finer beer head
日本のビールが韓国の若い世代で人気を集めているようです。
Japanese beer firms make headway in South Korea
Japanese beer is becoming increasingly prominent in South Korea, where its popularity is growing mainly among young people due to its deeper flavors and finer beer head than domestic brews.
Because the main alcoholic drink in South Korea is shochu, a distilled beverage, the overall beer market is not large. However, Japanese beer imports to the country have been continuously increasing and there is significant room for market development due to the drinks’ novelty and good taste.
According to research company Canadean Ltd., the sales volume of beer in South Korea in 2015 was 2.34 million kiloliters — less than half that of Japan. In South Korea, Hitejinro Co. and Oriental Brewery Co. are the top two beer companies, with a more than 80 percent combined market share.
Imported beer accounts for only about 10 percent of the market. In 2010, Asahi Breweries Ltd. renewed the TV commercials for its major Super Dry brand to promote the beer head and quality of the product, which sells well at restaurants and convenience stores.
Asahi’s sales in 2015 were 2½ times higher than five years before, at 27,000 kiloliters. The company’s more than 20 percent share of the imported beer market makes it the top foreign beer in South Korea.
Kirin Brewery Co., Suntory Beer Ltd. and Sapporo Breweries Ltd. followed Asahi by making full-scale entries into the South Korean market. Sales of Japanese beer in 2016 are expected to exceed 50,000 kiloliters.
以下省略
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003164855
今回取り上げる表現は “finer beer head” です。beer headを直訳で考えると「ビールの頭」となりますが、これでは意味がよくわかりません。『ライトハウス英和辞典』（第5版 研究社）でheadの項目を見てみますと、可算名詞で「（普通は単数形で）（ビールなどの）泡」という意味が見つかりました。この意味を知ってからもう一度考えると、ビールを注いだときに泡はグラスの上（頭）の部分、つまりheadの位置に集まるなと思いました。LDOCEには “the layer of small white bubbles on the top of a glass of beer” と説明されておりました。
では次にfineですが、fineはいくつかの意味を持つ多義語です。今回の文脈で考えると、「細かい、細い、（刃物などが）鋭い」（『ライトハウス英和辞典』）という意味が適するかと思います。これらの意味を含めますと“finer beer head” で「よりきめの細かいビールの泡」という意味になるかと思われます。
過去に取り上げられている表現でBeer Pong というスポーツに関するものがありました。(aqua)
