Beer Glassware Why it's Important

People, especially those new to the craft brew world, will often choose to enjoy their beer straight from the bottle I'm here to tell you that I think this is a mistake! There are a plethora of types of beer glasses each specially suited for beer task at hand and they should be used for that purpose. From the fluted glass to the goblet to the tankard each glass is suited for a certain type or types of beer and it's as easy as doing a little research on which type of glass to use for you to get full enjoyment out of your beer. There are also some all around types of glasses that if you are lacking some specialty glassware can be substituted.

Books can and probably have been written on glassware when it comes to tasting beer but in this article we are going to cover one very popular type of beer and what glass suits it best. First lets examine the ever popular American India Pale Ale. India Pale Ales or IPAs got their start in the late 1700's when England had a large colonial presence in India and there was a big demand for beer. The beer however would often spoil by the time a shipment would reach India. It was discovered that the addition of extra hops kept the beer from spoiling and the strong hoppy flavor became favorable, in a nutshell the birth of the IPA. These days the craft brew world can't get enough of these highly sought after brews and there are even some people that classify themselves as "hopheads" that seek out the hoppiest of the hoppy beers.

Beer styles are all over the place these days and even the IPA can range in color from crystal clear amber all the way to pitch black of the black IPAs. They range also in alcohol content but generally fall in the 5.0-7.5% ABV range. We are going to use the traditional style amber color IPA with it's heavy hop aroma and flavor. One of the best glasses for an IPA also happens to be one of the best all around glasses and it is the well-known standard pint glass or tumbler as some know it. This glass is narrow at the bottom with a nice wide opening that really showcases the strong hop aromas and crisp citrus flavors that are common with this style.

There is often more than one type of glass that suits a certain beer style. While there may be some general rules to follow it is also important to experiment and see what suits your pallet best. Some beers even tell you on the label what type of glass the beer is meant to be enjoyed in. In the end it is really up to the brewer what characteristics of his beer he is trying to make most prevalent so show some respect to the brewer and try it the way it was mean to be tried and then move on and do it your own way.