Foam in a glass of beer

TV commercials of alcoholic beverages are forbidden in some countries, but there is no regulation against broadcasting alcoholic drink advertisements in Japan. I see TV commercials for beer frequently. They usually pour beer into a glass from a can or beer server to emphasize the white creamy beer foam in commercials. Let me talk about “foam in a glass of beer” in this article.

Just after I started working as an office worker, my older coworkers taught me how to dilute shochu (Japanese distilled spirits) with water and how to pour beer into a glass from a bottle at a drinking party. I felt “Why do I have to memorize such a thing? It sounds ridiculous!” but I decided not to disturb 和 (wa = harmony) and followed the rule because I wanted to create good relationships with my coworkers and boss.

The way I learned how to pour bottled beer into a glass:

(1) Hold a beer bottle from the bottom part using both hands to cup the bottle from the top and bottom sides with the front label facing up
(*You need to be careful not to use both of your palms facing upward to cradle the bottle from the bottom)

(2) Pour beer into a glass slowly at first

(3) Adjust the amount of foam while pouring beer
(the foam should be 20～30% of the glass)

*The reason why this certain way of holding a bottle is considered to be rude is not concretely known. There are various theories, and the prominent one goes like this: “using both hands with palms faced upward is the same way a katana (Japanese sword) was held while water was poured onto it from above to purify it before being used to assist someone in committing seppuku (hara-kiri) in old days”.

Newcomers and young workers always had to pay attention to others’ glasses and offer to pour beer for superiors at drinking parties, and I didn’t like this mission especially in my first few years at that company.
(This is my personal experience at a conservative Japanese company, and not all companies in Japan have this type of rule. Besides, drunk people don’t mind other’s manner very much.)

There were a lot of chances to go to a drinking party with coworkers, bosses, and business partners too. However, COVID has changed various lifestyles in Japan and the frequency of drinking parties is one of them. It was fortunate for people like me who cannot drink alcohol or people who don’t like to drink with coworkers or bosses after work.

Even though COVID has made the Japanese have fewer drinking parties, it didn’t change their preference of beer foam. If you order a glass of beer at a restaurant, izakaya (Japanese style dining bar), or pub in Japan, they probably provide a glass of beer with 20～30% of the glass being foam.
This is common because there are many people who want to enjoy the foam of beer.

I was surprised when I found that people in the U.S. have a different preference for beer foam.
My husband likes drinking and he often drinks beer, especially IPAs and stouts, but he always complains when he orders a glass of beer in Japan that there is too much foam.

I’m not 100 % sure whether restaurants in Japan might be able to serve a glass of beer without foam if you ask them “No foam, please”. (Awa nashi, onegai shimasu.)
–awa literally means bubble, but means foam in this case
–nashi means without
–onegai shimasu means please

Speaking of beer, there is a TV commercial of Japanese beer that I can’t forget. They used the song “Volare” of Gypsy Kings for the commercial constantly from the ’90s to ’10s. So I’m sure that the Japanese who are over 30 years old can recognize this song like “Oh, it’s the song for Kirin beer commercials!”. If you are interested in the song, please check You Tube.