What Beer Glasses To Use for Which Beers

There are half a dozen types of beer glasses, each with its own purpose. Using the right glass for your beer is just as important as the right glass for your wine; it affects not only the taste but the presentation. Different types of glasses create a better foam head; others impact the retention of volatiles in the beer. Here's a guide to deciding which beer to use with which glass.

First up is the flute glass, which is commonly associated with wine. Although beer isn't typically served in a flute glass, consider that the narrow shape helps to keep carbonation from dissipating quickly. The stems on a flute glass for beer are shorter than those for champagne and wine. The best beers to use a flute glass with include Euro Strong Lager, American Wild Ale, and German Pilsener.

Next is the chalice, or goblet. The name depends on the thickness of the glass as well as the stem; thick glasses are chalices while long stemmed and thin glasses are typically goblets. These goblets are specifically designed to maintain the head of the beer; the wide mouth also allows for deep drinks, improving the taste of the beer. These beer glasses are great for Belgian IPA, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Dubbel, Quad and Tripel beers.

The snifter is used mostly for cognacs and brandys and has a wide bowl with a tapered mouth. This is one of the best beer glasses for strong ales because it allows you to enhance the aroma. Use a snifter with all types of ale.

The pint and mug are two very popular beer glass styles. The pint glass is a popular choice with its wide mouth. There's two sizes: 16 ounce and 20 ounce. The 16 ounce style is commonly used i America. The pint glass adds no benefits to the taste, flavor or head of the beer, although its easy to make and store. It can be used with any type of beer, including ale, lager, and low alcohol beers. The mug is one of the most popular beer glasses. It's thick and heavy with a handle. The mug, or seidel, can be used with almost all beer types, including American styles.

The tulip is an interesting and delicate glass with a stem. The tulip glass is designed to enhance volatiles, supporting a foam head as well. In Scotland, Scotch Ale is served in a thistle glass which is very similar. American and Belgian beers go well with tulip glases.

There are two other glasses worth mentioning. First, the oversized wine glass is a large 22 ounce serving glass that's great for Belgian Ales. It's got a wide head but there isn't much benefit to the oversized wine glass; it's just interesting to use. Also, the Weizen glass is perfect for Weizenbier, or wheat beer. These beer glasses are made to show the color of the beer while giving room for volume.

Last, there's the beer boot. The beer boot, or Bierstiefeln, has been used for over 100 years and many have tried to figure out the story behind it. Beer boots have become popular in many coutnries, especially the United States where they're used during drinking games. The beer boot is usually made of manufactured glass, although in Germany, beer boots used at gatherings are ofte made of blown glass.

Drinking beer from a proper glass improves taste, foam head, volatiles and overall appearance. Make sure you take care of your glasses, never chilling them or putting them through a dishwasher. Knowing which beer glass to use can be overwhelming so use this guide to help you. You can order all of these glasses at various sources online, although make sure you guet ones that are high quality. Get a few of each and you'll be set to properly drink every kind of beer known to man! Follow this advice to make sure you're always drinking your beer from the right glass; you'll definitely notice the difference.