The best beer glasses to amplify your drinking experience

Speciality glassware is on the rise among drinkers looking to get the best out of their beers. Find out which glasses are turning heads.

While drinkers can always find a variety of glassware options for their home, restaurants and bars should take note of how the shape and thickness of the glass can play a crucial role in how a beer looks, smells and tastes. Here’s a drill-down into a few of the options to consider.

In a recent report by Gear Patrol, researchers identified which vessels were best suited for a range of beer styles and occasions. With a neat list of six varieties, beer adorers were not just shown the glass, but also given reasons why it could amplify their drinking experience. The ranking each of the researchers outlined is as follows:

Best all-round beer glass
Leading the way, the Teku glass was stated to be beer’s equivalent of the Zalto Universal wine glass and essentially the benchmark by which every other beer glass is measured.
According to the guide, “the Teku’s wide base and narrow, thin-lipped top act to flush beer smells to the nose. And, unlike most other stemware, the glass is thick and won’t chip or break easily”.

Best upgrade glass
Zalto is the next obvious choice. Its glass has been hand blown and made using the same lead-free glass as its wine stemware. Plus, the Zalto glass is crack- and chip-resistant and comes in a deep tulip shape, ideal for nosing your favourite beer styles.

Best beer glass for Belgian beers
The Bormiolo Rocco’s brandy glass is wide and short to allow room for the drinker to swirl, and nose their drink. The Libbey glass is what we need to look for when it comes to beer styles that have a lot going on and pack in flavour along with body too. Although this style is thicker and sturdier than most Belgian-style glasses, it is ideal for endless varieties of Belgian beer.

Best beer glass for IPAs
The ideal IPA glass would be especially adept at ushering fragrant hop notes to the nose and nowadays a lead-free, lightweight and thinner glass is more in style than the bulkier versions of old. Add to this a base that also aerates the beer inside the glass and drinkers are sure to get the most out of this beer style. The Spiegelau craft beer IPA glass is perfect.

Best beer glass for pilsners
The Willi Becher beer glass is said to be “a shift away from the classic conical pint glass into something more elegant” because it sports “a heavier base and slightly tapered silhouette”. Not only is it positioned to be “ideal for pilsners and lagers” it has now also found its way into some of the world’s best taprooms.

Best everyday beer glass
The Bodega glass from Bormioli is known for being both tough and low cost for bars and restaurants, but can also help all beers look and taste their best. Also, the best part of Bormioli’s glassware is that they’re not just for beer making them highly versatile for busy venues.