Rotterdam artist Iwan Smit designs glasses for Duvel

Belgian beer brewer Duvel has been offering a stage to exceptional artists and performers to create a design for its iconic glass since 2010. Among others, Piet Parra and Franky Sticks did so and now Rotterdam-based artist Iwan Smit donates his creativity. His glasses will be available in limited editions from 2 September. In honour of the new glasses, Duvel is creating stem tables. In Rotterdam, the Duvel Stammtafel is located at Bokaal. The Duvel Designer glasses 2024 are available from 2 September, in a limited edition, at various cafés, supermarkets and liquor stores as a temporary gift with the purchase of Duvel.

Iwan Smit was inspired for the glasses by a typical question from the online dating world: Are you a dog or cat person? It forms the starting point for not one, but two new Duvel Designer Glasses.

To get inspiration for the design, Iwan went to the pub and while sitting at the bar, he saw many people around him sitting on their phones. Something he catches himself doing often too. He explains: ''We date swiping and ask each other endless questions there, but do we do the same in real life? So the idea was born: what if I incorporate a typical dating question into a design, then you immediately have something to talk about over a beer. The result are two Duvel Designer glasses, which serve as an icebreaker to start a conversation with a stranger. Are you a dog person or a cat person?"

Duvel Stammtisch at Bokaal

In honour of its new glasses, Duvel is creating stem tables in pubs across the country, including Rotterdam. Equipped with phone box, ice breakers and intimate table lamp, these tables are the perfect place for your first date, a beer with an old friend or meeting new people. In Rotterdam, the Duvel Stammtafel is located in Bokaal.

A long-held dream

Iwan Smit is known, among other things, for his high-profile work for Lowlands festival and two of his works are also included in the Boijmans van Beuningen collection. Years back, when Iwan himself was still at graphic lyceum, he saw the Duvel glass by his predecessor and personal idol Piet Parra. "Designing the Duvel Designer glass is a dream come true. For years, I looked at the designs of my predecessors with great admiration. To be added to this series now is a great honour. Nice to mention: the Duvel glasses and their colour are an ode to Parra's design at the time," concludes Iwan. Duvel always gives the designers complete freedom in designing the designer glass, making each year the personality and style of the artist central.