Packaging #07 - Twist cap

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Twist at your own risk vs do not be thick.

Let's now review an element that clearly demonstrates that, at the very least, one must be suspicious of marketing. It is best not to confuse today's element, the twist cap, with the screw cap we saw yesterday: while the latter is a great ally for fun and outdoor life, the former can become the worst of your enemies.

This is the story of an invention that was born to make beer lovers' life easier, and that for some unknown reason has only succeeded in the opposite, on numerous occasions. Humans are a wonderful breed, capable of sending special probes to mars, while inventing twist caps that do not rotate. At least not without sensitive hands being subject to a hair-rising tearing.

That difficulty, plus the widespread acceptance it had in some markets a few years ago, and the prudence required of companies by US law, led to some standard caps warning the consumer to use an opener. Something that, from an European perspective, is quite funny.

The truth is that, in those cases in which the twist cap works, it really is a fine invention. In spite of honourable exceptions -I basically can think of Miller's- it rarely fulfills its purpose. And also remember that, just as we saw with the screw cap, it is generally not associated with beers that stand out for their outstanding organoleptic contribution -a subtle way of saying it-.


Salut i birra!


To understand the motivation behind this series of posts, it is advisable to read the Introduction.

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