Beer comes in various strengths and flavors, so it just makes sense that there are many different beer glass types, too! How do you know which kind of glass to use for your beer, though? It all comes down to matching the type of beer to the glass that best flaunts its appearance and aroma.
Beer Glass Types at a Glance
People choose differently shaped glasses to hold beer based on the glass’s ability to capture aromas and improve the overall beer-drinking experience. Not to mention, drinking beer from a glass rather than straight from the bottle decreases carbonation and belching! Features of beer enhanced by glasses include:
- Flavor
- Foam
- Carbonation
- Appearance
Beer glasses are often chosen based on how much liquid they can hold. Beers with less alcohol content are more likely to be served in larger glasses, while beers with higher alcohol content are generally served in smaller glasses. Additionally, taller glasses are better for beers with more foam, also called head.
Anatomy of a Beer Glass
While beer glasses can be very different from one another, they also share many components. The base is the bottom of the glass and is often connected to the bowl, the lowest section of the glass that contains the beverage and captures its distinctive aromas. Alternately, the base can be separated from the bowl by a tall and narrow stem used for grasping the glass to prevent the warming of the beer. A bulb is a bulge in the upper section of the glass designed to contain and enhance aromas.
Beer Glass Types at Work
Some beer glasses are shaped to serve a specific function, while others are just fun. Improve your lifestyle and impress your friends by knowing which beer glasses to use for every occasion.
Beer Mugs
These glasses are known for their thickness and handle on the side of the glass, which help keep the beer cool. Beer mugs are staples of pubs and taverns, perhaps because their thick glass makes them so handy for giving toasts.
Stange Glass
Stange glasses are slim and straight, perfect for containing carbonation and foam.
XL Wine Glass
It may seem like a cheap attempt at humor to use extra large wine glasses for beer, but they actually work very well at containing and enhancing beer scent notes and flavor. Choose a 22-ounce wine glass to derive the best effects.
IPA Glass
The slender yet short IPA glass concentrates the aroma of hoppy beers. The ribbed stem is specially designed to enhance the enjoyment of its namesake: Indian pale ale varieties.
Boot Glass
Yep, you guessed it. These beer glass types are shaped like a boot and are common at beer festivals. Boot glasses stem from European legends involving a Prussian general who vowed to drink beer from his boot if his men proved victorious in battle. Boot glasses made their way to America after World War II and became commonly known as “das boot.”
Ceramic Jug
Ceramic obviously isn’t glass, but it was used to serve beer in olden times Germany. People used jugs made of stone or ceramic to store beer in warm weather, preventing it from overheating and keeping bugs away. German ceramic jugs are mainly used for decoration nowadays, though they also go great with lagers.
Teku Glass
These Italian glasses look remarkably similar to wine glasses but have a sharply angled lip. Teku glasses have a penchant for augmenting flavor notes, making them better suited for lighter beers rather than dark ones.
Goblet Glass
Goblet glasses have a large stem and bowl. Decorative carvings are common in goblet glasses, fit for a medieval king quaffing rich, dark beer.
Tulip Glass
These glasses have a wide bowl and softly angled lip similar to tulips, perfect for savoring dark, hoppy Belgian ales. Also known as Belgian glasses, their shape and stems are useful for swirling and inhaling aroma notes before tasting.
Flute
Flutes are often confused with champagne glasses and are best for serving fruit beers. The downside to flutes is their short stems, making it easier for your warm hand to reduce carbonation.
Hopside Down
These beer glass types consist of an outer pint glass encasing an inner glass resembling an upside-down beer bottle. The double layer of glass also serves a greater purpose: keeping the beer insulated.
Pilsner Glass
These tall and slender glasses are made to contain a lot of beer foam common in the pale lager that is their namesake. They’re also excellent for displaying the mesmerizing effects of carbonation bubbling within your favorite brew. Pilsner glasses come in various sizes, though most hold less than a pint. Some Pilsner glasses also come with a stem, though they serve an aesthetic rather than a functional purpose.
Weizen Glass
This type of beer glass is tall and thin, similar to a Pilsner glass, though it generally holds less beer. Weizen glasses are best for capturing the fruity, spicy aromas unique to wheat beer.
Thistle Glass
Enjoy your favorite Scottish ale or whiskey with this striking glass, made to resemble a thistle, Scotland’s national flower.
Yard
A yard is a very tall, slim glass usually supported by a wooden stand. Yards are not often used outside beer festivals due to their tendency to topple over without support, though they excel at retaining carbonation.
Conic Pint Glass
Both restaurants and bars commonly use this type of glass because it’s inexpensive and easy to clean. Conic pint glasses, also called American pint glasses, are typically wider at the lip of the glass than the bottom. The conic pint glass usually holds an American pint or 16 ounces.
Imperial Pint Glass
The imperial pint glass, or Nonic pint, holds 20 ounces of liquid. Nonic pint glasses have a bump near the upper section, making them easy to grip but more difficult to clean. These pint glasses are best for beers with less foam that don’t need to be served cold.
Now that you’ve learned all you ever wanted to know about beer glass types, do you have questions about other manly things? Rugged Standard offers all the lifestyle knowledge you need about health, food, sports and more.