April 9/Tokyo/Press Release -- Japanese beer maker Kirin has developed a method for cooling beer directly and keeping it chilled for longer. The company's new Ichiban Shibori Frozen Draft stays at a low temperature thanks to a specially-developed machine that dispenses a topping of frozen beer foam like soft-serve ice cream.
To make the topping, regular Ichiban beer is frozen to -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) while air is continuously blown into it. It is kind of like when a child makes bubbles in their drink, except inside a blast freezer. Once the topping is placed onto regular, unfrozen beer though, it acts as an insulating lid and keeps the drink cold for 30 minutes. A side effect of this process is a creamier taste and texture for the beverage overall. In addition, it does not dilute the beer's flavor as it melts, the way ice would.