LOS ANGELES – You don't have to be a college frat boy to appreciate the benefits of a cold beer on a hot day.
For baseball fans, it's a perfect combination.
At Dodger Stadium, patrons who order a Kirin beer can now sip it with a frozen beer foam that covers the brew and keeps it cold for about 30 minutes – just the thing for L.A.'s searing summer days.
Beer-drinking purists might consider this blasphemy, but Randy Higa, president of Kirin Brewery of America, said feedback at the ballpark has been positive.
The foam is made from Kirin beer and goes through a process called "frozen agitation" in which air is blown in the beer as it's stirred and chilled to 23 degrees Fahrenheit. A special frozen beer foam machine is used to create the foam.
"It's got an interesting, fun texture," Higa said. "It's an Icee-like texture, kind of like a soft-serve Icee."
Frozen beer was introduced last year in Japan but is only available in the U.S. at Think Blue Bars on the loge and field level at Dodger Stadium and at the Chaya's Summer Beer Garden downtown and Katsuya at the Americana at Brand in Glendale.
Critics say the foam can get in the way of drinking the beer, but that's up to consumers to decide. Higa said it's best sipped, but chuggers may find the foam an intrusion.
"We don't recommend using a straw or anything like that," Higa said.
