Which glasses for which beer. Types of beer glasses for different varieties - how to choose the right shape and volume. IPA glass

Wine in a plastic cup simply cannot be taken seriously.

So it is with beer: different glasses are suitable for different varieties.

Do not underestimate the serving - this is not a tribute to fashion, but a way to emphasize the taste of the drink.

Pint Nonik

Suitable for IPA, lager, dark ale, porter and cider.

The most popular of the pints is the British Nonik pint, with a slight flare at the top of the glass. Due to its relatively large volume, it is great for low-alcohol beers, but you will not feel the aromatic nuances of the drink in this shape of the glass. In use, a pint is very convenient: it is an inexpensive glass that is easy to clean and convenient to store.

Beer mug Beer Stein

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Suitable for ale and German beers - white (witbier) and smoked malt beer (rauchbier).

Beer Stein are traditional capacious beer glasses with a handle. They are made not only from glass: you can find mugs made of wood, ceramics, tin or porcelain, often they have decorative elements. The mugs are ideal for German beers. By the way, they are used at the famous Oktoberfest festival.

Cognac glass snifter

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Suitable for stout, porter and strong ale.

The snifter is most often used for strong drinks: it is convenient to hold it in the hand, and when heated in the palm of the hand, the glass narrowed to the top retains the aromatic substances of the drink. It is because of its design that the snifter is best suited for aromatic and strong beers and ales.

Tulip

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Suitable for Belgian ales and wild ales

The name of the glass is apparently inspired by its shape. In such a glass, the aromatic substances of the beer are preserved, and the head of foam lasts longer. They say that if you are going to drink just one glass of beer, then you should drink from the "tulip". The glass best reveals Belgian and British ales, as well as barley flavored beers.

Pilsner

Suitable for lager, pilsner and light beer.

A glass of pilsner is good not only for pilsners, but also for any other pale lager. A tall wedge-shaped glass allows you to admire the color of the drink and retains foam for a long time. Known for the so-called "Czech effect", when the beer reaches the rim of the glass, and the foam rises from above without losing its shape.

Weizen

Suitable for German types of beer - unfiltered wheat (hefeweizen) and white (Witbier).

Round, wide-mouth weizens are designed to properly deliver beer flavor and retain fluffy head. These glasses come from Germany and are designed for unfiltered wheat beer.

Any drink requires a respectful attitude towards itself - at present, true connoisseurs and gourmets have developed a whole system for the proper use of cognac, and the tea ceremony has generally become a national treasure of Japan and China. The well-known drink made from barley and malt with lush foam also has its own characteristics of use. So, for example, glasses for beer can be of the most diverse shape and volume, which is primarily due to the varieties of this drink.

How to drink beer correctly?

True connoisseurs and gourmets know that the true taste of a foamy drink in all its glory is revealed only when it is served in the right bowl. Today, beer glasses are presented in a wide variety. Classical and creative forms, various volumes, as well as the material from which the glasses are made - all this has its own characteristics and was invented for a reason. For example, Biter el De Rank beer from Belgium is served exclusively in a large glass, which is shaped like a wine glass. That's just the volume of it is not wine at all - 0.65 liters.

Today, manufacturers offer absolutely amazing beer glasses: made of leather, glass and ceramics, metal and stone, clay and wood, in the form of geometric and abstract shapes, and even themed beer glasses that can serve as a great gift idea. Of course, such a variety of dishes has its own historical background.

History of the glass

The very first glasses for beer were stone vessels, which were used by the Sumerians about 7 thousand years ago. It was from that time that beer began to be popular among many nationalities, only ideas about the dishes suitable for it were different.

So, for example, in ancient Russia, beer glasses were exclusively wooden - it was believed among the people that in earthenware the drink heats up faster and retains its taste much worse. But in Germany, glasses for a foamy drink were made exclusively of tin, while they were equipped with special levers and lids. Beer gourmets from France came to the conclusion that the thin glass of a glass can emphasize the piquant taste of this drink, but in the Czech Republic it was quite the opposite - beer was served in glasses made of especially thick glass. In Belgium, a country with its own beer history, the foamy drink is treated with special reverence: it is served in special glasses that resemble cognac in shape.

The culture of drinking beer

As it has already become clear, in different countries they treat beer accordingly. However, at present, breweries and factories produce this drink depending on national preferences and culture, and the recipes and taste qualities themselves have determined the features of glasses that can fully convey the taste and aroma.

