こくあわ

When it comes to food and drink, there really is no “right” way to enjoy it. Just as some will cringe at the very idea of munching on raw fish dipped in a little soy sauce, others will stare in horror and disbelief as their housemate smothers a baked potato in peanut butter (you know who you are). But when it comes to beer, as many foreigners visiting or living in Japan will no doubt attest, the fondness Japanese have for topping their drink off with an enormous amount of foam sometimes borders on the absurd. “It’s delicious!” Japanese colleagues tell me when I ask why a third of my beer is head. It may well be tasty, but when it takes three gulps of naught but white froth to reach the beer itself, you have to wonder if this is all some kind of hilarious practical joke that the entire country is in on.

But what about when drinking at home? Without a bartender to ensure that beer arrives with a thick head, how can the thirsty foam lover achieve the same results? Enter the Koku Awa beer pourer from Green House.

Due to go on sale from the beginning of June this year retailing for around 2,980 yen (US$30), the Koku Awa (lit. “thick foam”) clips directly onto any ordinary beer can, delivering thick, creamy foam with every pour, even in the comfort of your own home.

koku awa

Powered by two AA batteries, the device features a unique ultrasound system that, activated by the flick of a single switch, injects tiny bubbles into the beer as it is poured. This may sound tremendously technical for what is essentially the act of decanting liquid from one container into another, but thankfully maker Green House has also put together an instructional video so that we don’t get lost along the way and end up with less head on our beer than is required by Japanese law.

First, open your can of beer. Both 350ml and 500ml cans may be used, so there’s no need to buy anything other than your preferred brand to use your new foamer.

first open the beer

Then simply clip the Koku Awa onto the top of the can. The onomatopoeic katakana word “kachi” may or may not appear before your very eyes as the device clicks into place.

snap it on

With the Koku Awa attached, get to pouring. The speed the beer can leave the can is limited by the spout, so you should see very little foam at this point, but remain calm; all will become frothy soon!

Green House advises users to fill the glass 70 percent full before unleashing the power of the frothinator. For anyone who enjoys the taste of beer without having to fight through mouthfuls of pure foam, we’d recommend filling the glass to around 85 percent.

Pour to 70 percent

When you’re ready for head, flick the orange switch into the “on” position.

switch on

butcher your beer

And you’re done! One beer, tons of head. If that was all too much to take in, here’s the instructional video in full. We look forward to trying this device out in the office and the East/West debate that it inevitably sparks!

Source: Netorabo 
Video/images via YouTube, Green House JP