Beer glassware

Michael "Beer Hunter" Jackson's beer glassware (from left to right): summer glass, tasting glass, snifter, session glass

Beer glassware comprises the drinking vessels made of glass designed or commonly used for drinking beer. Different styles of glassware exist for a number of reasons: they may reflect national traditions; they may reflect legislation regarding serving measures; they may relate to practicalities of stacking, washing and avoiding breakage; they may promote commercial breweries; they may be folk art, novelty items or used in drinking games; and they may complement different styles of beer for a variety of reasons, including enhancing aromatic volatiles, showcasing the appearance, and/or having an effect on the beer head. Several kinds of beer glassware have a stem which serves to prevent the body heat of the drinker's hand from warming the beer.

Beer glasses include German steins, old English tankards, and Belgian novelty glassware.

International styles

Pilsner glass

A pilsner glass is used for many types of light beers, including pale lager or pilsner. Pilsner glasses are generally smaller than a pint glass, usually in 200 ml, 250 ml, 300 ml, 330 ml or 400 ml sizes (in Europe 500ml ones are not rare). They are tall, slender and tapered. The slender glass will reveal the colour, and carbonation of the beer, and the broad top will help maintain a beer head.

Weizen glasses are sometimes mistakenly called Pilsner glasses because they are somewhat similar in appearance, but true Pilsner glasses have an even taper without any amount of curvature.

• 
  Pilsner glass (standard)
• 
  Pilsner glass (footed)
• 
  Pilsner glass (exaggerated)

Connoisseur's glassware

Beer connoisseurs sometimes invest in special, non-traditional glassware to enhance their appreciation. An example was the range marketed by Michael "Beer Hunter" Jackson.

Snifters

Typically used for serving brandy and cognac, a snifter is ideal for capturing the volatiles of aromatic beers such as, Double/Imperial IPAs, Belgian ales, barleywines and wheat wines. The shape helps trap the volatiles, while allowing swirling to agitate them and produce an intense aroma.

Taster glasses

Glasses holding 1/3 of a pint or less may be used to:

• Try a beer in a pub or cafe before purchasing a full measure
• Split a bottle of rare or strong beer between friends
• Sample multiple beers without becoming inebriated. For instance a brewpub might provide a sampler of three different brews in 1/3 pint measures; or a beer festival might provide small capacity glasses for patrons.

Plastic glasses

Plastic beer vessels are usually shaped in imitation of whichever glasses are usual in the locality. They are mainly used as a substitute for glass vessels where breakages would be particularly problematic, for instance at outdoor events.

German, Austrian and Swiss styles

Further information: Beer in Germany and Beer in Austria

• 
  Elaborate earthenware beer steins
• 
  Common half-litre Humpen or beer mug.
• 
  A weizen glass
• 
  Warsteiner glass
• 
  Dunkel beer in a stange
• 
  A Maßkrug of Augustiner Bräu.
• 
  German "Beer boot"

Weizen glasses

A weizen glass is used to serve wheat beer. Originating in Germany the glass is narrow at the bottom and slightly wider at the top; the width both releasing aroma, and providing room for the often thick, fluffy heads produced by wheat beer. It tends to be taller than a pint glass, and generally holds 500 millilitres with room for foam or "head". In some countries, such as Belgium, the glass may be 250 ml or 330 ml.

Wheat beers tend to foam a lot, especially if poured incorrectly. In pubs, if the bottle is handed to the patron for self pouring, it is customary for the glass to be taken to the patron wet or with a bit of water in the bottom to be swirled around to wet the entire glass to keep the beer from foaming excessively.

Beer stein

A Beer stein or simply stein /ˈstaɪn/ is an English neologism for either traditional beer mugs made out of stoneware, or specifically ornamental beer mugs that are usually sold as souvenirs or collectibles. Such Steins may be made out of stoneware (rarely the inferior earthenware), pewter, porcelain, or even silver, wood or crystal glass; they may have open tops or hinged pewter lids with a thumb-lever. Steins usually come in sizes of a half litre or a full litre (or comparable historic sizes). Like decorative tankards, they are often decorated in a nostalgic manner, but with allusions to Germany or Bavaria. It is believed by some that the lid was implemented during the age of the Black Plague, to prevent diseased flies from getting into the beer.

