The 10 Best Beer Glasses for Enjoying Craft Beers

With more breweries producing beer in the United States than at any other point in history, it’s no surprise that many of us love taking the time to sit down and enjoy an ice cold beer! Although many of us may go for a convenient shaker glass for our beer, the shaker is currently out of favor and being replaced by various sorts of beer glasses.

In this post, we’ll look at some of the many varieties of beer glasses and find why more people are utilizing them to drink the newest craft brews. In addition, we analyze some of the greatest beer glasses available in a variety of types to assist you in finding the best glasses for your favorite beers.

Things to Consider Before Buying Beer Glasses

Beer has been around for over 11,000 years, most likely originally served in animal skins, then in pottery pots. Pottery gradually replaced terracotta until the Phoenicians invented glassblowing some 2,000 years ago. As these artisans moved across Europe, the demand for glass bowls soared, yet many people continued to drink from wooden or earthenware containers because they could not afford glass.

By the 1300s, wooden tankards were common in Europe, but as the plague spread and people grew worried about contamination, the tankard developed into a lidded tankard, frequently made of pewter. This was also referred to as a stein.

Native Americans had been brewing beer in this manner for some time before early settlers in Virginia started to make their beer from maize in the 1500s. Two Dutch explorers established the first US brewery in New Amsterdam (now Manhattan) in 1612.

By 1810, the United States had just 132 breweries, but with the inflow of European people and their taste for all-malt lagers, this number grew to 4,131. By 1873, the popularity of German and other European-style lagers had surpassed that of traditional British ales.

At the same time, glasses became less expensive to manufacture, and since glass enabled consumers to see precisely what was in their drink, more people began to use them for beer. Until this moment, beers were often thick in sediment, which was difficult to notice when served in a wooden or pewter tankard. Beer sediment was also decreasing due to advancements in brewing technology.

Beer was served in smaller goblet-style glasses, and by the 1880s, as many US breweries expanded and pasteurization allowed them to ship their beers farther afield, early kinds of advertising appeared on beer glasses. The pint beer glass was exclusively available in British pubs at the time.

Because many breweries closed during Prohibition, when producing or distributing alcohol containing more than 0.5% alcohol by weight was illegal, it wasn’t until 1933 that the Cullen-Harrison Act re-legalized beer containing up to 3.2% alcohol by weight, and Prohibition was officially repealed later that year.

However, post-Prohibition beer was of inferior quality, and since it was weaker than pre-Prohibition beer, people wanted (or needed) to drink more.

As a consequence, the shaker glass of the Boston cocktail shaker became popular since it was inexpensive, sturdy, and always had a 16 fl. oz capacity, which was larger than the standard goblet glasses and beer mugs at the time.

The shaker remained a popular glass when homebrewing became more popular with the passage of legislation in 1978 that allowed adults to homebrew beer and wine containing more than 0.5% alcohol. However, with the introduction and subsequent expansion of American craft brewers in the late 1980s, there was an increasing demand for glasses that improved the drinking experience of fine beers.

Even now, 16 oz shaker glasses are regularly used to serve beer. Although a shaker glass is an excellent all-purpose tumbler for a variety of non-alcoholic beverages as well as beers, its downside is that it enables beer to warm fast (from being held in the hand) and the shape of the glass hinders the scents from the beer from being released correctly.

There are presently more breweries in the United States than ever before. There are presently about 7000 breweries, including brew pubs and micro-breweries.

Different Types of Beer Glasses

The function of the shaker or American pint glass is identical to that of the British nonic pint. A classic nonic (or no-nick) pint has a larger 20 fl. oz. capacity (also known as an imperial pint) and is an all-purpose glass used for lower alcohol beers and lagers; however, a nonic pint may be preferable for serving darker brews like stouts.

To keep the beer cooler, a chalice or goblet glass features a big bowl with a strong stem. This glass type is appropriate for more complex beers, such as IPAs.

