The Science Behind Beer-Glass Pairings

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The Importance of Proper Beer-Glass Pairings

The way beer is presented significantly influences its taste, aroma, and overall experience. A properly selected beer glass can enhance the beer's qualities by focusing the drinker's senses on the elements that are meant to be highlighted.

With the sheer growth of the craft beer movement over the last several years and the rise of local breweries, there are more unique and flavorful beers on the market now than ever before. Beer has become more widely appreciated for its nuanced flavors, aromas, and production techniques, similar to wine. This has led to unique beer-tasting experiences and thoughtful food-beer pairings. As the community of beer enthusiasts has grown, these new brews are steadily finding their way into a variety of event experiences.

Enhancing the Beer Experience With the Right Glass

Spotting the growing craft beer trend, we expanded our Beer Glass collection over the years by adding glasses that offered unique style and function to help enhance the beer experience both behind the bar and throughout the event.

We stopped by a local brewery, Alementary Brewing Co. in Hackensack, New Jersey, to meet with Mike Roosevelt, Alementary’s Owner and Chief Scientist. There we learned more from him about how our expanded Beer Glass collection can pair and complement different types of popular brews.

While there are no strict rules about which types of beer can be served in a particular beer glass, each glass in our Beer collection has unique features that complement the flavor profiles and serving styles of different beers. Mike notes the science behind choosing a beer glass: “An appropriate glass will naturally focus the drinker on the elements of the beer that need to be highlighted. It’s all about the size of the glass, the shape of the bowl, where the glass positions the beer on your tongue – similar to wine – and serving temperature.”

Let’s get a closer look at our Beer Glass collection!

Beer Mugs

Pairs well with: Stouts, Porters

Raising a glass in celebration? Our Beer Mugs are the quintessential choice for ending an enthusiastic toast with a friendly clink. Beyond the “clink,” the size of our Beer Mugs lends itself perfectly to beers with big flavors. Mike says of our Beer Mug, “This glass has some heft, and it needs beers to match.” Its straight-sided, cylindrical silhouette leads to a wide opening, perfect for amplifying dark, rich notes like caramel, chocolate, or coffee. Stouts and Porters are well-suited to the Beer Mug.

Beer Pint Glass

Pairs well with: American Lagers

Looking for a versatile glass that pairs with classic brews? We’ve got the perfect pick for that! Our 16-ounce Beer Pint Glass is a popular choice for serving guests a generous pour of a variety of beer types. The glass has a slight flare to its cylindrical shape, a familiar silhouette that’s as American as apple pie. To make the most of the Beer Pint, Mike notes that it complements American Lagers in particular saying, “This is a classic, easy bar glass that pairs well with classic, easy beers.” Beers with a lower ABV are especially suited for this glass, as its size allows guests to enjoy more sips before they head back to the bar.

Belgian Beer Glass

Pairs well with: Belgian Abbey-style beers, barrel-aged beers, fruited beers, high-ABV beers

Sometimes referred to as a “tulip glass,” our Belgian Beer Glass is a stemmed beer glass with a large, round bowl and tapered opening. It shares a similar silhouette with the brandy snifter, which allows strong aromatics of bold beers to flourish in our Belgian Beer Glass. According to Mike, “Guests can treat [the Belgian Glass] like a snifter, and really get in there for the beer’s aroma.” For this reason, he notes that Belgian Abbey-style beers, barrel-aged beers, fruited beers, and other high-ABV beers are especially complemented by the unique glass shape.

Cerveza Pilsner

Pairs well with: Pilsners, Kolsch, Munich Helles, Vienna Lagers

Temperature matters for many craft beers, and for those whose flavors come alive at a lower temperature, glasses with smaller capacity, like our Cerveza Pilsner, often suit them best. Mike says, “The slightly smaller size ensures that the beer won’t warm up too much before you’re finished.” The Cerveza Pilsner glass also features a subtle hourglass shape, leading to a flared rim that Mike says, “presents some of the more delicate aromas from more nuanced styles.” Pilsners, Kolsch, Munich Helles, and Vienna Lagers are right at home in this glass.