Maß

The Maß (pronounced [ˈmas] and the Bavarian word of female grammatical gender, thus die Maß, for a mug containing one litre of liquid, though commonly misinterpreted as the Standard German noun Maß, pronounced [ˈmaːs] and grammatically neuter, thus das Maß, and translating to "measure") is a term used in German-speaking countries for a unit of volume, now typically used only for measuring beer sold for immediate on-site consumption. In modern times, a Maß is defined as exactly 1 litre. As a maß is a unit of measure, various designs are possible: modern maß krugs are often handled glass tankards, although they may also be in the form of steins.

Stangen and becher

The high, narrow and cylindrical stange (Template:Lang-de) is traditionally used for Kölsch. A becher, traditionally used for altbier, is similar, though slightly shorter and fatter. The stange usually holds between 100 ml and 200 ml (though larger ones are now sometimes used to reduce serving work), the becher between 200 ml and 300 ml . Stangen are carried by slotting them into holes in a special tray called a Kranz ("wreath")

Beer Boot

Beer boots, or Bierstiefel, have over a century of history and culture behind them. It is commonly believed that a general somewhere promised his troops to drink beer from his boot if they were successful in battle. When the troops prevailed, the general had a glassmaker fashion a boot from glass to fulfill his promise without tasting his own feet and to avoid spoiling the beer in his leather boot. Since then, soldiers have enjoyed toasting to their victories with a beer boot. At gatherings in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, beer boots are often passed among the guests for a festive drinking challenge. Since the movie Beerfest appeared in 2006, beer boots have become increasingly popular in the United States. It is an old joke to hand the boot to a young novice drinker with the tip pointing away from his person, which will result in beer pouring over the drinker's face uncontrollably when air enters the tip; seasoned drinkers always point the tip towards their body until the glass is sufficiently drained. Beer boots are made of either manufactured pressed glass or mouth blown glasses by skilled artisans in form of a boot.

Belgian and Dutch styles

Further information: Beer in Belgium and Dutch beer

• 
  Geuze lambic beer in a flute glass
• 
  Orval beer's "chalice" glass
• 
  Rochefort beer's "goblet" glass
• 
  The Belgian ale Duvel in its tulip glass
• 
  Kwak beer with its unusual glass and stand.
• 
  Hoegaarden Brewery wheat beer in its characteristic hexagonal glass
• 
  A thistle-shaped glass complements Belgian Scotch ales.
• 
  Lentebier in from Dutch brewery Jopen

Flute glass

A vessel similar to a champagne flute is the preferred serving vessel for Belgian lambics and fruit beers. The narrow shape helps maintain carbonation, while providing a strong aromatic front. Flute glasses display the lively carbonation, sparkling color, and soft lacing of this distinct style.

Goblet or Chalice

Chalices and goblets are large, stemmed, bowl-shaped glasses adequate for serving heavy Belgian ales, German bocks, and other big sipping beers. The distinction between goblet and chalice is typically in the glass thickness. Goblets tend to be more delicate and thin, while the chalice is heavy and thick walled. Some chalices are even etched on the bottom to nucleate a stream of bubbles for maintaining a nice head.

Tulip glass

A tulip glass not only helps trap the aroma, but also aids in maintaining large heads, creating a visual and olfactory sensation. The body is bulbous, but the top flares out to form a lip which helps head retention. It is recommended for serving Scottish ales, American double/imperial IPAs, barleywines, Belgian ales and other aromatic beers. Some pint glasses which taper outwards towards the top are also called tulip glasses, despite having notably less curvature.

Café glasses

In addition to the profusion of glasses provided by brewers, some Belgian beer cafés serve beer in their own "house" glassware. An example is La Lunette in Brussels.

