An Interesting Read from BA
Glassware for Beer
So what's in a beer glass? Hopefully beer, but there's much more to be found. Though some beer novices say "the vast majority of glassware is just marketing," this couldn't be further from the truth. As BeerAdvocates, we feel that beer drinkers deserve better than this. So here's the real deal ...
Sure, there's a marketing component to beer glassware, but one only needs to look beyond the branding to discover that something bigger is taking place. As soon as the beer hits the glass, its color, aroma and taste is altered, your eye candy receptors tune in, and your anticipation is tweaked. Hidden nuances, become more pronounced, colors shimmer, and the enjoyment of the beer simply becomes a better, more complete, experience.
Still think it's just marketing? Well the sophomoric pun "head is good" has a mature side. Scientific studies show that the shape of glassware will impact head development and retention. Why is this important? The foam created by pouring a beer acts as a net for many of the volatiles in a beer. What's a volatile? Compounds that evaporate from beer to create its aroma, such as hop oils, all kinds of yeast fermentation byproducts like alcohol, fusels and fruity esters, spices or other additions. So a glass that promotes a healthy foam head may enhance the trapping of certain volatiles. And as varying levels of head retention and presentation are desired with different styles of beers, different styles of glassware should be used accordingly. Presentation marries science.
So which glassware do you use? The answer can often be overwhelming. In Europe, especially Belgium, each brand of beer will often have its own glass. In fact, some breweries have been known to engineer the glass before the beer, and many bars will also stock unique glassware for every brand of beer they serve, which could be hundreds or thousands. And while it's always a good idea to use glassware designed by the brewery for a specific brand of beer, sometimes this is not an option. But fret not! We've complied a quick guide of recommended glassware that will cover most beers and arm you with a very versatile arsenal of glassware.
Flute Glass
The world of champagne lends elegance to certain types of beer. Long and narrow bodies ensure that carbonation doesn't dissipate too quickly and showcase a lively carbonation or sparkling color. Stems will often be a bit shorter than the traditional champagne glass, but not necessarily.
Benefits: Enhances and showcases carbonation. Releases volatiles quickly for a more intense upfront aroma.
Use with these Beer Styles:
American Wild Ale
Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut
Bock
Czech Pilsener
Dortmunder / Export Lager
Eisbock
Euro Strong Lager
Faro
Flanders Oud Bruin
Flanders Red Ale
German Pilsener
Gueuze
Lambic - Fruit
Lambic - Unblended
Maibock / Helles Bock
Munich Dunkel Lager
Munich Helles Lager
Schwarzbier
Vienna Lager
Weizenbock
Goblet (or Chalice)
Majestic pieces of work, ranging from delicate and long stemmed (Goblet) to heavy and thick walled (Chalice). The more delicate ones may also have their rims laced with silver or gold, while the heavy boast sculpture-like stems. Some are designed to maintain a 2-centimeter head. This is achieved by scoring the inside bottom of the glass, which creates a CO2 nucleation point, and a stream of eternal bubbles and perfect head retention as a result.
Benefits: Eye candy. Designed to maintain head. Wide-mouthed for deep sips.
Use with these Beer Styles:
Belgian IPA
Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Berliner Weissbier
Dubbel
Quadrupel (Quad)
Tripel
Mug (or Seidel, Stein)
Heavy, sturdy, large and with handle, the mug is a fun and serious piece of glassware that comes in many sizes and shapes. The best part of using a mug is that you can clink them together with more confidence than other types of glassware, and they hold loads of beer. Seidel is a German mug, while a Stein is the stone equivalent that traditionally features a lid, the use of which dates back to the Black Plague to prevent flies from dropping in.
Benefits: Easy to drink out of. Holds plenty of volume.
Use with these Beer Styles:
American Amber / Red Ale
American Amber / Red Lager
American Blonde Ale
American Brown Ale
American Dark Wheat Ale
American IPA
American Malt Liquor
American Pale Ale (APA)
American Pale Wheat Ale
American Porter
American Stout
American Strong Ale
Baltic Porter
Black & Tan
Bock
California Common / Steam Beer
Chile Beer
Cream Ale
Czech Pilsener
Doppelbock
English Bitter
English Brown Ale
English Dark Mild Ale
English India Pale Ale (IPA)
English Porter
English Stout
English Strong Ale
Euro Dark Lager
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Fruit / Vegetable Beer
German Pilsener
Herbed / Spiced Beer
Irish Dry Stout
Irish Red Ale
Keller Bier / Zwickel Bier
Maibock / Helles Bock
Milk / Sweet Stout
Märzen / Oktoberfest
Oatmeal Stout
Rauchbier
Roggenbier
Sahti
Scottish Ale
Scottish Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale
Smoked Beer
Vienna Lager
Witbier
Pilsner Glass (or Pokal)
Typically a tall, slender and tapered 12-ounce glass, shaped like a trumpet at times, that captures the sparkling effervesces and colors of a Pils while maintaining its head. A Pokal is a European Pilsner glass with a stem.
Benefits: Showcases color, clarity and carbonation. Promotes head retention. Enhances volatiles.
