You may have noticed a direct correlation between the increase of craft beer choices and an increase in the glassware options available at your local watering hole. Why is that? Because when you’re spending money on a good craft beer, you want it to reach its full potential. Different glasses bring out and highlight different flavors in a beer. The perfect beer glass is the one with the shape that most complements the beer you are drinking. Properly selected glassware will give you the opportunity to pick up on the full experience of a beer.

Some glassware is designed specifically to help preserve the foam head of your beer, while others are designed to help enhance the colors of your brew. In fact, in Europe many beer brands will often have its own glass. Some breweries have been known to engineer the glass before the beer! You can reference this list by Beer Advocate to choose the perfect glassware shape.

Well the shape doesn’t really matter as long as it is a frosted glass, right? WRONG! The second you pour a craft beer into a frosted glass, you’ve released probably 80% of the carbonation flattening the flavor and diluting it with the glass condensation. Just say no to frosted glasses of any shape.

Of course, more important than the shape of your glassware is the cleanliness! If you see bubbles sticking to the side of the glass below the head, you have taste-altering residue on your glass. Residue may effect the head retention as well as the flavor and aroma. Beer glasses should always be washed separate from food dishes. Washing beer glasses with a low-sud detergent also helps keep residue to a minimum.

For the perfect pour, start with Draft Beer Services. Our custom designed, custom built systems and maintenance technicians available 24/7 will help you perfect your craft!