Choosing the perfect glass for your beer
Glasses of beer
Glassware plays a huge role in the beer experience and if there is any tip I can give you when it comes to drinking beer, it's to pour your brew into a glass before you enjoy it. Trust me on that one.
When pouring a beer from a bottle into a glass, avoid pouring the beer down the side, as you would from a tap, as it often ends up with no froth and looks like cold tea. Instead, start with an aggressive pour in the middle of the glass and then slow the pour, as this will create a nice frothy head.
Drinking beer out of the bottle is like eating a delicious meal with a peg on your nose: you miss out on the aroma and visual experience of the beer. And because of this, each beer has an ideal glass that will enhance certain aspects of the beer.
I find that with an aromatic beer (whether that is an IPA with its floral hoppy aroma, or a Russian imperial stout with its malty, coffee, chocolate aroma) you are best off with a goblet-shaped glass. The large bulge will gather and intensify the aroma and push it up towards your nose.
A light, bright pilsner requires a very different glass called the pilsner glass. This glass is tall and slender. It is designed this way for a few reasons, but the most obvious is for the visual experience. A light, bright pilsner will look like a glass of glistening sunshine when it is poured and you want a glass that will show that off. Another reason is the long surface area it has for the beer to run down when being poured, which leads to a large, light, frothy head — a very important part of the pilsner experience.
The handled mug is a common beer-drinking vessel among many cultures and is used for a wide variety of beer styles. The reason for this is to keep your hand away from the beer. Your hand is warm, the beer is cold and the handle keeps your beer from being warmed by your hand and your hand from being frozen by the beer. It is also handy when you have to carry a large round of beers for your mates from the bar!
The Beer Pilgrim is hosting an attempt to break the world record for the largest beer tasting at a single venue at Ivy in Sydney on August 1, 2014. More information is available at Merivale.com.au.
