Does glassware matter?

I have so much glassware I am running out places to put it all. In some respects I feel it is important. I very much enjoy drinking a beer out of a glass with the beer's logo on it even if it is not appropriate for the style. For example, I have an old Allagash shaker glass dating back to the 1990's. Even though their Belgian-influenced brews should be poured into a tulip or chalice. I still like to use the old shaker glass sometimes when I drink a beer by Allagash.

 

I agree with most whe have posted. The glass enhances the flavor and aroma of the beer. That said 4-5 different shapes can do the job. It all depends on what types of beer you tend to drink.

 

if glassware matters, you may want to ask every brewery to stop selling shaker pint glasses on their websites. They are quite popular. So, either every brewery in America is stupid, or it doesn't matter. I'm confused.

 

I think the pint glass is kind of the default beer glass. Cost of glassware is probably a concern for smaller breweries/tap rooms. I've never tried a Coors Banquet from a snifter so I couldn't say what, if any, differences there would be. Some people could drink a Rochefort 10 from a Nonic and be perfectly happy. Others might really be able to perceive some differences that make using a chalice a worthwhile expense.

 

Many are commenting that the choice of glassware significantly influences the aroma, which is absolutely true, but imo it also has an impact on the mouthfeel. Beer "feels" really different coming from different types of glassware.

 

The shape of the glass can't make that much difference to holding aroma unless fluid dynamics don't apply.
Here's a straight pint ;

and here's a more curvaceous pint;

And here is a ladies' glass




Here the sides curve inwards.Does it make any difference? No more than does the logo on the side.

 

Its difficult to reconcile the idea that shape does not make a difference with recent scientific evidence that it can and does.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/wine-snobs-are-right-glass-shape-does-affect-flavor/

Perhaps its related to the notion that cask beer releases very few aromatics for the ortho nasal passages and relies most heavily on the retro nasal effects for the aromatics?

 

If I'm in a bar and they serve the proper glass it's a bonus but I have no problem drinking from a pint glass .Other times you just have to improvise , like on New Years Eve when your sitting in a motel room.

 

My brother recently got his first teku. He said he wasn't sure if it improved the drinking experience and asked if I thought it did. I told him it may or may not improve the drinking experience in nose and flavor, but it improves the drinker. How cool do you look holding and sipping from a teku?

 

Ill echo what was said earlier. Temperature even more important than if its a snifter versus a wine glass. If its a stout and its too cold, it wont make a lick of difference what you put it in. Its going to taste sharp and flat. If that DIPA is fridge temp, you wont get as much aroma even if its in your fanciest Teku glass. Now if you put those proper temp stouts or DIPAs in a standard shaker, youll get way more than if its too cold.

Honestly, I use a Duck Rabbit brandy snifter, Haw River Teku, or Fantome fancy thing for every beer.

 

Can't get much more straight forward than that. Same with me.

 

The thing I enjoy most is drinking from glassware from the same brewery as my beer.









I do think the glassware improves the drinking experience by opening up the aromas. But generally, that's a side effect of getting a great beer in a cool glass.

 

Been There, Done That. When I'm out of state I use whatever the Hotel Provides. Sometimes I'm lucky and they have Wine Glasses...sometimes 10 ounce Plastic Cups. I've enjoyed some great beer out of a Plastic Cup.

 

Proper Glassware is a Marketing Tool. My ancestors drank mead out of a Horn. There's two pieces of Glassware that truly Matter to me though (Opinionated I know), those are The Duvel Tulip and The Chimay Chalice.

 

Nope, correct pour with enough for the olfactory it what is needed IMO.

 

A couple of my favorite glasses are like my fathers old leather chair and a college football game--

they work for me. I think most anything would be enhanced in them.

 

It helps with Aroma for sure.

 

I've noticed slight improvements to aroma and appearance with the proper glassware, but it isn't a make or break type thing. Any glass is an improvement over straight from the bottle or can.

I have at least one glass for each style that I try to stick to but generally I use whatever glass is clean and comfortable and not an aberration to the style (no stouts in my pilsner glass, for gods sake). I occasionally pour dark beers into a Stone glass I have with white etching because I just like the way it looks. My favorite is a tulip and that seems to work just fine with nearly anything plus it's really comfortable in my hand, so that's generally my go to.

 

I've drunk Coors Banquet from a tulip. Truth is there isn't much going on with aroma from a standard lager.

 

Yup, it's seems glassware with these interesting shapes would suit beers that are more complex. I think the best thing to do is just experiment.