Beer glassware: which glass for which beer
Beer glassware by style: tulip, flute, nonic pint, snifter, Stange and more, and which of the 31 beer styles each one suits.
A beer glass does two jobs: it shows you the beer, and it shapes how the aroma reaches your nose and how the head holds. You can drink any beer from any glass, but the right one shows each style at its best. These are the glasses the Brewers Association and, for Kölsch, the BJCP recommend for the styles on this site.
The glasses
Tulip
A stemmed glass with a round bowl that narrows, then flares at the rim. Belgian ales, strong lagers and wild beers. For: Altbier, American IPA, Belgian Blond Ale, Belgian Dark Strong Ale (Quadrupel), Belgian Dubbel, Doppelbock, Kriek and Fruit Lambic, Gueuze, Lambic, Saison, Witbier.
Chalice or tulip
A wide, stemmed bowl, the abbey glass. The tulip works as well. For: Belgian Tripel.
Flute or tall pilsner glass
A tall, slim glass that tapers towards the foot and shows off a clear, pale beer. For: Czech Pilsner.
Flute
A tall, narrow glass, for pale lagers and light, bright beers. For: German Pils, Gose, International Pale Lager, Märzen, Munich Helles.
Stange (tall, narrow 20 cl glass)
A straight, narrow 20 cl cylinder, the glass Cologne serves Kölsch in. For: Kölsch.
Vase (tall wheat beer glass)
A tall glass, narrow at the foot and wider at the top, with room for a big head. For: Munich Dunkel, Weissbier.
Goblet
A wide, bowl-shaped glass on a stem. For: Berliner Weisse.
Nonic pint
The British pub pint, a straight glass with a bulge near the rim. For: American Brown Ale, Best Bitter, Irish Dry Stout, English Porter, Hazy IPA (New England IPA), Strong Bitter (ESB).
Snifter
A short-stemmed balloon glass for small measures of strong beer. For: English Barleywine, Imperial Stout.
Thistle
A stemmed glass shaped like the Scottish thistle. For: Wee Heavy (Scotch Ale).
Caring for your glasses
A clean glass makes the difference. Grease and soap residue kill the head and leave bubbles clinging to the sides; rinse glasses well after washing and let them air-dry. Pour down the side of a tilted glass, then straighten it to build the head.
Sources
Checked .
- Beer Styles (glassware, serving temperature and food pairings for each style) — CraftBeer.com, Brewers Association
- 2021 Beer Style Guidelines — Beer Judge Certification Program