strange beauty

What happens when sustainability, sake, and cephalopods collide? Ika Tokkuri, or traditional sake bottles, made from squids. YES, SQUIDS. These completely edible vessels are made from sun-dried squid and molded by hand, making them just about the greenest beverage receptacle since your own hands. What's more, the saltiness of the squid skin actually mellows the sake while absorbing some of its flavor, creating a perfect compliment between the drink and its vessel-cum-snack. No food waste, no manufacturing by-products, all sake-squidy goodness.

Already popular in Takahama, Japan, it remains to be seen whether these fishy flagons will catch on stateside. I wouldn't even need to drink from one - I could just look at them hanging on strings all day. They're beautiful!

Image via inhabitat.com