It’s frustrating when a beer drinker opens up a cold one and somebody carelessly knocks it over–especially when it’s an expensive brew. Equally frustrating is when somebody wants to save the rest of that bottle of premium beer for the next day (or up to 48 hours later) after passing out drunk before being able to finish it.The two-in-one bottle opener and sealer Pop & Stop was created mainly to address the catastrophic problem of beer waste.
The keychain-sized product is designed to be portable and replace the bottle opener that many people already carry. It won’t cut your leg if it’s in your pocket and move the wrong way, like some traditional metal bottle openers will. More importantly, it has the added advantage of also serving as a sealing device for a bottle after it’s opened. Backers who pledge $6 will get a molded unit when it ships in May, while those who pledge $8 will get a 3D printed one immediately. The Denver inventor who made it is looking to raise $8,500 by Feb. 21.
There is a huge potential market for Pop & Stop. Unfortunately, it won’t work on some twist-off bottles. So, if the drinker’s favorite beer only comes in that kind of bottle, the product will have little appeal to that person. The molded version has a smoother texture than the 3D printed version, and also features stronger plastic. But the molded version is not recyclable, a distinct drawback.