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Many a gaijin (foreigner) has grumbled at the size of the frothy head on their chilled mug of draught beer in an izakaya in Japan. To us westerners, and particularly the brits, a pint is a sacred thing, and being offered anything less than a full pint is second only to being told there are no pork scratchings on the menu. However, on a recent visit to Japan I discovered that not only is there a logic and reason behind the over-sized head on a Japanese beer, but also science and mathematics too!
Take a look at the pic above. This analyses the beer for “best balance”, awards red cards for poor efforts, shows the correct ratio of head to beer, and even points out the “rings of deliciousness” that should cling to the glass as you sup! So next time you are out in Tokyo and somebody moans about the state of their beer, you can inform them that (as with most things in Japan) there is strict etiquette in place, and the Japanese know EXACTLY what they are doing! Kampai!