Quick Glassware Guide

Sometimes drinking craft beer can get complicated. First, you have to decide what you want to drink, then you have to decide what glass you want to put it in, and then you have to learn how to pour it correctly. But I'm a girl and have a habit of overthinking things. Overthinking what glass to use for what beer is just the tip of my personal indecisive iceberg.

Before I continue with the melodrama of my life, just make sure you get your beer into a glass. An IPA is going to taste a hell of a lot different in a pint glass than chugging it straight from the bottle. In case you're feeling adventurous or have some dolla' bills burning a hole in your pocket, feel free to invest in your own glassware or buy me some glassware. These are some (not all) of the most common beer drinking vessels:

Snifter: warms the beer as you drink, lets you swirl it and
gets your nose involved too
Good for: robust stouts, hoptastic IPAs, and other big ABV beers

Nonic Pint: super common pub glass
keeps a good head, easy to drink out of, cheap to make
Good for: porters, stouts, and other ales...an all-around safe bet

Mug/Stein: keeps your hands from warming the brew,
holds a lot of beer and a lot of head in a heavy duty mug
Good for: most ales—especially when you're rabble-rousing in the tavern

Weizen Glass: perfect for beers with
a big head and bubbles. Usually holds about a half liter which is top notch
Good For: wheat (weizen) ales

Pilsner Glass: typically holds 12oz of bubbly, heady beers.
Plus, it's a perfect glass to showcase your well crafted beer
Good for: effervescent ales, doppelbocks and pilsners...obviously

Tips:

**Don't frost your glass. Unless you're drinking a Natty's Ice, go ahead and frost away to keep it as cold as possible. But with the complexities of craft brews, frosting the glass can dull flavors. Plus, I share my freezer with three other girls and freezers have a way of spreading their "unique" odors around. Keep your beer glasses out of the freezer—trust me.

**Don't wash your beer glasses where they can pick up oils and odors from other dishes. Lovingly hand-wash them so they don't swish around in the same dishwasher water as your queso bowl from a week ago. Beer vessels don't play nice with others.

**If all else fails, ask a pro. When you stop into your favorite craft beer store to buy a Two Hearted Ale or a Breakfast Stout, ask the employee how he/she recommends you drink it. I guarantee they'll do a better job explaining the purpose of glass design than I just did.