Which of These Beer Glasses is the Right One?

How do beer glasses affect the whole beer-drinking experience? Some beginner beer enthusiasts say that glassware is just a marketing ploy, but the adept beer drinker knows better. Whether from a bottle or straight out of the beer taps, glassware is an important aspect of the beer drinking experience. For example, beer steins differ from a flute glass in forming a head as the beer is poured in, which makes a big difference in appearance and taste. A darker beer should have a wider brim in order to allow for more release of the volatiles found in the brew, thus enhancing the strong flavor and smell. A bottled beer is pasteurized and needs a taller, thinner pilsner glass for color and pourability. There are a lot of little different things like that that can make a big difference in your drinking experience.

Now of course there’s a big marketing presence in all these different varieties of beer glasses, but a true beer drinker knows that as the beer is poured in, something else is going on besides the nice looking logo on the side of the glass. The hue of the beer changes, the head forms at the top, and the anticipation of that first cool drink is more profound and complete. Just like any other pleasurable aspect of life, there’s a psychology involved here. Flavor, texture, aroma; these are the things that make up the drinking experience. If you’re drinking to relax and enjoy yourself, why not do all the things you can to enhance the experience.

One of the most important aspects of beer glasses is how the shape affects the formation of the head. This is important because the head acts as a sort of trap for the volatiles in the beer. What’s volatile in a beer? Compounds such as hop oils, a variety of yeast byproducts such as spices or alcohol are what make up a beer’s aroma and taste. Earlier beer that man drank was darker, stouter, and a lot grainier too, mainly because of the lack of filtration. As glass became more and more popular, so did lighter colored beers and better filtration processes. With so many different kinds of beers, a variety of beer glasses are needed to produce the maximum desired effect of the beer drinking experience. Many people have said that the 16-ounce pint glass is overall the most versatile glass for the widest range of beers. Many people place the importance of a glass because of the shape as they drink. A tall pilsner glass can be tipped up for quick drinking, while the tall narrow glass keeps the entire drink cold the whole time.

So which is the correct glass to use with which beer? The answers are vast and varied. Europeans may do it completely different than anyone else in the world, but what it really comes down to is your own personal preference. Go with some recommendations and then branch out and try some on your own. You may be surprised at the experience and find your own preferences to be totally unique to yourself.

A Look Back at Beer Vessels

It is commonly known that beer has been around mankind for a long while. As beer itself changed, expanded, and improved, so did the way in which we actually got the beer to our mouths. Pottery, wood, stoneware, and even sewn up pieces of leather made up the earliest drinking vessels. As time went on, man witnessed small advancements in the quality of their beer receptacles. Early Europeans that lived during the time of the black plague saw the development of beer steins, which had a closed top on the steins to prevent flies from landing in the beer and making the person ill.

Today, the most important factor to influence modern beer glass making was the creation of glass. As consumers actually started to be able to look at what they were consuming from the glass they began to demand a beer with more flavor and a improved hue. Customers didn't want chunks in their drinks anymore so manufacturers began to filter their beers. With this new, improved wave of beer glasses, it appeared beer steins were on the way out.

A variety of glasses were created and produced for the various kinds of beers. The sixteen-ounce pint glass is the most in demand glass in the United States. It was originally used to fit the top of a Martini shaker, but barkeeps soon discovered that as the beer poured out of the beer tap handles the pint glass was the top receptacle because it let part of the carbonation to be released and let the aroma of the brew to be more obvious. The pint glass rapidly became popular with barkeeps who had to rinse each glass by itself because it can be put on top of each other and stored easily on the shelves.

An attempt to get consumers to get their kind of beer by breweries led to some unique and groundbreaking moves on the marketing and advertising front. Handing out glasses to consumers was a way that manufacturers found to promote their beers even though it was illegal. This led to the manufacturers creating glasses that were works of art unto themselves. The first were gaudy and costly; they would often have gold or silver embossed on the sides. Eventually, artists for the breweries began doing detailed carvings on either side of the beer glasses or steins and even developed a method of cooking enamel paint onto the glasses. These enameled glasses are still some of the most rare beer souvenirs, even though they were made more recently than the others. Nowadays avid collectors all over the earth continue to collect these tin signs and memorabilia that are sometimes worth thousands. Have you looked up in the top of Grandpappy's old drawer in a while?