Nothing kills the vibe of a rowdy “cheers” quite like a crack in your beer stein.
German company Superfest understood the importance of sturdy drinkware, inventing an “unbreakable” drinking glass in the 1980s, per The Guardian.
While an unbreakable glass sounds great, Superfest ran up against some obstacles.
Namely, its product worked too well. Broken glasses, it turns out, are really good for business.
Plus, Superfest glasses had a minimalist, sleek design — not the ideal for German drinkers of the time, who might’ve preferred a gilded rim or ornate engraving on their glass.
Ultimately, VEB Sachsenglas Schwepnitz, the company that invented the glass production tech, went under in 1990 and Superfest went bankrupt.
Even with those challenges, Superfest’s glasses might’ve been a case of the right idea at the wrong time.
That’s the belief, at least, for Berlin startup Soulbottles, which is innovating on Superfest’s glassmaking tech.
While Soulbottles doesn’t claim to be truly unbreakable, it’s pretty damn strong — prototypes withstood a 6.5-foot drop without smashing.