British and Irish styles

Tankard

Further information: Beer in England, Beer in Ireland, Beer in Scotland, and Beer in Wales

A tankard is a form of drinkware consisting of a large, roughly cylindrical, drinking cup with a single handle. Tankards are usually made of silver, pewter, or glass, but can be made of other materials, for example wood, ceramic or leather. A tankard may have a hinged lid, and tankards featuring glass bottoms are also fairly common. Tankards are shaped and used similarly to beer steins. Metal tankards were popular in 18th and early 19th century Britain and Ireland, but were largely superseded by glass vessels. They are now seen as collector's items, or may be engraved and presented as a gift. Wooden and leather tankards were popular before the 17th century, but being made of organic materials have rarely survived intact to the present day.

• 
  Reconstructed 16thC wooden tankard.
• 
  Pewter tankard
• 
  Glass tankard

Toby jug

Pearlware Toby Jug

A Toby Jug – also sometimes known as a Fillpot (or Philpot) – is a pottery jug in the form of a seated person, or the head of a recognizable person (often an English king). Typically the seated figure is a heavily-set, jovial man holding a mug of beer in one hand and a pipe of tobacco in the other and wearing 18th century attire: a long coat and a tricorn hat. The tricorn hat forms a pouring spout, often with a removable lid, and a handle is attached at the rear. Jugs depicting just the head and shoulders of a figure are also referred to as Toby Jugs, although these should strictly be called "Character Jugs". They are generally collected and displayed rather than used for day to day drinking.

Yard of ale

A yard of ale

A yard of ale or yard glass is a very tall glass used for drinking around 2.5 imperial pints (1.42 L) of beer, depending upon the diameter. The glass is approximately 1 yard (90 cm) long, shaped with a bulb at the bottom, and a widening shaft which constitutes most of the height.

The glass most likely originated in 17th-century England where the glass was known also as a "Long Glass", a "Cambridge Yard (Glass)" and an "Ell Glass". It is associated by legend with stagecoach drivers, though was mainly used for drinking feats and special toasts. (Compare with the Pauwel Kwak glass).

Drinking a yard glass full of beer is a traditional pub game. The fastest drinking of a yard of ale in the Guinness Book of Records is 5 seconds.

Pint glass

A pint glass is a drinking vessel holding an imperial pint (568 ml ≈1.2 US pints) of liquid and is usually used for beer.

The common shapes of pint glass are:

• Conical glasses are shaped, as the name suggests, as an inverted truncated cone around 6 inches (15 cm) tall and tapering by about 1 inch (25 mm) in diameter over its height.
• The nonic, a variation on the conical design, where the glass bulges out a couple of inches from the top; this is partly for improved grip, partly to prevent the glasses from sticking together when stacked, and partly to give strength and stop the rim from becoming chipped or "nicked". The term "nonic" derives from "no nick".
• Jug glasses, or "dimple mugs", are shaped more like a large mug with a handle. They are moulded with a grid pattern of thickened glass on the outside, somewhat resembling the segmentation of a WWII-era hand grenade. The dimples prevent the glass slipping out of the fingers in a washing-up bowl, and the design of the glass emphasises strength, also to withstand frequent manual washing. These design features became less important when manual washing was superseded by machine washing from the 1960s onwards. Dimpled glasses are now rarer than the other types and are regarded as more traditional. This sort of glass is also known as a "Handle" due to the handle on the glass. They are popular with the older generation and people with restricted movement in their hands which can make holding a usual pint glass difficult. They have recently started to make a renaissance, especially in northern Britain.

Half-pint glasses are generally smaller versions of pint glasses.

