Beer Glass Types: Which Glass for Which Beer (and Which Ones You Actually Need)

The right beer glass does three jobs: it holds the aroma, it leaves room for the right amount of foam, and it shows the beer off. You do not need a cabinet of specialist glassware to get those benefits. Two or three well-chosen shapes cover almost every style, and a clean glass matters more than any shape. Here is what each common beer glass does, which beers it suits, and the short list worth owning at home.

Why the glass matters at all

Most of what you taste in a beer, you actually smell. The Oxford Companion to Beer describes glassware as "a vital instrument for shaping our sensory perceptions," and points out that the best beer glasses combine a thin rim, which delivers the beer straight to the palate, with a bowl that holds and concentrates the aromas rising off the liquid (Oxford Companion to Beer, glassware).

A glass also controls the head. Foam carries aroma and changes the texture of each sip, and different styles want very different amounts of it: a wheat beer is served with a tall, dense crown, a British bitter with a thin collar. That is why the same beer can taste fuller in one glass than another, a point we also covered in our guide on how to pour a beer.

The main beer glass types

Shaker pint

The straight-sided, slightly tapered glass most American bars use. It is cheap, it stacks and it is hard to break, which is why it is everywhere. It is less good at holding aroma, because nothing narrows at the top. Fine for an easy-drinking lager or a casual night; not the glass to judge a hazy IPA in.

Nonic and English pint

The British pint glass, often with a bulge just below the rim. The Oxford Companion notes that this ring helps the glass "stay in the hand" during a long conversation at the bar (Oxford Companion to Beer, drinking vessels). Built for session ales, bitters, porters and stouts, the beers you drink slowly over a long evening.

Tulip

A rounded bowl that narrows, then flares out at the lip. The Oxford Companion gives the typical size as about 8.5 oz (250 ml), and explains that the flared lip directs the beer to the center of the tongue. It suits rich, complex, higher-alcohol beers: Belgian ales, double IPAs, barrel-aged beers. If you only buy one "real" beer glass, make it this one.

Pilsner glass

Tall, slender and usually tapered, sometimes on a short stem (the German pokal). It shows off the clarity, color and steady streams of bubbles in pale lagers, and the narrow shape helps hold a firm white head. Ideal for pilsners, helles and most pale or amber lagers.

Weizen glass

The tall, curvy glass with a narrow base and a wide top. It looks, in the Oxford Companion's words, like an oversized upside-down flute without a stem, and is usually sized for half a liter (about 16 oz), with plenty of head space for the high carbonation and big foam of German wheat beers. Pour slowly, with the glass tilted, and it will hold the whole bottle plus its crown.

Stange

A tall, narrow cylinder used for kölsch in Cologne. The Oxford Companion notes the traditional glass holds only 0.2 liters (about 6 oz), and that in Cologne bars the glasses are carried to the tables in racks: with such a small pour, the beer on the table is always fresh. Great for delicate, crisp beers that are best drunk quickly.

Mug

Heavy, thick glass with a handle, from about 16 to 33 oz (half a liter to a liter), mostly of Bavarian origin. The handle keeps your hand off the beer, the thick walls survive a toast, and it is made for the beer garden: märzen, helles, Oktoberfest-style lagers.

Goblet and chalice

A wide, bowl-shaped glass on a short, thick stem. The chalice is the larger, more ornate version associated with Belgian Trappist and abbey ales. The wide mouth lets you take in the aroma of strong, malty beers.

Snifter

The brandy-style glass with a wide bowl and a narrow top. It traps the aromas of very strong beers such as barleywines and imperial stouts, which are poured in small amounts and sipped slowly. Cupping the bowl warms the beer slightly, which opens up these big styles.

Which glass for which beer: the quick version

• Pale lagers and pilsners: pilsner glass, or a stange for very light beers.
• German lagers at a party: mug.
• Wheat beers: weizen glass.
• IPAs and pale ales: tulip or a stemmed glass with a rounded bowl.
• Belgian ales and strong ales: tulip, goblet or chalice.
• Stouts and porters: nonic pint for session strength, tulip or snifter for imperial versions.
• Barleywines and barrel-aged beers: snifter.

The three glasses worth owning

You do not need ten shapes. For most home drinkers, three cover everything:

1. A tulip or stemmed glass with a bowl, for anything aromatic. The Oxford Companion notes that a white wine glass is the most versatile stand-in if you have no beer glassware at all.
2. A pint (nonic or shaker), for everyday beers and big pours.
3. A tall pilsner or weizen glass, if you drink a lot of lagers or wheat beers.

Building a beer corner from scratch? Our guide to a home bar on a budget shows where glassware fits in the spending order, and our beer tasting flight guide explains why identical small glasses beat a mismatched collection for comparing beers side by side.

A clean glass beats a perfect shape

The best glass in the world will not help if it is not "beer clean." The Oxford Companion lists the signs of a dirty glass: bubbles clinging to the inside walls, foam that collapses quickly, and water that beads instead of sheeting off. The cure is simple: scrub with a sponge and dish soap, rinse thoroughly, and air-dry on a rack rather than with a towel (Oxford Companion to Beer, beer clean).

A few habits that help:

• Rinse with cold water just before pouring. A wet, cool glass helps the beer flow smoothly.
• Skip the freezer. Frosted glasses cause foaming, add ice crystals and serve the beer too cold to smell. Chill the beer, not the glass: here is how to chill beer fast when you are short on time.
• Keep beer glasses separate from glasses used for milk or greasy drinks, if you can.
• Store glasses rim up in a closed cabinet: upside down on a shelf, the rim can trap stale air and pick up odors.

Open it like you mean it

Good glassware deserves a proper opening. The Beer Mortar is a cannon-shaped bottle opener that pops the cap and sends it flying with one palm strike, with no batteries and nothing to charge. Aim it away from people, pets and anything breakable, keep it away from kids, then pour into the glass that suits the beer.

The short version

A good beer glass holds aroma, leaves room for foam and shows off the beer. Tulip for aromatic and strong beers, pilsner for lagers, weizen for wheat beers, nonic for session ales, snifter for the big stuff. If you only own three, make it a tulip, a pint and a tall lager glass, and keep them beer clean. Once the glass is ready, store the rest of your beer properly with our guide on how to store beer.