Whether you’re ordering a drink at a traditional bar, pouring one yourself at a self-pour taproom, or simply enjoying your favorite beer at home, you’re likely to need a glass. You might be familiar with the fact that there are several types of glasses for wine, differing based on the varietal. But did you know that there are also several types of brewery glassware for your beer and that the choice you make can directly affect your enjoyment of the drink?
It most often seems as though there are only two choices when it comes to beer — a bottle or a pint glass. When in truth, the glassware possibilities are endless. But does it really matter what you drink from?
Actually, it does. Here’s a look at how your choice of beer glass can influence your drinking experience and enjoyment of your beverage.
how different beer glasses impact your drinking experience
Even though beer has existed in some form since 2050 B.C., beer has truly never been as popular as it is today. In 2020, overall beer market sales were equal to $94.1 billion, with $22.2 billion of that coming from the craft beer market. By 2025, the global beer market is expected to reach $689,354 million. That’s a big business opportunity right there.
Due to the beverage’s popularity, it’s no surprise that there is a wide range of glassware styles. Truth be told, the variety of options has been around for decades, if not centuries. However, if casual drinkers visit their local bar, where shaker pints and mugs are the norm, they may not see how pairing the right glass with the right beer can affect, as well as enhance, their drinking experience.
Similar to food, the presentation of beer is everything. If a beer looks enticing, the drinker is more likely to enjoy it. And if that beer is presented in a glass perfectly suited for its style, the eye — and perhaps even the palate — will identify this as a special occasion.
Beyond the visual presentation, the way a glass is shaped affects the result of the pour, the formation and retention of the head, and the frothy foam on top. Because the foam helps filter volatiles — the compounds that give beer its aroma — head retention is critical in developing that aroma.
When selected properly, your glass becomes much more than a temporary storage container for your beer. The right beer glass brings out the different flavors, aromas, and colors of your drink. It can turn a run-of-the-mill experience into a one-of-a-kind one.
Why Are There So Many Drinking Glass Choices?
The different glasses available for beer consumption are not only aesthetically pleasing but also serve a specific purpose. From releasing carbonation at the proper rate and delivering taste to just the right location on the tongue, to perfectly capturing the aroma and escaping the frothy head, choosing the right glassware can make all the difference in your tasting experience.
For example, each style of beer glass is designed…
- To meet specific needs. During the era of the Black Plague, craftsmen added a lid to German beer steins to keep flies out. The narrow base of this wheat beer glass allows the sediment to settle at the bottom, so the taste is not affected.
- To ensure that the form matches the function. The first glasses created were stoneware steins made to keep beer cold. Thick glass beer mugs were designed to withstand the abuse experienced in Germany’s pubs. The shape of snifters encourages the hand’s warmth to gently increase the beer’s temperature.
- To enhance and retain the beer’s head. The head helps retain a beer’s aroma, and the aroma can add or detract from your enjoyment. By shaping the glass to trap the head, glassmakers can enhance the beer-drinking experience.
Are the Best Glasses for Beer More Than Just Clever Marketing?
Although American bars typically serve their beers in one type of glass (shaker pint, anyone?), this practice is not the case in Europe. Pubs overseas are far more likely to use the most appropriate glasses for the type of beer, if not a specific glass for the brand of beer, which truly elevates the experience.
Is it just brilliant marketing allowing you to believe you need a fancy, branded glass to make consuming your favorite beer more enjoyable?
Well, there’s certainly a marketing component to some glasses, but it’s not the only factor. As soon as you begin pouring a beer, you’re drawn to the color, aroma, and anticipation. So what happens when you pour it into the proper glass? Well, scientific studies suggest the shape of a glass significantly affects how the head develops and is retained.
This isn’t to say every bar — or every casual beer drinker at home — should have an entire range of beer glasses. But, it might be in your best interest to stock up on a few of the most common. So how do you choose the right ones?
We have just the guide to help.
