In Japan, frozen foam helps keep Kirin beer cold

Japanese brewer Kirin's new Ichiban Shibori Frozen Draft is served with a layer of frozen foam on top to help keep it frosty cold.

Just as fresh brewed coffee is best enjoyed hot — spurring innovations like Coffee Joulies to keep it at just the right temperature — so beer is most refreshing when cold. That’s why Dutch brewer Grolsch went so far as to loan out refrigerators during the World Cup a few years back, and it’s also at the heart of a new invention from Japanese brand Kirin. Namely, Kirin’s new Ichiban Shibori Frozen Draft is served with a layer of frozen beer foam on top to help keep it frosty cold. Kirin creates its frozen beer foam by blowing air into beer as it is stirred and chilled to a frosty -5 degrees Celsius, according to a report on PSFK. Atop a glass of beer, the resulting foam can reportedly keep the drink chilled for a full 30 minutes. The video below depicts Kirin’s frozen foam in action. Ichiban Shibori Frozen Draft is currently being tested out in Tokyo, PSFK reports, with a full Japanese launch planned for May. Brewers and restaurateurs around the globe: one to get in on early?