A Guide to Beer Glasses: Serve Your Drink Right
When it comes to drinking beer, having the right beer glass is just as important as the brew itself. There are a lot of people who negate the importance of glassware for beer, they explain that it's all just a marketing campaign, and there is a little truth in that. However, different glassware for different ales has been around for a while now and not just for corporations to make money. The beer is altered as soon as it touches the glass, the taste, the aroma, and the colour all change. Some little and subtle things become much more pronounced. With the right glass, your worst beer might turn out to be the best beer you've ever had. Well, not exactly like that, but it does alter the experience for the better. So, let us talk about the different types of glasses and what beers should you be drinking from them.
Mug
You are probably already familiar with this glass if you aren't then you're probably not the legal age to drink. It comes equipped with a handle for easy drinking and the large volume means that you can go without a refill for a longer time. Drinks that go perfectly with a mug are an oatmeal stout, a Scottish ale, Irish dry stout, an American pale ale and the English bitter.
Pint
This is another glass which you would be familiar with if you are old enough to drink, as it is a standard in most pubs. It's easy to drink from and holds a lot of beer because of its volume. There are a few variations of it, but it is mostly used for drinking a double or imperial stout and IPA, brown ale and porter.
Pilsner
Also know as 'Pokal' this is a slender, round and tall glass with a rounded, narrow bottom that has a flat base. There is a slight difference between the pilsner and the pokal, as the pokal has a stem and is mostly popular in Europe. As the name suggests this kind of beer glass is usually used for serving pilsners, but some American lagers and blonde ales can be served.
Stange
The name of this traditional German beer glass can be translated to 'stick' and it does resemble one. These glasses are similar to the pilsners and the pints, but they are made in a shape which helps to preserve the aroma of your brew. It allows for a much tighter concentration of volatiles and usually lambic, rye beer, gueuze and bock beers are served in this glassware.
