Does Your Beer Glass Matter?

Craft beer is booming across the country.  Every self-respecting hipster and their dog is an expert on beer styles, hops and grains. Hipsters may not have been the start of the craft beer movement, but they’re the next group in line to join the wave of people loving craft beer.

One of the things we’re all learning about beer is that the glass you drink out of matters. Many of them are swapping their cans for a glass. But a standard pint glass isn’t going to cut it for a finely crafted beer, and for good reason.

Encapsulating The Senses

These glasses enhance specific aspects of the beers that they were intended for. They can improve overall beer drinking experience.

• Pilsner glasses  show off the beautiful colors and lovely heads of pilsner beers.
• Snifters capture and enhance the aromas of darker and richer beers and barley wines.
• Weizen glasses capture the aromas of the weizen style of beer whilst also showcasing the grand, fluffy head.

All these glasses incorporate the senses of smell and sight. We’ve only recently returned to thinking about this aspect of the sensory experience with beers and cocktails. We’ve all heard that a large part of our tasting experience is smell and these glasses play toward that, seriously enhancing the beer drinkers experience.

Effecting The Taste

It might sound like nonsense, but these glasses effect the taste of the beer that goes further than just involving other senses. Compared to your standard pint glass, specific beer glasses have smaller lips and therefore make the drinker take smaller, more concentrated sips.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

The simple truth is that your customers want a variety of beer glasses. Even if you don’t buy the idea that the glass makes a difference in the taste of the beer, your competition is investing in these glasses and your customers have come to expect it. If you’re a high-end bar with a variety of fancy glasses for your cocktails, or a bar that’s serious about the beers they serve, then you should invest in good beer glasses.

Serving beer in a glass designed for that beer shows your patrons that you care about their beverage experience. This can increase customer satisfaction and keep customers coming back.

As an added benefit, these glasses can also save you money. You see, many of these glasses hold less beer than your standard 16 oz pint glass. Craft beer can vary greatly in alcohol content and kegs can vary widely in price. Pouring a 16 oz glass of a Belgian tripel isn’t typically the best way to ensure profitability. As we have said many times before, presentation matters. The fancier glasses will allow you to charge more for the beer you’re serving while simultaneously reducing the amount you serve.

Want to learn more about the different kinds of beer glasses out there? Check out this article!

What kind of beer glasses do you have in your bar? We’d love to hear about it! Don’t forget to share in the comments below or on any of our social media accounts. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!