The material from which a beer glass is made can affect the taste properties of the drink - this is obvious. The foam that forms as a result of pouring beer into glasses gives off volatile compounds, and these, in turn, form the characteristic beer aroma. Thus, the shape of the glass has a direct impact on the formation of the foam head and the aroma of the drink. Due to the fact that different types form a specific foam, it is logical to assume that for each type of drink it is necessary to use the appropriate glass.

A set of glasses for beer will allow you to fully enjoy the taste variety and aroma of different varieties of this drink.

Typology of glasses

So, today there is a fairly large number of glasses, the most common of which are:

• Wine glass - somewhat similar to its counterpart for champagne, but differs in a shorter stem. Yes, some beers deserve to watch the bubbles play and enjoy the exquisite taste of a light drink.
• A goblet or chalice is a real thing. Fragile goblets are bordered with golden or silver paint, and thick-walled chalices are decorated with curly legs.
• The classic mug comes in different shapes and sizes. A distinctive feature of thick-walled mugs is the ability to clink glasses in a friendly company.
• Glasses designed for light beer. The wedge-shaped glass, thin glass, narrow bottom and wider top - all these qualities contribute to enhancing the taste and preserving the foam.

home collection

For each type of beer, a different type of glass is recommended. So, for example, an average German in a bar has at least 3-4 types of glasses: one for the classic, several "tulips", several glasses for exclusive varieties and a couple of glasses for dark varieties.

How to assemble an original collection of glassware for a foamy drink at home? It's very simple - you can ask your friends to give gift glasses for beer for your birthday or buy them yourself in specialized stores or at exhibitions.

In addition, do not forget about the famous Octoberfest festival - a real fan of a foamy drink should visit this event at least once, where you can also buy a solid collection of beer glasses.

So, you woke up in the morning and decided to become a beer geek. But what's a beer geek without a selection of beer glasses? With only one beer mug inherited from your grandfather, you will not become a geek.

There are dozens if not hundreds of varieties of beer glasses. Most of them have been produced so long ago that it is difficult to trace their origin. But some new glasses that have appeared in the last decade thanks to the craft wave have quite specific “parents”, but more on that later.

If you only have one beer glass, let it be one of the basic glasses, the main types of which we will now describe.

First of all, this conical pint- a conical glass with smooth walls. A pint glass can be found not only in a beer bar, but also in a cocktail bar - here it is called a shaker and is used to mix and serve cocktails. True, beer and cocktail glasses differ in glass thickness. For beer, glasses are made of thin glass, they are easy to clean and conveniently stacked in piles of 4-5 pieces. Cocktail shakers, on the other hand, have thicker glass - additional weight is needed to stabilize the shaker, but they are not so convenient for beer.

This is the optimal choice for most everyday styles of moderate strength beer: IPA, APA, stouts, wheat beers, other ales and lagers. A pint can be British (570 ml) or American (470 ml) - depending on the manufacturer.

Improved pint glass model - nonik pint, recognizable by its shape - a ring thickening at the top of the glass. This thickening performs three functions at once: it improves the grip, prevents the glasses from “sticking together” in the stack, and protects the edges of the glass from chipping. Like the standard conical pint, nonik is suitable for base styles of moderate-strength beer.

Another version of a pint glass - Irish pint or a tulip pint. This glass widens slightly from the middle - its top is slightly wider than the bottom. It is in this form that Guinness branded glasses are produced. In addition to Irish ales and stouts, tulip pints are great for other casual ales and lagers.

The German pint completes the range of standard glasses - willibecher. This glass is slightly narrowed at the bottom, at about four-fifths of the height of the glass it expands slightly, and narrows again towards the neck. Williebecher began to be mass-produced after the Second World War - in order to rationalize production and save resources, the usual mugs were replaced with such glasses. This glass was originally conceived for German lagers, but like other pints, it will also work with a variety of ales. Willibechers are available in different volumes - from 200 to 500 ml.

Another common version of a large glass is a thick glass tumbler with large edges, it is known as Casablanca. This is also the best choice for almost any style of beer of small or moderate strength - it is no coincidence that many bars choose such glasses: they are durable and keep the temperature of the beer for a long time.

