Perhaps when you see someone drinking beer out of a glass you think, “that seems like a waste, I can just drink out of the bottle.” This is a valid point; you have to go through the trouble of pouring the beer into another vessel when you could eliminate the middleman, so to speak, and drink from the bottle. The fact is, drinking beer from a glass is a different experience than drinking from the bottle. Furthermore, there are actually different glasses that are more suited to a specific type of beer. First off, when beer is poured into a glass, the aromas that were trapped by the bottle are released creating a much more intense sense of smell. Smell is a large factor in determining how something tastes so if you are not getting the true or full smell of the beer, then you are, in fact, missing part of the taste. Glassware doesn't have to be an expensive part of your cabinet, I think I've spent like $20 on glassware in total and I have quite a few glasses. Pictured to the right are a few of my favorite and I would consider, essential, glasses I use on a regular basis. I don't want people to feel as though they are not real beer drinkers if they don't want to buy beer glasses; the take home point from this article is that your drinking experience can be significantly improved if you simply pour out your beer. In the following, I'll detail some of the characteristics of the 3 glasses that a beer aficionado might have in his cabinet.
First, and easily most well known is the basic (american) pint glass. The absolute symbol of the working class, this glass holds 16oz unless you have the british version which holds 20oz and doesn't have any extraordinary characteristics about it. It is usually designed to be sturdy, cheap and hold a bunch of beer. Because of its sort of generic styling, it is really suitable for most beers. I personally pour all my lagers, stouts, porters, bitters and some IPAs in this glass but it is also suitable for Imperial Stouts and anything that isn't designed to have an extraordinary head or a pungent odor. Most breweries make branded versions of the pint glass and as you can see this is what I have. I'm not necessarily endorsing the Cape Cod brewing company (although they are a great bunch of guys and run a smooth operation) but I love this glass. It's a tad thicker than other pints and I should have it for a very long time. In sum, this is a great place to start your beer connaisseuring journey.
Next we have the wheat beer glass, or weizen glass as it is commonly referred to. This is a tall, slender glass usually holds 22oz and is designed for exactly what it is named for, wheat beers. Wheat beers have big, fluffy heads so in order to display that, and give it enough space to expand voluptuously, weizen glasses have a skinny bottom and a more bulbous top. Though the top is somewhat narrow, the glass still leaves plenty of room to smell the spicy, fruity notes in many wheat beers. The one things about weizen glass that is pretty annoying is the fact that they are difficult to clean; you have to have a brush or something to really get down to the bottom, but this is usually not a problem. In sum, the weizen glass is a classy, functional glass intended for all you hefeweizen drinkers out there. Just do me a huge favor and if you happen to pour a Blue Moon into one of these, DO NOT garnish with an orange slice. This kills the head and really dumbs down the flavor of the beer.
Last but most certainly not least is the tulip glass. I remember the first time I told one of my friends I was getting a tulip glass, he laughed in my face and called me a girl. Little did he know that a tulip glass is one of the most, if not THE most manly glass out there. This glass comes in a wide range of sizes, from 12oz-22oz. Most common, if I'm not mistaken is the 16oz size but I have the 22oz Duvel tulip (again not an endorsement but I do love it!) As you can see, the tulip has a big, bulbous bottom and a tapered top and mouth. The main function of this design is trapping smells in the glass and promoting a large head. Usually when I reach for my tulip, it's to pour a Double IPA or a belgian beer but any "big" beer that would benefit from increased access to smell is great. I love using this glass for Imperial Stouts because the roasted malt smell really shines with this design. In sum, look like a bad ass and experience a whole new side of your beer with this glass.
Anyone who is still a skeptic, please have someone pour you a beer in a glass like one I've just shown you and I guarantee that you will at the very least have a more interesting drinking experience. I strongly believe, too, that your beer will taste better. Thanks for reading!
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