The other day, I was pursuing the cooler section of our local fancy foods + drinks shop, The Oaks, when this beer caught my eye.

Now, from a beer-drinker’s standpoint, Belgian white ales usually fall pretty low on my list of preferred beers, but, from a designer’s point of view, how could I not buy this beer‽ Look at that cat!

Wednesday Cat ale and its adorably designed can are produced by central Japan’s YO-HO Brewing Company. YO-HO was founded in 1996 by the eco-friendly, locally minded Hoshino Resort Company in the popular mountain resort town of Karuizawa—a spot often sought out as an escape from the hustle and bustle of nearby Tokyo.

The beer itself is described as a light, sweet, and citrusy brew with a low level of carbonation but some nice, unique aromas. And, as you can see on Barnivore—the online guide to vegan libations—Wednesday Cat is, in fact vegan. YO-HO’s head of Customer Relations got right back to us when we inquired, telling us:

“The answer is yes, but the line is not vegan. We make other products in the same line and we use isinglass (fish bladder) for filtering some of the other products. Wednesday Cat itself contains water,malts, hops, orange peels and coriander seeds. We use a kind of moss for filtering it.”

So indeed—let this cat help you get through the rest of the week.

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