For a long time, the most familiar beer glass in Russia, and throughout the post-Soviet space, was beer mug. Although with the craft revolution came a variety of tableware, the mug should not be written off either. Made of thick glass and equipped with a strong handle, the mug keeps the beer cold for a long time - it does not heat up so quickly from the heat of the hand. Mugs can be cylindrical, with a smooth surface, or rounded, with recesses on the walls. Pour light lagers in the Czech or German style, weak British ales into the mugs (it is English-type mugs, with rounded indentations, that were typical dishes in British pubs before the advent of pint glasses).

Now let's move on to special glasses.

Pilsner glass- high, refined, tapering downwards. Pilsner glasses are often confused, for example, with Weizen glasses or with other lager glasses, of which there are many. But there is a clear difference here: the pilsner glass tapers down in straight lines, without curves or bends. In such a glass, the features of a pilsner are demonstrated - a beautiful color, high carbonation, transparency and lush foam. The glass is suitable for any type of pilsner, both German and Czech, as well as for any light lagers.

Another option for a pilsner glass is "tulip" (Pilstulpe) or cup: a tall glass, slightly reminiscent of a wine glass, on a stable thick leg.

Weizen glass thin below, and slightly widens upward, forming a “head”. It is assumed that yeast sediment should collect in the narrow bottom of the glass, and lush foam will form in the wide top. This glass is suitable for all types of wheat beers, especially German-style Dunkelweizens, Hefeweizens, Crystalweizens and even Weizenbocks. It is also suitable for Belgian vits, American wheat ales. Also, no one will judge you if you pour pilsner or other lager into it.

Another German glass - barbell, tall thin cylindrical glass. The bar has a small capacity so that the beer does not have time to heat up. Kölsch, altbiers, roggenbiers are served in such glasses. In the home arsenal, the barbell can be replaced with a Tom Collins cocktail glass.

Snifter traditionally used for brandy and cognac. Its shape is ideal for revealing the character of strong beers with powerful hop or ester aromas - Belgian ales, IPAs, barley wines. In such a wide bottom and narrowed top glass, you can. In addition, it fits well in the hand, and under the influence of body heat, the beer is heated to . The snifter is suitable for all kinds of bocks (doppelbocks, weizenbocks, icebocks), various strong ales, imperial IPAs and, in principle, for any beer with an ABV above 7%.

Entitled "tulip" hiding several forms of glasses, which are united by one thing - a beautiful curved shape of the bowl, slightly expanding upwards. In such a glass, the aroma is well revealed and persistent foam is created. It is suitable for a variety of styles - saisons and stouts, Belgian ales and IPAs. In addition, “tulips” are beautiful and look great on Instagram.

Perhaps the most recognizable glass of this type now is Rastal's Teku, first introduced in 2010 (the Teku 3.0 version is now being released, which, as the name suggests, has already undergone three improvements). Its forms are distinguished by unusual curves: wide at the bottom, it noticeably narrows in the upper part, and slightly widens again at the top at the edge. Teku was created in collaboration between Rastal designers, brewer Theo Musso (Le Balladin Brewery) and beer sommelier with the pseudonym Kuaska (Lorenzo Dabove) - from the words Teo and Kuaska the name of the glass comes from. In a glass of this shape, any beer reveals its aroma in the best possible way - which is why Teku has become the official glass for professionals at many beer competitions in Europe and America.

Variation of "tulip" - « thistle"(thistle). This glass of unusual shape, with a rounded base and a high neck slightly widening upwards, really resembles the national flower of Scotland, the thistle. Scotch ales, wee-heavy are poured into it.

Associated with Belgian beer bowls (chalice, in the photo on the left) and goblets(goblet, pictured right). In principle, they are interchangeable, but there is a slight difference: goblets are made of thinner glass, and bowls are heavier and thicker. From the inside, there can be etching on the surface of the glass at the bottom: the roughness of the glass collects gas bubbles, and the beer plays beautifully in the glass. Bowls and cups are suitable for Belgian ales - regular, dubbels, tripels, quadrupels. Berliner Weisse is also often served in goblets, with or without syrup. And finally, a bowl or goblet will be a worthy setting for imperial styles - IPAs and stouts.

Every self-respecting Belgian brewery produces its branded glasses of a recognizable shape. (However, according to rumors, the well-known faceted glassHooegarden was originally a jar for jam, which Pierre Celi bought in large quantities.) Usually these are various goblets and bowls, but there is something special in the Belgian arsenal - for example, branded wineglassKwak, resembling a flask with a small rounded bowl and a long neck expanding upwards. Usually such glasses are served in a wooden stand - for one, for two or for four. Even if Belgian beer is not often in your house, such glasses will definitely surprise your guests.

