Japanese design studio Nendo has unveiled what it calls the “perfect” beer glass, crafted specifically to heighten the experience of drinking Sapporo’s iconic Kuro Label beer. Created in partnership with Sapporo, Japan’s oldest beer brand, the innovative glass aims to enhance refreshment, aroma, and richness through its distinctive, asymmetrical shape.

Unlike traditional pint glasses, this new design features straight edges at the front and back, while one side curves inward and the other curves outward. The result is a glass that alters how the beer meets the palate, offering drinkers a unique multisensory journey with each sip.

Designed for Sapporo’s flagship Kuro Label

The glass was developed to accompany Sapporo’s Kuro Label, the brewery’s first bottled draft beer introduced in 1977. Known for its layered flavor profile, Kuro Label delivers a series of sensations as it moves from the first sip to the last. Nendo’s design seeks to enhance this by creating a vessel that supports three distinct “mouthfeels,” encouraging a deeper appreciation of the beer’s complexity.

Nendo explained: “Kuro Label is well recognised for its multiple distinct flavour profiles, beginning with the ‘first sip’, the ‘middle’ and ending with the ‘last sip’, taking your palate through a journey of complex flavours and pleasures in one drink. To maximise the richness and aroma of the beer, a glass with three different mouthfeels was designed.”

Engineering taste through glass design

According to the designers, the straight sides of the glass guide the beer down the center of the tongue, producing a crisp and refreshing finish. Meanwhile, the curved edges allow for variations in how the beer flows into the mouth, altering both taste and aroma perception depending on how the glass is tilted.

“This allows the beer to be drunk in three different ways,” Nendo noted, highlighting how the shape can influence the drinking experience. The concept reflects a growing interest in how glassware can shape sensory experiences—not just through visuals, but by engineering how beverages interact with the palate.

The result is a minimalist yet functional glass that reflects Nendo’s signature style—subtle, purposeful, and rooted in Japanese design principles.

A playful, thoughtful approach to design

Founded by Oki Sato in 2002 after he graduated from Tokyo’s Waseda University with a degree in architecture, Nendo has become known for blending functionality with wit. The studio’s designs often add a sense of surprise or delight to everyday objects, all while maintaining a clean, minimalist aesthetic.

This isn’t Nendo’s first foray into beer innovation. Last year, the studio introduced a redesigned beer can that creates the perfect foam head when poured—further proof of their ongoing interest in reimagining the drinking experience.

With this new beer glass, Nendo has once again demonstrated how thoughtful design can deepen the appreciation of even the most familiar rituals. For Sapporo drinkers, it offers a new way to experience the beer they know and love—one carefully considered sip at a time.