Proper Glassware--You’re Not Doing It Wrong

by Matt DeMarco

We’ve all done it; we have poured a beer into a vessel that is the easiest to reach. It could have been a coffee mug, cereal bowl, or maybe if you were desperate, an empty soup can. Some beer geeks would gasp in horror and give you a lecture about how the beer you are drinking only belongs in one type of glass. I am sure there are even some beer geeks that might even slap the beer out of your hand. (If that happens to you, then you are hanging around with the wrong crowd.)

Yes, certain beer glasses do help some beers if paired correctly, but who wants to have 10 different styles of glasses in a cabinet? I keep 2 types of beer glasses in my house and that is all you should ever need. There are tons of articles all over the internet that explain what beers belong in what glass but unless you run a tap room, that is more information than you need.

All that being said a Pint glass and a snifter is all you need. You can substitute a tulip glass for a snifter but I prefer the shape of a snifter.

Pint Glass

This is glass that everyone has in their house. This is the free glass we get from breweries and for most bachelors; these are the only glasses they have. These are popular because they are inexpensive and they suit every beer style. They will not enhance the aroma of a beer like some other glasses but they get the job done. Pint glasses are the workhorse of beer glasses. The pitfalls of pint glasses are that the beer tends to warm quickly and CO2 escapes quicker. If you sip to slowly, you will end up with a warm, flat beer. I use a pint glass for lower alcohol beers such as, session IPAs, lagers, pale ales, pilsners, and wheat beers.

 Snifter

My snifter glass is my go to glass. I use it 99% of the time. Not only does it look classy, it enhances the aroma of the beer. This glass is typically used for big beers like DIPAs, barleywine, Belgian ales, imperial stouts, etc. A snifter also allows you to swirl the beer to release more aroma (similar to the “California swirl” in wine circles). You can also use a tulip glass in the same way as a snifter. The only difference is that a tulip glass will aid in head retention more than a snifter. I have found that any beer does well in a snifter. When in doubt, use a snifter.

If you keep these two glasses in your cabinet, you will never need another beer glass. Just be glad we don’t live in Belgium where each brewery uses its own specially designed glass. At the end of the day it’s all about the beer and not the glass. I raise my coffee mug of beer to you and just remember, however you drink it is the right way.