If you have read any of our previous posts, there is a good chance we may have mentioned the glassware used for the tasting. This is because glassware can impact the tasting experience beyond the aesthetics. Although you may find that your beer is usually served in the ubiquitous shaker pint, this is rarely considered the right tool for the job. Not to say we would turn down any beer served in this style glass (and we both own too many for our cupboards to hold), this style glass was designed to mix cocktails in combination with a shaker tin and was not intended for tasting beer. The shaker pint’s dual purpose in combination with its bar space saving stackability, has helped the glass find its way behind most bars in the U.S. Flaws in the shaker pint include thick walls (not allowing for proper temperature regulation), a wide opening that doesn’t allow for aroma or head retention, and false advertising. I say false advertising as the shaker “pint” usually doesn’t hold a full pint, depending on the thickness of the glass at the bottom. You’ll know this if you have ever tried to pour a pint can into one of these vessels.
If I’ve managed to convince you that your trusty brewery logo adorned pint glass might not be the ideal tool to help you thoroughly appreciate what a beer has to offer, we included a selection below that we think are the essential glasses needed to enhance your beer tasting experience.
1. Tulip
This lovely little glass is one of my favorite drinking vessels, with its stem and curves it makes any beer look great. Tulips are best suited for full flavored beers like Belgian ales, hoppy IPAs, wild ales, and sour beers. If it’s aromatic, the tulip glass is likely a good choice. I love getting a nice juicy NEIPA in this style glass as it does a great job at bringing forward those strong hop aromas that define the style.
The curves of this glass aren’t just for looks as the wide bottom and taper to a flared lip promotes head retention and aroma concentration. The stem of the glass helps when swirling the beer to promote agitation and reinvigorate the aromatic compounds. Additionally, the stemmed design lets you hold the stem or the bulb, promoting better temperature regulation of the beer.
2. Weizen Glass
Type wiezen into Google translate and you’ll see the English word “wheat” appear. Now you know what style beers this glass showcases (although, this style glass is great for other German beers such as weizenbocks, kristallweizens, or a variety of other wheat beers). Sometimes called vases, these glasses are tall, thin, and curvy. Their design is intended to highlight the color and promote that light fluffy head we love with this beer style. In addition to their shape, weizen glasses are designed to be a bit larger than your standard glass. Often coming in with a capacity around 500 milliliters (16.9 oz), the glass sports plenty of room for the beer to gain a thick fluffy head that throws estery aromas into your face.
In addition to the display the glass puts on for itself with its tall stature, the pouring of hefeweizens into this glass is a ceremonial process in itself. As seen in this step by step video the traditional pouring method for this style involves putting the bottle in the glass upside down, pouring at a 45 degree angle, and finally rolling the glass and putting the last bit of suspended yeast into the glass. This process generates a thick foamy head and brings the yeast back into the beer, amplifying the clove and banana esters that are the hallmark of these beers.
3. Nonic Pint Glass
The Nonic pint glass originated in England and was intended to be an upgrade to the traditional pint glass. The Nonic has a distinct shape with a bulge/ridge near the top of the glass that allows for more beer (you’ll typically see this glass hold 20 oz.), an improved grip, and some added durability to the glass by being less susceptible to breaking or cracking. You can still stack these in the same way that you stack the traditional shaker pints, but they bring a little extra to the beer drinking experience.
This is another one of those versatile beer glasses that can be used for many styles. Traditionally, as you might guess from its origination, this is used for a lot of English styles like English mild ales and English lagers. You may also find the occasional pub or brewery that uses these glasses for stouts, porters, IPAs, red ales, brown ales, and even sours. It works well with styles that see a good amount of head production, so any nitro beers would also be great options for the Nonic glass. If you’re looking for a beer glass that provides versatility, a little style, convenience, and some extra volume for a large pour (who doesn’t want MORE beer?), the Nonic pint glass is a must.
4. Pilsner Glass
Finally, we arrive at one of the more familiar and iconic beer glasses, yet one that not many people have at home. The pilsner glass is something that you may find while out at a sports bar and ordering a Budweiser draught. It’s taller, more slender, with a tapered shape from top to bottom. Many varieties have a flat footer, while others will have a more standard looking base. Though often confused with the Weizen glass, you’ll be able to identify a pilsner glass from its consistent taper and lack of curvature, as found in the Weizen glass.
The idea behind the pilsner glass’ design is based on emphasizing the qualities of the beer styles for which it is intended. Pilsners and light lagers have a characteristically high clarity and look very crisp and refreshing with their sparkling gold color, and bright, carbonated body. The taper of the pilsner glass accentuates that appearance and then still allows for a good collar of foam at the top where the glass is widest. You will also notice a more enhanced presence of aromas from the volatiles in the beer as a result of the head retention from using this glass. This may be perhaps one of the largest benefits to using a pilsner glass for this style, as subtle aromas are typically absent when using a shaker pint. Reach for a pilsner glass when enjoying your pilsners, light lagers, Vienna lagers, and more.
Comments are closed