Glassware....

This question may be a little anal retentive, but Im curious. What glasses are good for what styles of beer? I understand the most important part is that you drink good beer. But the question dawned on me when I looked on the back of a Goose Island IPA bottle and it said "serve in a tulip glass." And all of their bottles have glass serving suggestions. Does this make a difference in taste or aroma? Does in inhance the experience of drinking a particular style of beer? All beer knowledge is good knowldege!!!:fro:

it makes a difference for aroma big time. most belgians are served in tulip or goblet style glasses. here's a good website with different glass selections and has some decent explanations of the styles:

John's Grocery

A link, for my soon-to-be beer snob apprentices:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/glassware.php

I enjoy most beers from one of those much-discussed, new-fangled Sam Adams glasses. I rarely drink beer from an American pint glass anymore. I have a few specialized glasses reserved for specific styles/brands (Hoegaarden, Chimay, hefeweizens, snifters for meads/barleywines, etc).

I think glassware makes a huge impact on the beer. I prefer a big red wine glass for most of my specialty/ big beers.

Yuri_Rage said:

A link, for my soon-to-be beer snob apprentices:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/glassware.php

I enjoy most beers from one of those much-discussed, new-fangled Sam Adams glasses. I rarely drink beer from an American pint glass anymore. I have a few specialized glasses reserved for specific styles/brands (Hoegaarden, Chimay, hefeweizens, snifters for meads/barleywines, etc).

Click to expand...

Thank you for the link. I will gladly take on the role of padawan beer snob. When do I get my Hop Saber???

I picked up these a while ago and use them for most of my "regular" beers. My Pale Ales, my bitters, my wheat beers etc. I drink out of these. I do have a couple of specialty glasses that I use for belgians and Imperial Stouts and the like.

Alright, I'll step out on a limb here and be the first to say that I don't think it makes a HUGE difference . . . for me anyway. Maybe there's something wrong with my nose but if I want to get a good sniff of a beer I can manage to do it pretty well from a standard pint glass. I think most of the different serving vessels for beer are more about personal style than anything else. It makes a statement that you know a lot about beer but outside of that it doesn't do much for me.

This discussion has come up before and I clearly hold the minority opinion on this subject. Oh well . . .

AllHoppedUp said:

Alright, I'll step out on a limb here and be the first to say that I don't think it makes a HUGE difference . . .

Click to expand...

BLASPHAMY!!

j/k

Just remember the rule of thumb...if you are selling beer, serve the more expensive ones in smaller glasses for a higher price...damn con artists

I think pint glasses are fine for everyday beers but if you're drinking something with a lot of esters or complexity, going to a tulip or wine glass definitely helps give the full experience.

I guess the most important factor is how full you pour the glass. If you want aromatic characteristics, only pour half full so they can build up in the glass.

I find myself using 23oz. Hefe glasses most of the time. They keep a nice head on and release aroma with each swallow. And since I bottle mostly in 16oz. at this point it's a good size for me. I also have a bunch of standard pints and a few imperial pints that I use for larger gatherings.

Since I've kegged my first beer, I've found myself mostly drinking out of 3.5 ounce taster glasses. Maybe I'll get a few tiny snifters, but I find the "baby" glasses help me drink less because I'm not left with a half of a pint when it's getting to be time for me to fall asleep.

As for the OP's question, I say it DOES make a difference. Personally though, I think any beer lover can make do with a pint glasses, snifters, and hefe glasses. Everything else is just for showing off.

Oh.. and if you like Bourbon County Stout and other rich, heavy, thick stouts, then I also suggest having some coffee mugs on hand for those.

I find myself almost always going back to the new SA glasses and I have a nice
.25L Apflwein glass from Germany I really like for sampling

Real men drink out of 1.0 liter Krugs~!

Sometimes thats not the best idea though. I do agree that the glass completely impacts aroma, and thus flavor. I have probably 10-15 different styles of glass. I like to collect them.

For me, the imperial pint is my good old stand by.

I have been eyeing those Sam Adams glasses though.