What is special about beer glasses?

The Importance of Beer Glassware - City Cellars

Just like with wine, different styles of beer are best suited to specific types of glassware. The shape and size of a glass will allow specific styles of beer to best showcase their aromas, flavours, carbonation, colour, and head, allowing you to enjoy the beer at its very best. Let's learn about the most popular styles of glassware and what beers you should drink out of each.

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Pint Glass

The most common style of glass that you'll see is a pint glass - either 16 oz or 20 oz in size (American & European respectively). These are medium, cylindrical glasses that have a moderately narrow body which open up toward the top. The wider top allows the beer to release the aromatics as well as give room for the head, or "foam" that appears at the top of a beer. These can be used for a wide variety of beer, which is why it's most likely what you'll drink out of at a standard bar or pub. These glasses are cheap to make and easy to drink from, but aren’t ideal for aromatic beers because the aroma will escape from the wide mouth too quickly.

Pilsner Glass

The Pilsner glass actually pre-dates the pint glass! They’re perfect for light, lager-style beers because they show off the colour and carbonation, and also help hold a thick head. The glass is also taller than most, helping to support the carbonation as well, while the wider top allows the aromas to release while maintaining the head.

Tulip Glass

If you're a craft beer drinker and only going to have one style of glass, the tulip glass is actually your best bet, as they serve all styles quite well. Tulip glasses have a tight opening to help concentrate the head, and their taller lip helps support a decent head. Tulip glasses are an ideal match for double IPAs, saisons, wild and sour ales, and many Belgian-style ales.

Snifter

Snifters are ideal for big boozy beers like barrel-aged stouts and barleywines as the round, spheric shape helps to concentrate the delicious aromas, while the tighter opening, much like a tulip glass, helps concentrate the head. Additionally, they’re smaller in size which helps moderate the amount per serving, since these styles of beers are usually higher in alcohol content.

Stemmed beer glass

Beer snobs everywhere have fallen in love with this beer glass that resembles a wine glass. The angular, modern design is crafted to best serve aromatic and flavourful beers, and much like a wine glass, aromas are contained and funneled toward the nose, while the stem keeps warm hands off the liquid. Aromatic craft beers will present well in a stemmed beer glass, also known as a Teku.

But what about mugs?

While mugs are a quintessential vessel for drinking beer, making for popular souvenir items when visiting beer-producing countries like Belgium or Germany, and often seen at Oktoberfest celebrations around the world, their shape is not actually ideal for serving beer! But we won’t disagree that they add a certain amount of traditional fun to the beer drinking experience.

Other factors to consider

The cleanliness of a beer glass is just as important, if not more so, than the shape. Residual fat, grease or detergent can kill the foam of a beer, ruining the aromas and the appearance.

How you pour the beer is important too! Pour the beer with vigour, directing the pour to the bottom of the glass. You will get a glass full of foam at first, but that’s ok - don’t rush at it. What happens with this is the liquid will start to drain out of that foam, but the foam will become more stable, so the material in the beer will stick together. Eventually and gradually you will top up the beer with the remaining liquid from the bottom of the bottle or the can, and when you're finished, you’ll end up with a glass of delicious looking liquid with a stable foam on top.

The best glass to drink beer out of, ultimately, is your favourite one. No matter its shape or size, it's the one you like to hold, look at, maybe it even stirs up some good memories for you. And we think beer should always be associated with happiness!

Beer Glassware Guide: Beer Glass Types and Uses

When it comes to beer, not all glassware is created equal. Sure, you could pour your favorite ale into whatever container you have lying around and successfully deliver beer to your mouth. But there is a reason why particular beer styles are traditionally served in specific types of beer glasses. It isn't just for looks (although looks certainly play a role.) Rather, the different shapes and styles of beer glassware on the market were, in many cases, designed to make more pronounced or otherwise enhance the aromatic compounds inherent to different kinds of beer. And as we all know, smell greatly impacts how we perceive flavor. Ergo, the right beer glass can take your beer-drinking experience to new heights.

Below are some common types of beer glasses, along with information on which beer styles they best complement.

American Pint Glasses

Details
The simple, utilitarian 16-ounce American pint glass is slightly wider at the mouth than at the base. You’ll find it in large numbers in bars and restaurants across the United States, where it is used to serve a wide range of beer styles. Its ubiquity is that it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to clean and store.

Appropriate Beer Styles
The American pint glass’s basic design neither enhances nor seriously detracts from any particular beer style. Consider it your run-of-the-mill, all-purpose glass.

Imperial Pint Glasses

Details
Like its close relative the American pint glass, the imperial pint glass is all-purpose. Unlike its U.S. counterpart, however, the imperial pint holds a full 20 ounces. It also differs in that it features a small lip at the mouth.

Appropriate Beer Styles
Consider it your basic, go-to glass for British ales and lagers like pale ale, India pale ale, amber/red ale, brown ale, porter, milk stout, oatmeal stout, Scotch ale

Pilsner Glasses

Details
Tall, slim, and slightly wider at the mouth, a pilsner glass makes the sparkle, clarity, and bubbles of pilsners and other lighter beers visible. At the same time, it helps retain a beer’s head, which keeps volatile aromatics locked under your nose. Typically, pilsner glasses hold less beer than a pint glass--usually somewhere in the vicinity of 12 to 14 ounces.