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Best Glasses to Complement Your Beer (by Glass Type & Style)
As of June 2014, more than 3,000 craft breweries were operating in the United States, and almost 2,000 were in the works. This meteoric rise in specialty beers has rekindled connoisseurs’ interest in matching the right glass with the right beer. While there are almost as many glasses as there are beers, let’s highlight 10 of the most popular and traditional beer vessels.
1. Steins
Best For: Beers like American ales & lagers, Scottish ales, and Irish dry stout beer.
Since the early 1500s, the stein — short for “steinzeugkrug” and German for stoneware jug — has been made from a wide variety of materials, such as wood, earthenware, and silver. During the time of the bubonic plague, the hinged lid was added to prevent flies from getting in the beer. This lid is what differentiates the stein from a mug.
Today, the stein is more of a souvenir than everyday glassware. Although rooted in tradition, the stein is not high on practicality or convenience.
2. Mugs
Best For: Beers like American ales and lagers, Scottish ales, and Irish dry stouts.
This common vessel is probably what first comes to mind when you think of beer drinking. Evolved from the German beer stein, the glass mug serves a dual purpose:
- Durability. The thick glass and handled design make it easier to maintain a firm grip and safer to make loud, celebratory toasts.
- Insulation. The handle on the mug allows the beer to stay colder, as the warmth from your hand doesn’t affect the beer’s temperature.
It’s one of the most popular stout beer glasses — likely in part because of the volume it holds. It also comes in a variety of sizes and styles. Some mugs have a dimpled texture to them. Some argue the dimples bring out the beer’s color and clarity; others believe they are only decorative.
3. Goblets or Chalices
Best For: German bocks and maibocks, Belgian IPAs, Belgian ales, Belgian dubbels, tripels and quadrupels, and other beers with a high ABV.
A wide-mouth goblet is preferred for drinking beers with high gravity or alcohol by volume (ABV) for two reasons:
- The wide mouth maintains the beer’s head.
- The shape also lets the drinker take deep sips and analyze the aromas and flavor profile.
Best described as having a long, thick stem supporting a bowl. Goblets (also known as chalices) come in different sizes, often ranging from 8 to 18 ounces. They are frequently ornate, with silver- or gold-rimmed accents and decorative stems.
Chalices may be heavier, with thicker walls than goblets, but they’re the same shape. Some chalices have etching on the bottom of the bowl. This attracts carbon dioxide and creates continuous bubbles that maintain a perfect head.
Don’t have either on hand? You can use an oversized, 22-ounce wine glass in a pinch. With the same open bowl as chalices or goblets, the wine glass offers the perfect headspace as well as the room to create an appealing nose.
4. Pilsner Glass
Best For: American lagers and pilsners, hefeweizens, and blonde ales. One of the best beer glasses for pale lagers with a lot of carbonation.
Tall, slender, and tapered, the classic pilsner glass is perfect for, you guessed it, pilsners. It’s also suitable for other lighter beers. The skinny design showcases the beer’s color, clarity, and carbonation. And the wider top, similar to the goblet, helps develop the aroma and flavor profile while maintaining the head.
Although these glasses vary in size, they most often hold 10 to 16 ounces — holding less beer than most other glasses do. Pilsner glasses are often mistaken for Weizen glasses, but pilsner glasses lack the Weizen’s curvature. The European version of the pilsner glass, the pokal, has a short stem.
5. Tulip or Thistle Glass
Best For: The tulip glass is well-suited for stronger, aromatic brews, like double IPAs, and Belgian ales. And since Scotland’s official flower is the thistle, the thistle glass is typically used for Scottish ales.
The tulip glass has a small stem and footer below a tulip-shaped bowl. Made to enhance flavors and aromas, this glass is perfect for malty and hoppy brews. The bowl has a rim that curves outward just slightly. The lip that forms helps trap and emphasize the head. The bow of the rim lets the beer hit the tongue’s center, and the stem prevents the hand from warming the beer.
The thistle is quite similar to the tulip; the difference lies in that it’s slightly taller and less curvy — resembling a thistle blossom. Its large glass bowl also allows for an enjoyable aroma release.
