Types of Beer Glassware

By: Joanne Dorin


Beer glassware comes in a variety of sizes and shapes with different types of glassware features that are intended to highlight particular characteristics of the beer being enjoyed. Some beer glasses are more decorative than others and may have features such as dimpled sides, whereas others are thin and long in order to display clarity and effervescence.

There are beer glasses that are bowl shaped to highlight the beer's foam head and aroma, as well as elaborate beer glass pieces that are made of stoneware with images that are hand painted around the sides. Some people prefer to celebrate their beer with this kind of decorative beer glassware.

Though beer glassware is generally chosen according to the type of beer that will be enjoyed, this does not need to be the case. You should choose beer glasses that suit your tastes and needs and stick to what you like! It's your party, it's your beer glassware, live it up!

Ok, so there are some practical considerations that can help you choose the beer glasses that will best meet your own needs. For example, bowl shaped beer glasses offer the best aroma holding abilities. Snifter and tulip shaped beer glasses are particularly good for holding on to aroma.

The regular old American shaker pint glass offer s very little aroma containment and thusly is a poor choice in the way of beer glassware all round. No matter what type of logo is painted on the side of a pint glass, this still doesn't change the fact that these make poor beer glasses and should be avoided.

So let's talk about some of the different types of beer glasses. There are bowls, mugs, pints glasses, flutes, pilsners, lager glasses, snifters, steins, stem glasses, thistles, yards, tumblers, tulips and more.

Bowls are low-slung, wide glasses made particularly for Berliner Weisse when said beer is tainted with raspberry or woodruff syrup. These are quite absurd drinking vessels, yet this seems to make sense for the more absurd drinks.

Beer mugs generally come in dimpled versions and are quite large. These types of mugs generally have a larger mouth than base and the glass is very thick. The wide mouth releases the aroma very nicely, while the dimpled glass makes looking at the appearance of the beer in question. These types of beer vessels are best suited for brown ales, bocks and dark lagers.

The English pint has many similarities to the shaker pint glass, yet have a couple of major differences. First off, English pint glasses are made to hold a proper pint and often have lines that show exactly where a full pint rises to.


Joanne is author of Decorz.com. If you're looking for more barware & decorating ideas for your home and garden visit www.decorz.com.