Frozen Foam Beer

In yet another move to attract discerning (?) beer drinkers, Kirin has announced a new beer, Ichiban Shibori Frozen Nama (一番搾りフローズン生). Actually, it's not a new beer per se but rather a new way of serving it.

A serving machine adds a layer of frozen (-5C) foam at the end of the pour. Just the thing, I suppose, for the hot summer months. The claim is made that this will allow the beer to stay cold for half an hour. From the photos, the foam looks very much like a "soft cream,"which could also add to its attraction.

However, if you have observed beer drinkers in Japan, you know that most people tend to slam beer down very quickly. It's hard to imagine anyone taking 30 minutes to finish a glass or even a large mug of beer. You know, I'm kind of wondering if it could be dangerous to deposit a load of alcoholic ice into one's stomach....  Also, it seems as if it would make a fairly taste-less beer even more innocuous. Anyway, it is apparently now available in Tokyo and will spread to the rest of Japan in May.