Redeveloping pre-war canned beer that had been lost to history
Canned beer first went on sale in the US in 1935. These cans were referred to as “cone top” cans and combined the shape of a flat can and bottle to create a peaked top. Records state that around this time, Dainippon Beer, the predecessor to our company, was exploring cone top beer. Due to the fact that the metal cans imparted a particular odor to the beverage and did not retain the quality of bottled beer, we neglected to opt for canning at that time.
Canned Sapporo Beer
Sapporo Beer finally began selling canned beer in earnest in 1959. These were not the aluminum cans that are in use today, but steel cans. Rather than a two-piece can where the can bottom and walls are adhered together, these cans were three pieces, having a separate bottom, wall, and lid. The lid had to be punctured in two places to open it, which made it more inconvenient.
Can designed by a noted designer
The design of the can was developed by Walter Landor, a noted American industrial designer. This was Landor’s first project in Japan. The design fees were top-tier, as well, clocking in at 6,500 USD (the exchange rate at the time was 360 JPY to the dollar, so the total was 2.34M JPY). In those days, the starting salary for a new graduate was 16,000 JPY, so these were steep design fees, to be sure.
Canned beer struggles to gain acceptance
Priced boldly at 75 JPY per can (350ml), the product was not immediately taken to by consumers. Complaints ranged from the fact that the cans imparted a foul odor to the notion that it was less flavorful than bottled beer. Although the product was in no way inferior to bottled beer, it entered the market with a negative image. Not only was the taste unfamiliar, but perhaps out of people being unaccustomed to having to open it with a can opener, the new product struggled to gain popularity.
Canned Sapporo pull-top beer goes on sale
Our firm first released pull-tab (or pull-top) canned beer in 1965. The can lid was aluminum, but the base and walls still used steel. The shift to two-piece, all-aluminum bottles was made in 1972. At around this time, vending machines had become widespread, so canned beer started being adopted. The switch to “stay-on” tabs was made in 1990. Even ten years after its introduction, canned beer only accounted of 1-2% of all beer containers. Today, however, it is over 70%.