The ‘Draft Beer Can’ from ToyoChem & Asahi Wins National Invention Award

TOYOCHEM and Asahi Breweries Co. received the 2026 National Invention Award for their jointly developed Asahi Beer’s “Draft Beer Can.” 

Two TOYOCHEM developers attended the awards ceremony held on June 15, 2026.

The paint used in Asahi Breweries’ “Draft Beer Can” is the opposite of the conventional belief that “foam bursts out from canned beer = failure.” 

The technical point of this invention lies in the “small crater-like uneven structure” formed by a special paint applied to the inside of the can.

By placing 200 to 1,200 unevennesses per square meter with diameters of 5–20μm, and combining even smaller unevennesses with diameters less than 0.5–5μm at high density, TOYOCHEM realized a mechanism where fine bubbles continuously rise in response to changes in air pressure upon opening.

The developers commented, “We are deeply honored to have received the Invention Award for the  “Draft Beer Can,” which incorporates our can coatings technology. The development of the “Draft Beer Can” began when Asahi Breweries’ desire to “recreate the taste of draft beer enjoyed in a restaurant beer in a can” was unexpectedly matched by our own experience of development failures. I am deeply impressed by the company’s extraordinary enthusiasm in overcoming numerous obstacles in the subsequent product realization, and being able to contribute even in a small way is an immense joy as an engineer.”