Use with these Beer Styles:
American Adjunct Lager
American Amber / Red Lager
American Double / Imperial Pilsner
American Malt Liquor
American Pale Lager
Bock
California Common / Steam Beer
Czech Pilsener
Doppelbock
Dortmunder / Export Lager
Euro Dark Lager
Euro Pale Lager
Euro Strong Lager
German Pilsener
Happoshu
Japanese Rice Lager
Light Lager
Low Alcohol Beer
Maibock / Helles Bock
Munich Dunkel Lager
Munich Helles Lager
Schwarzbier
Vienna Lager
Witbier
Pint Glass (or Becker, Nonic, Tumbler)
Near cylindrical, with a slight taper and wide-mouth. There are two standard sizes, the 16-ounce (US Tumbler - the pour man's pint glass and most common) or the 20-ounce Imperial (Nonic), which has a slight ridge towards the top, a grip of sorts and helps in stacking them. The 20-ounce version is preferred to accommodate more beer or beers with large crowning heads. A Becker is the German equivalent, tapering at the top.
Benefits: Cheap to make. Easy to store. Easy to drink out of.
Use with these Beer Styles:
American Adjunct Lager
American Amber / Red Ale
American Amber / Red Lager
American Barleywine
American Blonde Ale
American Brown Ale
American Dark Wheat Ale
American Double / Imperial Stout
American IPA
American Malt Liquor
American Pale Ale (APA)
American Pale Wheat Ale
American Porter
American Stout
American Strong Ale
Baltic Porter
Berliner Weissbier
Black & Tan
California Common / Steam Beer
Chile Beer
Cream Ale
English Barleywine
English Bitter
English Brown Ale
English Dark Mild Ale
English India Pale Ale (IPA)
English Pale Ale
English Pale Mild Ale
English Porter
English Stout
English Strong Ale
Euro Dark Lager
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Foreign / Export Stout
Fruit / Vegetable Beer
Happoshu
Herbed / Spiced Beer
Irish Dry Stout
Irish Red Ale
Low Alcohol Beer
Milk / Sweet Stout
Märzen / Oktoberfest
Oatmeal Stout
Old Ale
Pumpkin Ale
Russian Imperial Stout
Rye Beer
Sahti
Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Scottish Ale
Scottish Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale
Smoked Beer
Winter Warmer
Witbier
Snifter
Used for brandy and cognac, these wide-bowled and stemmed glasses with their tapered mouths are perfect for capturing the aromas of strong ales. Volumes range, but they all provide room to swirl and agitate volatiles.
Benefits: Captures and enhances volatiles.
Use with these Beer Styles:
American Barleywine
American Double / Imperial IPA
American Double / Imperial Stout
American Strong Ale
Belgian Dark Ale
Belgian Pale Ale
Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Braggot
Eisbock
English Barleywine
Flanders Oud Bruin
Flanders Red Ale
Foreign / Export Stout
Gueuze
Lambic - Fruit
Old Ale
Quadrupel (Quad)
Russian Imperial Stout
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Tripel
Wheatwine
Stange (Slender Cylinder)
A traditional German glass, stange means "stick" and these tall, slender cylinders are used to serve more delicate beers, amplifying malt and hop nuances. Substitute with a Tom Collins glass.
Benefits: Tighter concentration of volatiles.
Use with these Beer Styles:
Altbier
Bock
Czech Pilsener
Faro
Gose
Gueuze
Kölsch
Lambic - Fruit
Lambic - Unblended
Rauchbier
Rye Beer
Tulip
A stemmed glass, obviously tulip-shaped, wherein the top of the glass pushes out a bit to form a lip in order to capture the head and the body is bulbous. Scotch Ales are often served in a "thistle glass," which is a modified tulip glass that resembles Scotland's national flower.
Benefits: Captures and enhances volatiles, while it induces and supports large foamy heads.
Use with these Beer Styles:
American Double / Imperial IPA
American Wild Ale
Belgian Dark Ale
Belgian IPA
Belgian Pale Ale
Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Bière de Garde
Flanders Oud Bruin
Flanders Red Ale
Gueuze
Lambic - Fruit
Quadrupel (Quad)
Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Weizen Glass
Nothing beats serving your Weizenbier (wheat beer) in an authentic Bavarian Weizen Glass. These classy glasses, with their thin walls and length, showcase the beer's color and allows for much headspace to contain the fluffy, sexy heads association with the style. Most are 0.5L in size, with slight variations in sizes. Forget the lemon garnish, the citric will kill the head.
Benefits: Specifically produced to take on volume and head, while locking in the banana-like and phenol aromas associated with the style.
Use with these Beer Styles:
American Dark Wheat Ale
American Pale Wheat Ale
Dunkelweizen
Gose
Hefeweizen
Kristalweizen
Weizenbock
Oversized Wine Glass
"A wine glass for beer!?" Yep, an oversized 22oz wine glass will be most suitable for serving most Belgian Ales. Its size allows for headspace, while the open bowl creates an amazing nose. A lot of smart beer bars are now serving their Belgian Ales in these. It also makes for a great crossover conversational piece. "Is that wine that you're drinking?" And you reply, "No, it's De Ranke XX Bitter from Belgium. Wanna try?"
Benefits: Replacement for a Tulip or Goblet. Conversational.
Use with these Beer Styles:
American Double / Imperial IPA
American Double / Imperial Stout
American Wild Ale
Belgian Dark Ale
Belgian IPA
Belgian Pale Ale
Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Bière de Garde
Braggot
Eisbock
English Barleywine
Old Ale
Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Wheatwine
So there you have it. Remember to always drink your beer in the proper glassware, because a properly served beer is a better beer.