How to assemble the best set of beer glasses

So, how to fill the grandmother's sideboard to the young beer geek? (Hint: You don't have to throw away everything in the cupboard right away.)

As the main ones, any of the standard glasses are suitable - conical, noniki, German or Irish, or tumblers. You can also purchase standard half glasses - useful if you like to drink a bottle of beer in half with your other half. As special glasses, you can use "dual-use glasses" - wine, champagne and cognac. They will be useful for wine, sparkling and cognac proper and will replace snifters and tulips, goblets and bowls for fine styles of beer.

Another useful item in a beergic's arsenal is a glass beer siphon(or growler, as they are called in America). The capacity of the siphon can be different - most often from 1 liter. They are tightly closed with a ceramic stopper with a rubber seal and a toggle mechanism. You can pour draft beer into the siphon in your favorite craft bar and bring it home - unlike a plastic bottle, it is not ashamed to put it on the table.

How to wash beer glasses

Remember: the more glasses you have, the more you will have to wash them. You should not rely on a dishwasher: it does not always rinse out detergent residue well, which negatively affects the taste of beer and foam stability. In addition, logos can fade over time - it would be a shame if a glass with the symbols of your favorite brewery or festival goes bad.

So, we wash beer glasses properly and with our hands. For washing beer glasses, an unscented dishwashing detergent (for example, from a Japanese goods store, from the "children's world" assortment or the iHerb website) or laundry soap is suitable. Some people advise washing beer glasses with baking soda.

Also, for glasses, you will need a separate sponge (the one with which we constantly wash dishes, collects fat and microbes on itself - we don’t need this in a glass) and a brush (or a spatula with which we push the sponge into hard-to-reach places) - not every glass will fit a hand , and the bottom of the glass should be washed especially carefully.

The glass must be washed and rinsed until the water begins to flow freely, without forming streaks on the surface of the glass and not gathering into drops. There is no need to wipe the glass: the villi will remain on the surface, and this will also affect the quality of the beer.

When you pour your beer into a perfectly rinsed glass, you will notice that no bubbles form on the surface of the glass, and the foam is particularly persistent. With each sip, it will settle on the walls of the glass in even parallel rings.

Many beer lovers do not think that the shape and volume of a beer mug is largely determined by the style of the "foamy" used and the culture of the producer's country.

Consider the main types of beer glasses from the most popular and familiar to us:

Mug - Burdock

Perhaps the most popular and familiar to us from Soviet times is a massive, heavy beer mug. They are made of thick glass and have edges of various shapes. In general, such circles can vary greatly in shape from almost cylindrical to rounded. Mugs of this shape in Europe are called "Mug" (Burdock). They serve Czech or German lagers and English ales. Well, in our time in the country of "soviets" they poured the famous "Zhigulevskoye".

conical pint

The next most popular glass is - . They are made of thin glass, lightweight with a smooth wall. The volume is equal to one pint, both English and American. This glass is great for most types of beer: ales, lagers, stouts and wheat varieties.

Nonik pint

There are also other varieties of the conical pint - its improved counterpart "Nonic Pint" (nonik-pint) sometimes it is also referred to as Becker. It has the same shape, with a slight thickening towards the edge. However, this form was not taken lightly, but carefully thought out. The fact is that conical glasses for convenience in pubs are put one on one, as a result of which they can stick together. Nonik pint due to the thickening easily comes out of the stack. Moreover, thanks to the same thickening, a more thorough grip is provided by the hand. Like its progenitor, the nonik pint is suitable for many styles of beer.

Irish pint

Another variation of the pint beer glass is Irish Pint or Tulip Pint. It also presents a conical shape with an extension towards the edges. Thanks to the narrower bottom, it fits comfortably in the hand. This shape is great for Irish ales and stouts.

German pint

Very similar to an Irish pint - German pint or "Willi Becher". That's just the expansion to the edge occurs more smoothly, and the strict conical shape is practically preserved. Traditionally used for German lagers.

Casablanca

But the most remarkable variety for me is Casablanca- a conical pint made of thick glass, with clearly defined edges. An exact copy of our native "faceted", only a larger volume. This mug is suitable for any style of "foamy".