6. Weizen Glass
Best For: Weizenbocks, kristallweizens, or wheat ales.
This tall glass, which widens ever so slightly at the top, is built for the head, volume, and aroma. The long nature is perfect for showing off the color; the narrow bottom traps the sediment found in wheat or Weizen beers.
Often mistaken for a pilsner glass, the Weizen is identified by the defined curvature near the top and its ability to hold more than a pint glass. The German version generally holds 0.5 liters. The curved lip serves to trap the head, capturing the aroma for you to enjoy. We recommend that you politely decline the citrus garnish that often accompanies the wheat beer as the acidity is detrimental to the head.
7. Snifter
Best For: Higher-gravity, or higher-alcohol content beers, such as Belgian ales, India pale ales, and wheat wines.
Although snifter glasses are usually used for cognac or brandy, they’re also perfect for big, aromatic beers. The shape — a stemmed, big bowl that tapers at the top — traps and enhances the volatiles as they near your nose, while the glass itself fits snugly in your hand. Try swirling the beer, enticing the volatiles to release their full aroma. In this case, hand warmth is used to warm the beer to its optimal temperature.
8. Stange
Best For: Delicate beers, such as Kolsch, lambic, gueuze, or rye.
German for “rod,” stange glasses are tall and slender. Although not visually stimulating — looking much like a Tom Collins glass — these glasses are a staple among connoisseurs. Generally holding 6.5 ounces, it amplifies the beer’s malt and hop volatiles, imparting a true sense of its flavor. The smaller size also encourages quick drinking while the beer is cold.
9. Flute
Best For: Fruit beers, krieks, biere de Champagne and Belgian lambics.
Of course, champagne first comes to mind when you mention flutes, but they’re perfect for certain beers, too. The long, narrow shape highlights carbonation — while ensuring it doesn’t dissipate too quickly — and color while allowing for a strong aroma to escape.
10. Pint
Best For: Some say that this glass is near-perfect for a wide range of beers including American ales, lagers, IPAs, and pilsners. Others believe that no beer should ever be served in a shaker pint, especially big beers or those with big noses.
Cheap to make and buy and easy to drink from, the pint glass, especially the American pint, is one of the most common bar glasses in the US. There are four kinds of traditional pints.
Types of Pint Glasses
- American pint. The American, or shaker pint is probably one of the most recognizable, as its primary intent is for shaking cocktails. Simple in design, low in price, easy to stack, and made from thick glass, this glass is a staple in many US bars and restaurants. This 16-ounce glass can maintain cold temperatures while allowing good aroma release, although some say it allows for too much aroma release.
- Nonic, or British pint. Similar to the American pint, this glass allows for easier stacking and gripping due to a curved bulge about two inches below the rim. This bulge serves another purpose as well: adding a second layer of flavor and aroma as the beer passes over it. These 20-ounce glasses are perfect for all beers except high-ABV types.
- Imperial, or Irish pint. More often used for porters, Irish stouts, and other dark beers, this pint tapers and curves from the middle up. The slight bowl the curve creates near the top of the glass helps trap flavor and aroma and build a solid head.
- Tulip pint. Commonly used in Ireland and England to serve ales, this glass flares slightly from the middle of the glass up to the rim.
Are You Ready to Properly Enjoy Your Next Beer?
Now you know what the best glasses for each beer are, but along with each glass comes custom care. Did you know you should:
- Avoid freezing your glassware. We don’t recommend freezing because the combination of beer and a frosted glass leads to condensation, and that makes for a diluted beer.
- Hand-wash only. Some detergents and spot removers may leave a residue, which can alter not only a beer’s taste but also its head and aroma. Handwashing protects any decoration on the glass, such as a gold rim or logo.
- Let glassware air dry. Towels can leave particles behind that, like detergents, can affect the beer’s head.
So before you pour that next beer, remember to find the optimal glass for it and then treat it carefully. The proper glassware is an integral part of the enjoyment. A properly served beer is always a more enjoyable one.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to share it with your beer-loving friends!
Now go pour yourself a beer in the glass it deserves!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us!
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