different glassware for beer, does it really make a difference?

Question

I was at the local beer store when I noticed that they had a section off beer glasses. I was wondering how many different styles there were, cause there looked like a lot, and do they really make a difference in the beer drinking experience

Answer 1

There are 10 different main styles of glassware for beer they are:
flute, goblet, mug, pilsner, pint, snifter, stange, tulip, weizen, and an oversized wine glass.

Do they make a difference in the overall quality of the experience, yes.

Some glasses are designed to help maintain a big rich head that encumpasses the aroma making the flavor stick out more. Some glasses are designed more for celebrations. Some are desgined to concentrate the aroma in a smaller area, some are designed to feature the carbonation, if its a heavily carbonated style. Yes the glassware does improve the beer drinking experience.

If you were going to buy one or two, prolly the most versatile are pint glass and a mug. Those are designed to enhance the most amount of styles especially styles that are commonly available

And for the guy above me, beer should not be drank from a frosty mug, the condensation waters down the beer

Answer 2

Depends on who you ask, and what you drink, but ... yes, the proper glasware can make a difference in the over all experience of drinking a beer - particularly a "good" beer (i.e., NOT the mass-produced stuff you buy in a gas station, for example).

There are dozens of styles of glassware used for beer-drinking, and even more variations within those styles, but essentially all you need for a fulfilling beer-drinking experience is a standard pint glass, a pilsner glass, and a goblet/chalice. Some would add more, but I've found that these three styles of glassware are edequate for almost any beer you might be sampling.

Use the standard pint glass for your stouts, porters, amber ales, Pale ales, etc ...

Use the Pilsner glass for your Pilsners (obviously!), wheat beers, hefeweizens, and so forth ...

Use the goblet for the more unique (and aromatic) beers, like lambics, imperial stouts/porters, Belgian ales, barley wines, blah ...blah ...blah ...

Each type of glassware is designed to accentuate and maximize certain characteristics of each beer category - some are best served in a tall, cylindrical glass like a German Pilsner - a tall, rocky head and a steady release of carbonation bubbles through a relatively narrow opening. Others are happiest in a shorter, wide-mouth goblet - retaining the head and allowing the oxygen to co-mingle with the beer, releasing it's aromas.

So, glassware does impact the beer-drinking experience. so does temperature, I might add ... meaning not all beers are meant to be served "cold." In fact, beer that is served too cold "numbs" the palate, and doesn't allow the flavors of the beer to be experienced to their intended degree. That is, except for the typical light American "pilsner-like" lager beers such as your standard Bud, Miller and Coors. These beers may be served "super cold" because they really have very little taste anyway.

One last glassware tip - DON'T drink beer out of a frosted glass. All it does is water down the beer and get your hand wet.

Answer 3

Other glasses are shaped especially for certain wheat beers. The glasses are put upside-down on top of the open bottle and then flipped. The bottle is gradually pulled upwards as the beer fills the glass, leaving a good head on the beer. Roll the bottle between your hands to loosen the left-over foam and top the beer off.

Doing it this way helps disperse the yeast strains throughout the beer and actually does make for a better flavor. You can't just do this with any glass, so if you enjoy beers like Hacker Pschorr or Schneider Aventinus (which are simply awesome beers, by the way), get a glass... it's classy, fun, and actually useful.

Answer 4

Sub-consciously yes it does make a difference.

Imagine drinking a really good beer from a Starbucks Travel Mug!

I have a favorite beer glass and stein which for some reason makes my beer taste better.

Answer 5

I suppose some die hards would argue that you can only serve Pilsner in a pilsner glass, stout in a pint glass, lager in a mug or some such. But truthfully it doesn't change the taste or enjoyment of the drink to drink it out of whatever glass you might have, or even out of the bottle. The only exception would be if the beer is in a can in which case, please serve in something besides the can, thank you.

Answer 6

It won't be a dramatic difference if you drink out of a mug, pint glass, tankard, plastic cup, or whatever. Some might just look cooler than others. But a cold glass is the best, in my opinion.

Answer 7

Beer should only be drank through a frosty mug or a tall, clear glass.

Answer 8

your best best is a pint glass or a mug!