Pilsner beer glass

A pilsner glass is very tall, tapering downwards. Made from thin glass. In such a glass, a rich, unique color, transparency and stability of the foam cap are clearly visible. As you might have guessed, it is intended for bottling pilsners.

Weizen tank

Bucket for wheat beer- very high, gradually tapering to the bottom and expanding at the very base. The creators assumed that this form, with an expanding base, would allow the collection of brewer's yeast in it. And a lush foam cap will form in the upper wide neck.

barbell

barbell This is a tall, strict cylindrical beer glass. It is made of thin glass, has a small volume, due to which the beer simply does not have time to heat up. The birthplace of this remarkable mug is Germany. Traditionally, the Germans used them for bottling Altbiers and Kelsch.

What is best for which variety?

Craft beer is like wine! Intense taste, variety of aromas and rules of drinking, which give special value to the process. Yes, most people just take a bigger glass and pour a beer, but connoisseurs understand that the form also plays a role in the content.

In the Middle Ages, mugs were made from metal, wood, clay and even animal horns. That all changed with the advent of glassware, which revolutionized the culture of craft beer drinking. The transparency of glass, which allows you to evaluate the color and density of the drink, the plasticity of glass during production and the ability to give any shape made glass the best material for creating beer glasses. The correct shape of the beer cup contributes to the retention of aromas and the uniform distribution of beer foam. This is important because the foam cap acts like a lid and retains all the organic matter, making every sip a delight and a treat.

There are over a dozen different types and shapes of wine glasses. Now we will talk about the most practical and common of them.

Pint- the most popular glass in foreign and Russian bars. The practical form and ease of washing influenced its prevalence. There is an American pint - 0.47 liters and British - 0.56 liters. Suitable for the following types of beer:

• pale ale
• Amber Ale
• Stout (oat, milk, chocolate, coffee)
• Porter
• brown ale
• Cream ales
• Baltic porter
• pumpkin ale
• English Bitter (English Special Bitter)
• sizon
• Märzen and other types of light lagers.

A narrow and tall pilsner glass. This shape better retains foam and organic compounds. Suitable for:

• american pilsner
• Baltic pilsner
• german pilsner
• Czech pilsner
• light pilsner

Snifterwith a specific shape, which allows the aroma to be retained and enhances the aroma of hops during the sip. Initially, this form of glassware was used for cognac and brandy. Sniffer is suitable for:

• Barleywine (barley wine)
• Belgian tripel
• Belgian quadrupel
• Doppelbock
• Imperial Ales
• Imperial stouts and porters
• Strong Ales
• Scottish ales
• In general, you can pour all styles of beer stronger than 7%

Tulip (Tulip)got its name from its shape similar to the famous flower.

The edges are shaped like curly flower petals, and the high profile completes the shape. From a tulip they usually drink:

• Belgian ales
• Fruit lambics and geize
• sizon
• Flemish red and brown ales
• Biere de Garde (French sison)
• IPAs (double IPAs)
• Pale ales
• Scottish ales
• Strong Ales

regular beer mug, which can be supplemented by a cover. Any material is suitable for this form: glass, wood, ceramics. Most often they drink from a mug:

• American ales
• American lagers
• german lagers
• german ales
• English ales
• English lagers

Shalis- a glass resembling a princely goblet. Pit from it is needed in large sips, since the width allows. It also contributes to the long standing of the foam due to the constant release of bubbles. Drink from the shalis:

• Belgian ales
• Belgian IPAs
• dowels
• Tripels
• Quadrupels
• Other Trappist Ales
• berliner weissbier
• Imperial IPAs
• imperial stouts
• German sides
• german maybocks

A cylindrical glass is called a stand. It has little aesthetics, but the shape allows for a long preservation of the aroma. It is preferable to drink from it:

• Altbier
• German kölsch
• Rauchbier
• Geise

Weizen glass - tableware from Bavaria. The narrow forms and high profile are reminiscent of an exhibition where everything is visible. It is able to store the aroma for a long time and keep the foam cap. It is poured into:

• American dark wheat ale
• American wheat pale ale
• Dunkelweizen
• Hefeweizen
• crystalweizen
• Weizenbock

So we looked at the main types of glasses. Choose yours and enjoy delicious beer. Of course, there are other types of glasses used for different types of beer, but the ones we have talked about are the most common. In our bar you do not need to understand such subtleties and nuances - just come and enjoy the cultural craft beer, and our bartenders will take care of everything!