• 
  British dimpled glass pint jug
• 
  "Conical" pint glass
• 
  "Nonic" pint glass.
• 
  Current Guinness glass

Capacity

Volume	Names
125 ml	Galopin o Bock (France), Benjamin (Belgium), Zurito (Basque), Birrino (Italy)
200 ml	Flûte o Hollandais (Belgium), Fluitje (Netherlands) Galopin (Switzerland), Caña (Spain), Stange (Cologne, but only for Kölsch), Birra Piccola (Italy)
250 ml	Demi o Bock (France), Chope o Pintje (Belgium), Cerveza (Spain), Vaasje (Netherlands)
284/285 ml	Middy, Pot, Handle, Schooner, Ten, Half (Australia), Half (UK, Ireland) – 10 Imp fl oz
300 ml	Seidl/Seitel/Seiterl (Belgium)
330 ml	Gourde/Klepke (Belgium), Canette (Switzerland), Mini (Luxembourg), liten öl (Sweden), liten øl (Norwegian), třetinka (Czech), Tercio/Mediana (Spain)
400 ml	Birra Media (Italy), stor öl (Sweden)
425 ml	Schooner (Australia) – 15 Imp fl oz
473 ml	Pint (United States) – 16 US fl oz
500 ml	Distingué, Baron, Mini-chevalier, Chope, Pinte o Sérieux (France), Demi (Belgium), Seidel or Seidla (German), Chope o Canette (Switzerland), Pinta (Spain), halvliter (Norwegian), půllitr (Czech), Krügel/Krügerl (Austria), Halbe (Bavaria, Austria)
568/570 ml	Chopine (France), Pint (UK, Ireland, Australia), Pinte (Canada) – 20 Imp fl oz
775/950 ml	Beer stein (English), Humpen (German), Holba (Czech)
1 l	Chevalier, Parfait, Double Pinte (France), Corbeau, Lunette, Litron (Belgium), Maß (Germany), Masse o Litron (Switzerland), Birra grande (Italy), tuplák (Czech)
1140 ml	Jug (Australia) – 40 Imp fl oz
2 l	Stiefel/Liesl (Austria)

The capacity of the "bottes" goes from 30 ml to 3 l.

Australian measures

Main article: Beer in Australia § Beer glasses

Prior to metrification in Australia, one could buy beer in glasses of size 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15 and 20 (imperial) fluid ounces. Each sized glass had a different name in each Australian state. These were replaced by glasses of size 115, 140, 170, 200, 285, 425 and 570 ml.

As Australians travel more, the differences are decreasing. In the 21st century most pubs, no longer have a glass smaller than 200 ml (7 imp fl oz); typically available are 200ml, 285ml and 425ml, and increasingly many pubs now have pints (570 ml, 20 imp fl oz).

Many imported beers are served in their own branded glasses of various sizes, including 250 millilitres (8.8 imp fl oz), 330 millilitres (11.6 imp fl oz) and 500 millilitres (17.6 imp fl oz) for many European beers.

A request for a "Pot of Gold" may sound like a joke, but in Queensland it is a 285 ml glass of XXXX Gold.

Names of beer glasses in various Australian cities
Capacity	Sydney	Canberra	Darwin	Brisbane	Adelaide	Hobart	Melbourne	Perth
115 ml (4 fl oz)	–	–	–	–	-	small beer	foursie	shetland
140 ml (5 fl oz)	pony	–	–	pony	pony	–	horse/pony	pony
170 ml (6 fl oz)	–	–	–	–	butcher	six (ounce)	–	bobbie/six
200 ml (7 fl oz)	seven	–	seven	beer	butcher	seven (ounce)	glass	glass
285 ml (10 fl oz)	middy	middy / half pint	handle	pot	schooner	ten (ounce)	pot	middy / half pint
350 ml (12 fl oz)	schmiddy	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
425 ml (15 fl oz)	schooner	schooner	schooner	schooner	pint	fifteen / schooner	schooner	schooner
570 ml (20 fl oz)	pint	pint	pint	pint	imperial pint	pint	pint	pint
Notes:							References: The Aussie Beer Baron Buying Beer in Australia Guidelines at a glance Ordering Beer Liquor Merchants Association of Australia (via archive.org) Which Size Beer Do Ya Want, Mate? (via archive.org) Take a butcher's hook at the butcher glass

See also

• Beer tower

External links

• Media related to Beer glasses at Wikimedia Commons