Photo: Leszek Czerwonka (Shutterstock)
You might think that there’s nothing simpler than enjoying a cold beer after a long day. I’m sorry to report that you are wrong.
No, Beer doesn’t have the same mystique as wine or cocktails. While the average beer drinker knows there are many different varieties of beer, this is a matter of taste, and doesn’t complicate the business of enjoying a brew: pour it into a glass and enjoy. Right? Most of us don’t think too hard about the glass we use—but maybe we should.
There are some things most beet experts can agree on. Just about every cicerone (basically a beer sommelier) harbors a hatred for frosted glasses, for example (Master Cicerone Neil Witte notes the coldness of the glass produces tons of foam, which leaves the beer tasting a bit flat). And there’s a universal dislike for your standard shaker pint glass (according to Michael Memsic, cofounder, of the Sanitas Brewing Company, the shaker glass is meant for shaking—as in making a daiquiri—not for beer). And everyone agrees that your beer glass should be clean—like really clean.
Increasingly, however, there is debate over the specific glass(es) you’re using to drink your beer. Some beer experts, like Tim Pollard, argue “nucleation” points (areas in the glass that promote bubbles and foam, either due to the shape of the glass or through strategically-placed etchings) keep your beer’s head healthy while releasing the aroma, while the shape of the glass can help trap that aroma for your nose and/or deliver the beer more widely across your tongue when you drink. On the other hand, beer writer Lew Bryson thinks the idea that you need a specific glass for every kind of beer is mostly marketing. And world-renowned beer writer Stephen Beaumont thinks you can get away with just a few different glasses, like a pint glass (other than a shaker) for lighter beers and a tulip or snifter for stronger beers.
So maybe you don’t need to have a specific glass for every different beer you drink—but what if you want to be fancy (and slightly annoying) about imbibing? Here is the glassware you should have on hand to pair with a dozen common beer styles—and why it matters (in theory).
