Japan's 'slow beer glass' makes sure drinkers take their time

The brewer of Japan's Yona Yona Ale has designed a beer glass that forces you to drink slowly. Image: Courtesy of Yona Yona Ale brewer©

In hot weather, you might find yourself gulping down a cold beer faster than usual, even if alcohol is best avoided during the hottest part of the day to prevent dehydration. But a brewing company in Japan has come up with an innovative solution in the form of a "slow beer glass."

It's well known that the shape and thickness of the sides of a glass play an important role in the tasting experience of wine and other alcoholic beverages. But for reasons that have more to do with health and safety, a new shape of glass has been devised in Japan. While an hourglass-shaped glass is already used to sample Belgian Kwak, the Yona Yona Ale brewer has taken the concept a step further by slimming down the middle of the container to almost uniformly take on the shape of this time-keeping device. And it doesn't just make the glass easier to grip...

The aim is simply to prevent people from drinking their beer too quickly. And in hot weather, this type of glass could be a good way of stemming the overwhelming desire for refreshment. Remember, there's nothing like water to keep you hydrated in hot weather!

The design of the glass is taken to such an extreme that it's difficult to drink its contents without restraint. In fact, as you sip from the first part of the hourglass, the liquid in the lower part remains imprisoned, forcing the consumer to raise the glass right the way up to release a small amount at a time. Indeed, that's why the glass has been christened "yukkuri" in Japanese, which means the "slow beer glass." 

This glass is definitely not an April Fool's (it's July, after all), since it has been hand-crafted by glass artisans. It is not (yet) available for sale in Japanese stores, but is available to customers at a series of outlets and bars in Tokyo.