Serve The Most Flavorful Beer to Your Bar Customers

The Two Elements Needed For Serving The Most Flavorful Beer:

1. A Clean Glass
2. The Right Glass Shape for that Beer

As beer has evolved and matured, so has the vessel we serve it in. Just like wine, the flavor of different beer types will be enhanced if served in the correct beer glass. Most important to serving the best quality and taste in beer is actually the cleanliness of the glass. Providing the ultimate beer taste experience for your customer combines both, clean glasses and glass shape.

Let’s start with the cleanliness of the glass. Let’s face it, shape will make no difference to enjoying a flavorful brew, if the glass is dirty. Residual fat or grease on a glass can kill the foam, which carries aroma and creates a pleasing appearance. Leftover sanitizer or cleaners in a glass not rinsed well distorts the flavor.

 

Basic tools for the cleanest glasses include, a submersible glass washer with brushes that are not worn, a low suds glass cleaner, a last rinse sanitizer designed to kill e-coli and staph and for perfection a glass rinser system for rinsing each new glass before pouring a beer in it. This last rinse ensures two things, 1) your customer is not tasting any detergent or sanitizer. Just the beer. 2) Beer pours better into a wet glass than a dry one. In a dry glass the friction can cause CO2 to come out of solution and create foam.

 

The Right Beer Glass For Different Types of Beer

Snifter Beer Glass:

Used primarily for big beers and strong ales high in alcohol content. The shape of a snifter glass gather flavor in the large bowl at the bottom and focus the aroma to your nose in the tapered shape at top as you drink the beer. An “Imperial” or “Double” beer, a “Belgian” pale or dark ale, a Barleywine or Wheatwine would all have their flavor enhanced drinking them from a snifter.

 

 

Pilsner Beer Glass:

A tall, slender an tapered 12-ounce glass. The tall shape of a Pilsner Beer Glass also releases some carbonation, creating effervesent which is great for enhancing the aroma of the brew. In Europe they add a stem to the bottom of a Pilsner Glass and call it a PoKal. Either way, choose a Pilsner or Pokal beer glass to show off your beer with brilliant clarity.

Flute Beer Glass

Just as with Champagne, a flute glass is the perfect choice for a beer where showcasing the carbonation and color is important. The narrow body of a flute glass also intensifies the aromatics. The long stem will keep your hands from warming the beer too quickly. A flute glass is perfect for serving your Fruit Beers, Lambics, Biere De Champane or Red Ales.

 

Chalice

Also referred to as a Goblet, a chalice has a thick stem, with a bowl sitting on top. Usually a heavier walled glass, they come in different sizes. The wide brim and bowl enhances the overall flavor profile and aromas. A chalice or goblet beer glass is perfect for serving Belgian ales, and malty beers.

 

 

Beer Mugs

A beer mug is tradition. It may be the perfect vessel for beer due to it's wide cylindrical shape, thick walled glass and the handle on the side. This design insulates and keeps your beer cool, the handle keeps your hands away from the reservoir of beer, so no warming from your hands. The mug handle is comfortable and pleasing to hold.

The main characteristic of the beer mug is its wide cylindrical shape with a handle on the side. The thick glass walls helps insulate your brew to keep it cool, while the handle helps prevent your hands from inadvertently warming up your beer (or dropping it when you’ve had too many).

Sometimes beer mugs will have dimples throughout the glass. While most believe this is merely for decorative purposes, others argue that the dimples help a drinker appreciate the overall color and clarity of their beer. No matter what you believe, there’s no denying the popularity of this beer glass. They’re easy to use, strong enough to toast your friends in a hearty manner, and it holds plenty of beer! Use your mugs for American Ambers, IPA and American Stouts. You can't go wrong with a mug!

Pint Glass

Easily the most popular with beer establishments for a couple of reasons. 1) Easy to Clean, 2) The shape is easy to store and stack and does not take extra room as a mug with i't handle does. There are two sizes and types of Pint Beer glasses, the English Pint and The American Pint. Common to both the English Pint and The American Pint is the skinny cylindrical shape that gets wider as it goes up to the top.

The English Pint glass is 20 ounces, is also referred to as an Imperial or Nonic glass and is perfect for English Ales and Lagers.

The American pint glass holds 16 ounces of beer, is sometimes called a Shaker Glass. This type of pint glass typically holds 16 oz. and is common to use with most type of beers, including ales, IPAs, stouts and lagers.