| How do the different types of beer glasses affect | | | | make your drinking experience memorable. If, like |
| the whole beer-drinking experience? Some beginning | | | | most of us who home brew beer, you're drinking to |
| home beer brewing enthusiasts believe that the | | | | relax and enjoy yourself, why not do all the things |
| glassware is just a marketing ploy, another spot for | | | | you can to enhance the experience. |
| the brewer to add their logo. The experienced beer | | | | One of the most important aspects of beer glasses |
| drinker knows better. Whether from a bottle or | | | | is how the shape affects the formation of the head. |
| straight out of the home brew keg taps, glassware is | | | | This is important because the head acts as a sort of |
| a vital aspect of the beer drinking experience. For | | | | trap for the volatiles in the beer. What's volatile in a |
| example, the shape of a traditional beer stein | | | | beer? Compounds such as hop oils, a variety of |
| influences the way a head is formed as the beer is | | | | yeast byproducts such as spices or alcohol are what |
| poured in, which makes a big difference in | | | | make up a beer's aroma and taste. In earlier times, |
| appearance and taste. A darker beer should be drunk | | | | beer was darker, stouter, and grainier than what we |
| from a glass with a wider brim in order to allow for | | | | are used to today, mostly because of a lack of |
| more release of the volatile ingredients in the brew, | | | | filtration. As glassware became more and more |
| thus enhancing both the strong flavor and aroma. A | | | | widely available, so did lighter colored beers and |
| bottled beer is pasteurized and needs a taller, thinner | | | | better filtration processes. With so many different |
| pilsner glass for color and "pourability". These are just | | | | kinds of beers being produced, a variety of beer |
| a few of the little different things that can, and do, | | | | glasses came into being to help enhance the |
| make a big difference in your drinking experience. | | | | maximum desired effect of the beer drinking |
| Of course there's a big marketing presence in all | | | | experience. |
| these different varieties of beer glasses as the large | | | | So which is the correct glass to use with which beer? |
| commercial brewers slap their logo on everything | | | | Many beer drinkers believe that the 16-ounce pint |
| from bottles to bikinis. But the true home brewed | | | | glass is the most versatile glass for the widest range |
| beer drinker knows that as the beer is poured in, | | | | of beers. But, really, the answers are vast and varied. |
| something else is going on besides that nice looking | | | | Europeans may do it differently from the Yanks and |
| logo on the side of the glass. The hue of the beer | | | | the Australians might do it differently than anyone |
| changes, the head forms at the top, and the | | | | else in the world, but what it really comes down to is |
| anticipation of that first cool drink is more profound | | | | your own personal preference. Read the available |
| and complete. Just like any other pleasurable aspect | | | | literature, go with some recommendations and then |
| of life, there's a psychology involved here. Flavor, | | | | branch out and try some different type glassware on |
| texture, aroma, glass; these are the things that help | | | | your own. |
