Crossword Genius

Is removing its froth such a blow? (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

bitter

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'blow?' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both to do with perception as well as being verbs in their base form.
Perhaps you can see an association between them that I can't see?

'is removing its froth such a' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'its' could be 'it' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'it' is found in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for bitter that I've seen before include "Beer; not sweet" , "Type of beer" , "Acerbic" , "English beer, sounds sour" , "Causing unhappiness" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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