In the era before craft brewing, all domestic beer was essentially the
same, and to hold that slight, straw-colored beverage, publicans required
no more than the ubiquitous tavern glass: a short, rounded pilsner flute
(or in finer restaurants, a chilled glass mug). Yet with the arrival of
stouts and kölsches and abbey ales, we have introduced--what?--the
pint glass. Given that most of the early micros were English-style ales,
I suppose it was a good starting place. But at this late date, to serve
an authentic Berliner weisse in a pint glass is unforgivable.
The truth is that there are dozens of different styles of glasses (hundreds,
if you count each brewery's own proprietary take on a particular style),
nearly as many as there are kinds of beer. The shapes aren't arbitrary.
They serve to accentuate different elements of the beer--temperature,
appearance, aroma and, most importantly, taste. It may be some time
before pubs around town begin to augment their pint selections with
style-appropriate glassware, but here's a brief guide so you know what
to look for when they do.
FLUTE
Much glassware is ornamental, but there's nothing wrong
with simply showing off the beauty and clarity of your beer. No glass
is more adept at showcasing bright, effervescent beers than the pilsner
flute. These tall, slender, gently sloping glasses are tapered, generally
ending in a foot at the base. Nothing is more attractive to watch than
the thin tendrils of bubbles rising up through luminous golden liquid
to a white cap of foam.
GOBLET
Goblets are most commonly associated with Berliner weissebiers
and strong Belgian ales, particularly abbey ales. The wide surface area
at the top of the glass encourages the aroma to waft out where the waiting
nose of the drinker can more easily detect the play of the pungent yeasts,
malt and spices. The shape also helps the drinker regulate the temperature
of the beverage; one can warm up a refrigerated beer to cellar temperatures
by cupping the glass or leave it as it is by holding the stem.
STEIN
Next to the pilsner flute, no glass says "beer" like a
thick, lidded stein. Historically, when the brewing process was less
sophisticated and produced only dark, cloudy beers, it wasn't necessary
for steins to be transparent--which is why many were pewter or ceramic.
The famous lids were used to keep out insects during the time of the
Black Death, when it was believed that flies were the cause of the disease.
Now many are made of glass to highlight the beauty and clarity of German
lagers, and their thickness insulates cool beers on hot summer days.
TULIP
The tulip glass looks like a squat, flared wine glass. The Belgian
brewery Moortgat, producer of Duvel, is intimately associated with this
style of glassware (sometimes called a Duvel-style tulip), for the design
accentuates the strengths of that beer. Because of its shape, the glass
traps yeast sediment at the bottom (perfect for the bottle-conditioned
Duvel). The flared part of the glass also allows the drinker to taste
the full richness of the head along with the beer. These advantages,
of course, complement other beers as well.
CORDIAL
A wine glass will do in a pinch, but a thinner, smaller
vessel is even better for pouring out a few ounces of extremely rich,
high-alcohol specialty beers. Many of these brews are aged and clear,
if not light-colored, and a slender glass is better able to reveal their
color. Best for beers meant to be consumed in small doses, the smaller
glass encourages one to drink more slowly, take small sips and savor
the complexity and intensity of flavor.
PINT GLASS
Whether it's the "shaker" pint, common to most of
Portland's pubs, or the English imperial pint, with its characteristic
bulge, this glass is for ales. The shape is more utilitarian than anything,
providing an adequate visual display and surface area for aroma. Mostly,
though, it is a sturdy glass for pub use, easy to grasp and, most importantly,
to quaff from.
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Willamette Week | originally
published January 27,
1999
|