Appropriate Beer Styles
Pilsner, American adjunct lagers, bock, helles bock, maibock, Vienna lager, blonde ale, California common, Japanese rice lager, witbier

Tulip Glasses (a.k.a., Belgian Glasses)

Details
With a bulbous body and a flared lip, the tulip glass is designed to capture the head and promote the aroma and flavor of Belgian ales and other malty, hoppy beers. Its short stem facilitates swirling, further enhancing your sensory experience.

Appropriate Beer Styles
Belgian strong ale, Belgian dark ale, barleywine, double/imperial IPA, Belgian IPA, Belgian pale ale, bière de garde, Flanders red ale, gueuze, fruit lambic, saison, American wild ale, Scotch ale

Thistle Glasses

Details
A modified version of the tulip glass, the shape of a thistle glass resembles Scotland’s national flower (the thistle). It is characterized by a short stem, bulbous bottom, and elongated top section that’s noticeably more sharp and angular than that of the tulip.

Appropriate Beer Styles
Scotch ale, wee heavy

Goblet / Chalice Glasses

Details
The goblet glass has a large, head-retaining round bowl and a thick stem. Chalices are similar but tend to have thicker bowl walls. Both types can be highly decorative and sometimes feature intricate etching or precious metal inlaying. Their wide-mouth design promotes big, hearty sips.

Appropriate Beer Styles
Heavy, dark beers like Belgian IPAs, Belgian strong dark ale, dubbel, tripel, quad

IPA Glasses

Details
The iconic ridges of the IPA glass aerate your favorite hoppy beer with each sip, releasing volatile aromatics in the process. Meanwhile, the tall, slender, tapered bowl concentrates and directs those hop aromatics to your nose. Some IPA glasses are also nucleated (etched) at the bottom to help release carbonation and promote a steady stream of cascading bubbles.

Appropriate Beer Styles
Any and all varieties of IPAs

Stout Glasses

Details
Spiegelau designs this distinctive stout glass in partnership with Left Hand Brewing Company from Colorado and Rogue Ales from Oregon, and this deserves a spot in every beer connoisseur china cabinet. The shape of the base and the angle of the bowl accentuate the roasted malts and notes of rich coffee and chocolate that define stout beers. The angled shelf and narrow mouth promote head retention.

Appropriate Beer Styles
Any and all varieties of stouts

Weizen Glasses

Details
The weizen glass (or wheat beer glass) features thin walls and a lot of length to showcase the color of wheat beers. The design also locks in the style’s signature banana and clove aromas and provides proper space for a thick, fluffy head. They are sometimes confused with pilsner glasses, but there are important distinctions. A weizen glass typically holds about 1/2 liter of beer (compared to a pilsner’s 12 to 14 ounces) and boasts some attractive curvature.

Appropriate Beer Styles
Wheat ale, dunkelweizen, hefeweizen, kristalweizen, weizenbock

Stange Glasses

Details
The stange glass, which comes from the German word for pole, is narrow, straight, and cylindrical. Like a champagne flute, the stange concentrates soft hop and malt aromas and preserves carbonation. Unlike a flute, however, the stange has a thick-bottomed base for reliable sturdiness.

Appropriate Beer Styles
Delicate beers like kölsch, bocks, lambics, gose, Czech pilsners, rye beer, altbier, rauchbier

Teku Stemmed Beer Glasses

Details
Widely recognized as one of the finest craft beer glasses available today, the visually stunning Teku glass was designed by an Italian sensory expert and craft brewer. It features an 11.2- or 14.2-ounce tulip-like bowl, a remarkably thin lip, and an elegant long stem that prevents your hands from transferring warmth to your beer.

Appropriate Beer Styles
The Teku bills itself as appropriate for all styles. That said, the glass does a phenomenal job of concentrating aromatics and accentuating flavor profiles, so very strong beers can be overpowering when served in one. We particularly like the Teku for lambics and other sours, gruit, fruit, and heather beers.

Beer Mugs

Details
Beer mugs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are even dimpled. What holds true for all beer mugs, however, is the handle projecting from one side. It’s a design feature that, like a stem, helps prevent heat transference from your hand to the beer. Beer mugs also tend to have relatively thick glass walls for durability and insulation. They are classic pub glassware.

Appropriate Beer Styles
American, German, English, and Irish beers of all sorts

Glass Beer Boots

Details
Beer boots, or “das boots,” have been popular at beer festivals and parties in the United States for decades. They are often used for drinking games or in macho displays of drinking prowess. Their origin, though, is rooted in Bavarian beer culture. According to legend, a Prussian general promised his troops he would drink a beer from his own leather boot in exchange for a win on the battlefield. When his men proved victorious, he commissioned a glass likeness of his boot to spare himself the displeasure of drinking foot beer. From there, it is believed the glass gained popularity, and in time, it was folded into Oktoberfest traditions. The beer boot eventually made its way to North America thanks to the returning World War II soldiers who observed the tradition while serving overseas.

Appropriate Beer Styles
Märzen / Oktoberfest, witbier, assorted German beers

How To Pour Beer Into A Glass

We've put together some tips for how to pour a glass of beer. Be sure to keep watching after the tips for pouring because we also break down some of our favorite beer glasses to use.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of 16 oz beer mugs wholesale. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.