Is glassware important?

Short answer is definitely yes !
Long answer is keep it simple and don't think too hard about it.
In my earliest days of drinking craft I wasn't buying the idea of glass type effectively changing my drinking experience. However I quickly changed mind upon receiving some glassware for Christmas some time ago. I distinctly remember how a tulip type glass changed the aroma and flavor of Fat Heads Headhunter and Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout.
I've been a believer ever since. But I will reiterate that I don't think too much about it. A good pint glass and a good Belgian type glass is all you'll need in the end.

 

Yes. My default is a tulip glass. I believe it enhances the smell and taste interaction for my senses for most beer styles. I am not a fanatic about it but this is my preference.

 

Yes. Tulip glass for non BA beer. Glencairn style glass for BA Imperial Stouts. Goblet or Schooner for BA Barleywines. Most of the time i do this. When not at home i drink out the bottle

 

To me personally, it does not matter. I’ve drank the same beers from the “proper” and “improper” glassware and didn’t notice enough of a difference to worry about it. I’ve got glasses of several styles and find myself reaching for the shaker 9/10 times. Cheers.

 

When I first got into craft, I decided I'd probably like BBA stouts, so picked up a Dragon's Milk. I cracked it open and drank it cold from the bottle, and right there I swore off BBA beers. I posted my experience here and was quickly advised to always use a glass and to allow strong dark beers to warm. They quickly became my favorite.

I don't worry about proper glass style. I have many glasses, but mainly use two; a 20oz tulip and a 16oz stout glass, and I generally choose based on the ounces. Since many beers are 16oz or more, I end up using the tulip a lot, and it'll hold a stovepipe. Just be sure to use a glass, and let strong dark beers warm.

 

This doesn't annoy bartenders when you order a draught beer?

 

I feel drinking from a glass is important. Do not drink from the bottle/can. Mostly use the same stemmed glass.

 

I find that it enhances my drinking experience to use specific glasses for different styles. I either choose from willi, nonic, tulip, or wine like glass (on the rare occasion for saison).

I’m not sure if it really changes much but appearance is my first taste of the beer so I like to think it does influence how I experience a beer.

 

Exactly, I just use stemless red wine glasses for Imperial Stouts Quads and other big beers.

 

I love that there are different glasses for different styles (and often kid people for mixing and matching because I'm "sure" that alters the flavors ). But these days I alternate between a Becher for bottom-fermented beers and an Imperial Nonic for top-fermented beers.

Unless It's a Weizen. Or a Kolsch. Or... um, an Alt.

Oh what the hell. I'll stick to the Becher.

 

It matters for the ‘gram

All joking aside, I think it matters but not so much that it ruins the experience if not. I prefer to use the proper style as much as possible but that’s inline more with my anxious personality than any experience with the beer itself.

 

These days, I alternate mostly between a tulip, nonic pint, and teku, but I also love this stemless, round-bottomed one, whose name I don't even know:

 

I try to use the recommended glass, mainly because I have at least 5 different shapes available, so it is easy to do. However, I tend to use either a tulip or a modified perfect pint glass most often, which is probably a reflection of my tendency to drink mainly IPAs and stouts and porters. I have played with drinking the same beer from dramatically different shaped glasses and the experience (head, smell, flavor) can differ. The only time I drink from the can or bottle is when that last once or two won't fit in the glass.

 

Definitely. It just feels different. Just like I would only drink grog from earthenware, not beer. Feel free to disagree stein lovers, just my two cents.

 

People will say different glassware for specific beers makes a difference. The truth is that if they think so, it does. I have every type of beer glass possible and when I'm in the mood I'll use a very nice Hitachino tumbler or a La Chouffe chalice. My Young's Imperial pint glass is perfect for 16 ounces. My beautiful Tripel Karmeleit large chalice is really too nice to even chance using.

 

My go-to glasses include tulip, snifter, and tulip pint. Recently I've added willi becher and wine glasses into the rotation as well. I have many other glassware types as well that I use less frequently (goblet, hefeweizen, Sam Adams, nonic pint, etc.).

The glass I choose is somewhat dependent on the style, although it's also based on whatever I'm in the mood for. Sometimes I feel like drinking a sour out of a tulip glass, sometimes a snifter, and sometimes a wine glass. For a lager my preference is usually tulip pint or willi becher. For a stout it's probably either snifter or tulip pint. IPAs usually go into a snifter, willi becher, or tulip pint. (Tulip pint is quite versatile!) Overall I'd say that having enough glassware variety where I get to make a choice with any given beer enhances my enjoyment of most beers.

 

i feel like glassware is very important to me and a significant contributing factor to the experience of consuming a beer. to me, “proper glassware” does NOT mean that the glass you’re drinking from has to be be from the brewery you are drinking a beer from (i.e., an Erdinger hefeweizen doesn’t have to be poured into a tall Erdinger hefeweizen glass). i agree with @GOBLIN - keep it simple! obviously, the styles you
prefer will have an impact on your glassware collection but to me i always try to make as much use out of a glass as possible. a good, solid pint glass (nonic, willi becher) is a must to me in any collection because it can be used for anything from IPAs and lagers to brown ales and porters. a good snifter or Teku or even a stemmed bulb glass (if you like it really stemmed) is a solid option for BWs, Imperial Stouts, saisons and DIPAs. after that, i always personally find it handy to have a solid, small taster glass in my repertoire as well. i have much more than 3 pieces of glassware though because variety is the spice of life, however, if i had to i could narrow it down to 4-5 glasses and live without the rest.

 

Hell YES!

Ultimately a tulip glass is the most versatile, specially ones that have a flared out lip. But there are different glasses that have different functions. For example, Pilsner glasses are tall and slender to showcase the brilliant clarity of the beer while enchaining the carbonation. Snifters are great at focusing the volatiles of stronger beer onto a "Focal Point".

Personally I use a combination or hybrid glass called a Sauvin beer glass. The middle bulb of the glass is supposed to mimic a snifter style while the top is more of a flared out tulip lip. The bottom acts kinda like a stem to hold the beer with minimal contact. It's the best of both worlds.


But I have been accused of it being a candle holder so who knows.