IPAs have a lengthy history in the United States and Canada. IPA (India Pale Ale) was originally a British beer produced about 1840 since one brewery was one of the first known to transport beer to India, and the beverage was also popular among East India Company merchants who were located near the brewery. Because the malt was now coke-fired, the IPA of the period was a paler ale than those previously made.

Before 1900, breweries in the United States were known to be producing IPA, and today’s American IPAs are made using characteristic American hops. West Coast IPAs have a lower malt and stronger hop presence than their East Coast counterparts, whereas East Coast IPAs often employ specialty malts and harsher European hops.

The double, or Imperial IPA, is typically stronger than 7.5% ABV and is said to have developed in the 1990s at a Californian brewery. New England IPAs have a zesty, fruity, and flowery flavor, as well as a low bitterness and hazy appearance. The New England IPA, which has been around for less than a decade, was just certified by the Brewers Association as a Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale.

IPAs are presently among the most popular craft ales on the market, routinely appearing in yearly beer awards.

Tulip glasses may also be used to serve IPAs. The tulip glass, which is similar in form to a chalice or goblet glass, has a flared rim that is ideal for IPAs and other beers that are more sour and have less froth. It may also be used to serve stronger brews. These beers may also be served in the thistle glass. The thistle glass has been lengthened in height and has significantly less curl around the rim than the tulip glass.

A stout glass will often have narrower walls, since smaller walls will keep beer 2.5 degrees cooler than a pint glass after five minutes. A stout glass’s form also concentrates the aromatics of the stout beneath the nose, and the angle of the narrower lip enables the stout to glide over the tongue for a more complete taste sensation.

American stouts, like IPAs, are important contributors to today’s brewing industries. Historically, a stout was always the strongest form of a certain beer, regardless of color. By the early 1700s, porter, a stronger brew with more hops and wood-aged for complexity, was being made in London.

The London brewers taught Dublin brewers how to make porter, and the Dublin beers developed into Irish stouts, notably Guinness, which created its stout London-style. Many modern stouts, including American stouts, contain undertones of the originals made almost 150 years ago.

In the late 1970s, the first American stouts arrived. The combination of dark malts and American hops contributes to the unique look, taste, and fragrance of American stout. American stout pairs well with game meats, strong cheeses, and soups, and is often more popular in the autumn and winter.

Tall and narrow pilsner glasses highlight lighter beers and pilsners while also keeping the head on these so the scent remains beneath the nose. Pilsner is a kind of lager beer that originated in the Czech Republic. Pilsner has a lighter color than lager and has become a popular option due to its powerful hop and spicy floral taste. Beers of the pilsner style include Coors and Budweiser.

Smaller stange glasses may also be used to serve lighter pilsners, rye beers, altbiers, and Kolsch biers. This is a tall and thin cylindrical glass that helps retain the drink’s head and carbonation while focusing fragrance beneath the nose. Stange glasses were formerly just 6.5 fl. oz., but they are now available in bigger 12 to 13 fl. oz. sizes, large enough to accommodate a bottle of beer.

Another specialty glass is the weizenbier or wheat beer glass, as well as the beer flute. A beer flute, like a champagne glass, is appropriate for sparkling beers and light pilsners, and the flute form of the glass encourages carbonation to preserve a better head while concentrating smells beneath the nose. Oversized (22 oz.) wine glasses may also be used to serve Belgian beers since the huge bowl helps concentrate the scents!

Conclusion

In this article, we looked at the history of beer and beer glasses in the United States and across the globe, and how both of these have changed to generate a desire for appropriate glasses to enjoy the vast selection of today’s brews.

If you appreciate a conventional beer or prefer IPAs, stouts, or European-style lagers, we hope you enjoyed reading about them and why today’s glasses improve the pleasure of drinking these beers and lagers. We also hope you found our evaluations of the finest beer glasses useful, whether you are a seasoned beer drinker or are just getting started with craft brews.