Beer glasses go beyond the pint
Published 4:00 am Wednesday, February 15, 2012
After two decades of the microbrew movement, American palates are primed for craft beer. Now these savvy drinkers are venturing beyond the pint glass.
The pint glass fulfills the job admirably for a variety of brews. But just as with wine, there is a world of glassware out there that embraces the traditions and enhances the enjoyment of beer.
“To me, what the American consumer is really starting to figure out is there are an enormous range of experiences to be had with beer,” said Gary Fish, founder and president of Deschutes Brewery. “Glassware is truly part of that experience.”
Thus today, as specialty beers appear on tap and come with higher prices, a segment of customers ask more questions about what the beer is being served in, said Brett Thomas, head brewer at Silver Moon Brewing. And more and more establishments around Central Oregon present certain brews in specialty glassware.
Deschutes pours its reserve series beers at the pub in a snifter glass, which is shorter than a pint and round at the bottom.
The Platypus Pub in Bend opts for a 17-ounce snifter for some stronger brews. The large glass gives customers plenty of room to swirl and smell the liquid.
Beer drinkers can bring that experience into the home. Selecting the right glass — and perhaps purchasing a few new ones for the shelf — is part personal preference and part knowing which shapes will best suit the beer style.
“People don’t have to feel relegated to that same old glass that you put water in,” Fish said.
Tradition and presentation
From the goblets of Belgium to the steins of Germany, glassware often evolved locally along with the beer.
“A big component to a lot of this glassware is tradition,” Thomas said. “They’ve been serving it this way for hundreds of years.”
Pilsner glasses are an example. Although a Pilsner glass showcases numerous beer styles well, it was first meant for the crisp, golden lagers that originated in the Czech Republic.
But there’s more than tradition — or marketing — to glassware.
Tom Gilles, co-owner of Platypus Pub and The Brew Shop, explains it this way in his homebrew classes: First, sip a beer from a bottle. Then pour it into a glass. Sip again.
He said the difference is instantly obvious.
“When you drink straight from the bottle, you’re missing a huge part of the experience,” he said. “It’s like eating with a cold.”
Beer Advocate, a website and publication devoted to beer, describes using the right glassware as “presentation marries science.” The right glass better allows the aromatics from a healthy foam head to reach your nose. It can enhance the release of carbonation.
Glass shows off a beer’s hue and clarity, which are sometimes indicators of how well it’s made.
“Beer is a product for all the senses,” Fish said. “You do want to feel it and taste it and roll it around the palate on the tongue.”
What’s in a glass?
One of the most common detours from the pint glass is a shorter glass such as a snifter or tulip. A tulip is wider at the bottom and then tapers inward toward the top. Strong beers with high alcohol contents, such as imperial IPAs and Belgians, are best served in these types of glasses.
“A lot of these beers, when you drink them the aroma is a huge part of the experience,” Gilles said.
The larger glass allows the beer to warm up — Gilles said these beers are better served around 55 degrees than ice cold. The size also diffuses the aromas more easily, said Portland resident Christian DeBenedetti, author of the book “The Great American Ale Trail.”
Tulip glasses in particular, DeBenedetti said, “capture the aromas but also induce, hold and show off a good head.”
These styles of glasses are also important for portion control for high alcohol-content, high-flavor brews. Gilles said the Platypus Pub serves 10 ounces of liquid in its 17-ounce snifters in part because an imperial-size pint portion would be overpowering.
“Those beers are really strongly flavored and they can overwhelm the palate pretty quickly,” Thomas said.
The narrower, taller glasses are also designed to best represent their beers.
Some hefeweizen or weissbier glasses contain spiral etchings on the inside of the glass to help release carbonation in the beer.
Thomas is a fan of Pilsner glasses.
“You can really get a good look at the beer,” he said. “The funnel sends the hop bouquet right up and makes the carbonation more visible.”
Preference makes perfect
As more Americans embrace a variety of glassware for beer, brewers are getting into the game themselves.
Thomas’ favorite glass at home is a Sierra Nevada imperial pint — meaning a pint that holds 20 ounces — with a laser-etched hop in the bottom of the glass. It’s listed on the Sierra Nevada site for $3.50. The etching, the site says, is designed to release more bubbles in the beer for better aroma and flavor.
Fish drinks at home out of a Deschutes Brewery snifter glass, which is also for sale at the pub, brewery gift shop and online for $8.
“We believe very strongly in the beers we produce and we produce them to provide extraordinary experiences,” he said. “And part of that is the glassware.”
The Boston Beer Co. took glassware a step further, spending two years to design a glass to specifically showcase the Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Released in 2007, the glass features laser etching, a round shape and narrow top with curved lip. A set of four retails for $30 on the Samuel Adams website.
Other specialty beer glasses are available locally to varying degrees at area breweries, The Brew Shop and kitchen stores like Macy’s and Ginger’s Kitchenware.
For those who haven’t filled their cabinets with beer glasses, Gilles said it’s more than acceptable to try a brew in an untraditional glass. Large red wine glasses, port glasses or stemless wine glasses all showcase beer well.
Because at the end of the day, it’s about fully enjoying the beer.
“It makes the beer more than just a light yellow, fizzy liquid,” Fish said.
The essentials
• Rinse the glass. The quickest way to ruin even the best beer is to use a glass with soap residue on it from the dishwasher. It’s the reason some pubs now use glass rinsers to ensure their glassware is perfect for use. Purists hand wash their glasses and air dry them.
• Don’t chill the glass. As the beer hits the glass, it will cause condensation and dilute the beer. It will also alter its serving temperature.
Which beers in which glass?
There are no hard and fast rules, but here are a few brew-and-glassware pairings.
Snifter: Strong beers with high-alcohol content, like barleywines and Belgians.
Tulip: Strong beers with high-alcohol content, like Belgians and imperial IPAs.
Goblet: Strong, Belgian beers like Belgian IPAs, dubbels and tripels.
Weizen: Wheat ales, Hefeweizens.
Pilsner: Pilsners, lagers.
Pint, imperial pint: A variety of beers, like ales, IPAs, porters and stouts. Imperial pint is larger.
Mug: A variety of beers, like ales, IPAs, Pilsners and porters.
Source: Beer Advocate
An honest pint
Mention glassware among beer fans and someone will no doubt bring up the “honest pint” controversy.
The question at hand is whether barkeeps are serving beer in appropriately sized pint glasses. A true pint holds 16 ounces . Some pint glasses, however, look practically identical at first glance but have a heavier glass base and hold just 14 ounces.
Dubbed “cheater pints,” these glasses in 2007 sparked a campaign that led to national press, beer drinkers bringing measuring cups to pubs and even a proposed bill in the 2009 Oregon Legislature that would have rewarded inspected establishments with a door decal proclaiming them purveyors of an “honest pint.” It failed in committee.
But the effort lives on, with some pubs netting the title “Certified Purveyors of Honest Pints” on the website
honestpintproject.org.