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Classic Pilsner

Pairs well with: Pilsners, Sour Beers

While our Classic Pilsner is most well known for serving its namesake beer – the Pilsner – its concave silhouette and flared rim lend itself to another type of beer: sour beers. Mike explains, “The flared opening gives plenty of surface area to enjoy a sour beer’s intricate aromas.” Our Classic Pilsner also offers guests a clear view of the rising bubbles after an expert pour, making the presentation as much a feast for the eyes as for the taste buds.

Nonic Pub Glass

Pairs well with: Stouts, porters, ales, ambers, and moderate-to-low ABV beers

The Nonic Pub Glass was designed to solve an issue facing pub owners during a busy service: pint glasses had a tendency to stick together and nick each others’ rims when stacked. Enter the Nonic Glass (pronounced “no-nick”). The characteristic bulb at the top of the Nonic Glass helps the glasses separate more easily and reinforces the rims to cut down on nicking.

While their history is based on function, the shape of our Nonic Pub Glasses lends itself to flavor as well. Its larger size complements beers that serve well at a warmer temperature. Mike also says of the silhouette, “The large opening lets guests experience a beer’s aromas. Also, being a British glass design, it really does work best for moderate-to-low ABV styles.” Stouts, porters, pale ales, and ambers are well-served in this unique glass.

Revival Beer Glass

Pairs well with: IPAs

With one of the most unique silhouettes in our collection, our Revival Beer Glass features a smaller base that tapers into the base of a large, convex bowl topped with a wide, flared rim that’s perfect for serving a rising star in the craft beer world: IPAs. In addition to offering an element of flair, each piece of the glass serves a purpose during service, starting with the base. The glass is meant to be held at the smaller base, which helps reduce the amount of body heat transfer. By slowly warming the glass, Mike says, “This amps up the hop aromas from highly hopped beers, and the flared top focuses those aromas right where you want them.”

Beer Tasting Mugs

Pairs well with: Any beer, and smaller serves of high-ABV beers

Whether you’re offering tasting sessions, beer flights, food-beer pairings, or fun beer-centric hors d’oeuvres, our Beer Tasting Mugs are the perfect pick for bringing your service to life. While these mini mugs are generally good for tasting-sized pours of the latest trending brews, Mike notes, “They also work well for people who just want a nip of something with higher alcohol.” Cute, functional, and versatile? We’re sold.

Wine Glasses for Beer

Pairs well with: A variety of beers

Beer in a wine glass? Why not! Sharing many of the same silhouettes and elements with our dedicated beer glasses, our wine glasses are versatile choices that enhance and amplify the flavors and aromas of many different beers. Mike suggested this unorthodox glassware choice, saying, “Many ‘beer geeks’ with large bottle collections – who are often very particular about the beers they serve for their special occasions – very much prefer wine glasses.” Wine glasses with smaller bowls – like our Bowery Wine Glass 12oz and Mercer Stemless White Wine Glass 13oz – tend to allow headspace and channel more nuanced aromas, making them a perfect choice for serving more unique beers to a discerning crowd.

While there’s no right or wrong way to serve your favorite brews, our Beer Glass collection has so many different options and styles to help you bring out the best in your beer service. After talking about the different beers and how the trend toward more sophisticated beer preferences has grown, we had to know – what’s drawing people to the craft beer trend? As a brewery owner, Mike says, “Experience and quality. People like to know who created the beer and experience it first hand, brewery fresh. It makes for higher quality beer-drinking experience.”

Marjie, the Alementary Brew Dog

Thanks to Mike and the Alementary team for hosting our photoshoot and breaking down the science behind our beer glasses, and their adorable pup Marjie for her expert supervision skills. (She was paid handsomely in love and ear scratches.)

How Different Beer Glasses Impact Drinking Experience

The different types of beer glasses available for beer consumption come in many eye-catching designs, but they also serve a specific purpose. From releasing carbonation at the proper rate and delivering taste to just the right location on the tongue, to perfectly capturing the aroma and escaping the frothy head, choosing the right glassware can make all the difference in your tasting experience.

For example, each style of beer glass is designed to do the following:

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