I love Guinness. Unfortunately, here in Japan, a Guinness habit could bleed you dry of your hard earned yen. I’ve seen pints of Guinness selling for ¥900+ in bars, which probably is what turned me off bars in general in the country. A 330 milliliter can also sells for ¥300+ in supermarkets and convenience stores. Although it isn’t hard to find, I usually only indulge on special occasions or due to the generosity of others.

Luckily for me, my Japanese in-laws seem to think I require Guinness to make it through a day (not that bad, yet). So they habitually gift me a six pack on Christmas and birthdays, as well as provide it during other festivities. This year, the final year of my thirties, they dropped off a a Guinness “Winter Special Box”, featuring a rather unique “slim pint” glass.

I was a bit suspicious of this “slim pint”, but finding a traditional pint glass here has proved difficult so I’ll take what I can get. This particular glass is more accurately a narrow half pint glass, and one 330 milliliter can pours perfectly into this lovely compact vessel. It features a engraved harp on the back and the Guinness seal on the front. Somehow, in micro-loving Japan, this “slim pint” seems wildly appropriate.

Cheers!