We tried Japan’s Wobbly Beer Glass that forces you to drink water, and it humbled us

This classy drinking session didn’t go quite as planned.

Just last month, we wrote about an unusual beer glass developed by Yo-Ho Brewing , the Japanese company behind popular craft beer brand Yona Yona Ale .

Called the “ Furatsuku Beer Glass ” (“ Wobbly Beer Glass ”), the unusual U-shaped vessel is designed to hold beer in one side and water in the other , encouraging you to drink both in equal measures to make the wobbly glass stand upright and prevent it from toppling over . ▼ This ad for the product shows how it works.

While it looked impressive in the commercial, we had doubts about how well it might work in an everyday drinking session , and although we wanted to try it for ourselves, the 13,750 yen (US$85.99) price tag was a pretty big barrier to entry.

So when our reporter P.K.

Sanjun opened a parcel in the office the other day, from an old colleague who now works at Yo-Ho Brewing, we all gasped in surprise as he pulled out the U-shaped glass, giving us the chance to see it in action firsthand. ▼ It comes with a convenient stand for safe and secure storage.

Placing it gingerly on the desk, P.K. was surprised to see that it did manage to balance on its own, even when empty – as long as the two sides have equal amounts of liquid, and in this case none, it will stay upright.

Excited to see whether he could master the unusual glass and enjoy his beer in a more sophisticated fashion, he gave it a quick wash and then prepared his water and beer. ▼ Keeping the glass steady in the stand, he filled one side with beer, and then the other with water. ▼ Now all he had to do was sit back and enjoy the beer, but… ▼ … it wasn’t easy to drink from .

Not only was the act of drinking hard physically, it was also hard mentally.

Usually, when P.K. opens a beer it’s to unwind and relax, but there was no relaxing with this glass in his hand.

He was so worried about the possibility of liquid from the other side splashing onto his forehead while he drank that he found himself stretching his neck into uncomfortably strange positions. ▼ Keeping a constant eye on the liquid levels was a bit of a stressful distraction, but thankfully no liquid splashed in his face.

Without realising it, P.K. ended up holding the glass for an unusually long stretch of time, as if something in the back of his mind was telling him not to sit it down on the table.

However, the Wobbly Glass’s balancing act is all part of its unique charm , so he couldn’t finish his beer without at least giving it a try.

Carefully sipping on both sides until he had what seemed to be an even balance, he carefully set it on the table and… ▼ … success! It balanced beautifully on the desk, tipping slightly towards the fuller end of the glass, as if pointing out that he’d drunk less water than beer .