nendo pops beer cans with two pull tabs for more brew, less foam lager drinking

Nendo achieves an exacting liquid-foam ratio

Nendo wants beer fans to have more brew and less foam when they drink canned drinks. The Japanese studio researched the principle of bubbles that forms from canned beer and sought to find a way to reduce it and let a seamless beer flow. The design team uncovered that by adding two pull tabs on the beer cans, they can spike the foam down when the beer drinker is ready for more brew.

The two pull tabs form a domino effect: without the other, the design might not work. When first tab is flicked open, the slit unleashes the pressure and makes way for an abundance of foam. Drinkers can pour the bubbles into a glass and lift the can up once they have achieved their desired level of foam. Then, they open the second tab which opens the lid to the fullest, and here, the flow of beer is seamless and foamless.

images courtesy of nendo | photos by Masahiro Ohgami

Emoji-looking tabs design

Nendo carves some space between the two pull tabs on their beer can design to make it easier for drinkers to pop them. When they are still closed, the design resembles a wonky-looking emoji who has had a rough night. Once opened, the tabs give the emoji a gasping expression, drawn from the large hole. Before creating the design, the Japanese studio drew upon the beer culture in Japan to drive their research forward.

‘Beer heads are considered essential for making beer taste better, at least in Japan. It is because 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, flavor, and carbonation. In the domestic beer market, it is difficult to create an ideal foam when pouring from a can into a glass,’ states nendo.

when the first tab is flicked open, the slit makes way for an abundance of foam

Exploring the principles of beer bubbles

Through this observation, nendo explored the two main principles of bubbles that form from canned beer other than the effects caused by the raw materials injected into the drink. They regarded 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 as their key points to look into.

‘Through our 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,’ nendo states.

nendo unearths the simmering technique by planting two pull tabs which can allow ale drinkers to enjoy more brew from their canned drinks. In this way, a glass with a liquid-foam ratio of 7:3, so-called golden ratio, can now be easily achieved with canned beer, all while turning heads for the smiling and gasping look of the beer cans from above.

the second tab opens the lid to the fullest and let the beer flow be seamless and foamless