the pull tab doesn’t fully open the can, the pressure is concentrated in the narrow opening. At the same time, when pouring, the area of the beer in contact with the lid increases which facilitates the formation of bubbles.

Two-Way Beer Opening Can

Based on Nendo's research, they have invented a new can design with two pull tabs, rather than the typical one aligned centrally on the top. Still positioned on the top of the can, but slightly different distances between each pull tab and the lid change the degree of opening. When the can is opened by the first tab, the lid opens a little to create more foam. Once the glass is about half full of bubbles, stop pouring and wait for the bubbles to settle. Next, open the second tab to open the lid to the fullest, and gently pour the rest under the foam. In this way, a glass with a liquid-foam ratio of 7:3, the so-called golden ratio for beer, can now be easily achieved with canned beer. Magic.

Project / Brand: Nendo
Photography: Masahiro Ohgami